Importance of Multiple Location Local Search Engine Optimization
Are you looking to market your business’s local operations for all your locations? This very simple, yet EXTREMELY significant process can drive masses of local traffic into your business if it is completed effectively and properly.
You may ask, well; how significant is the local optimization for search results. Let’s just say this, 46% of all traffic is driven thru local search results. If we are talking about a store front service such as a restaurant, the number is MUCH greater. This means nearly half of all search traffic is popping up in the local section of search results on potential customers smartphones, tablets or computers.
So, big picture really fast – you can implement local SEO into your website as well as optimizing local listings in search engines VERY easily and see a sizeable jump in traffic. Now, your marketing dollars can literally sit in your storefronts rent and a few easy steps – instead of in the pocket of an AD agency or pay per click company (or the marketing dollars can at least begin with these free and easy tips)
Quick performance example of one of our recent clients:
The proper industries can realistically increase profitably dramatically by simply opening office space and creating local listings. (We had a medical clinic open up extra space after seeing the success of creating a single local listing and were able to double their business while renting a very affordable office space (they were able to increase income by over $15,000 per month just renting an office). Obviously, the medical niche is unique since it is very specialized – however, that particular customer came to us with NO online presence other than a dated website. We optimized their local traffic and saw an increase from under 5 visits a month to over 300 from the 1st Google Local listing from the first office. Dataflurry informed them that opening another office in a strategic location could increase business (after we performed a little market research). After opening the 2nd office and creating another local listing, total traffic increased to over 1,000 highly targeted website visitors from JUST LOCAL search and MINIMAL optimization. This example was in the past few months. We have had clients with much more impressive results!
What is Multiple Location Search Engine Optimization?
Effectively, it is a simple mix of On-site improvements as well as external improvements. We will elaborate in a moment on exactly what to do. Performing these tasks so will allow the search engines to confirm your company information and the importance of your locations. Let’s roll!
- First, if you only have 2 or 3 locations. I would recommend placing the addresses on your website home page, and even the footer is acceptable (locations can be listed across the entire website in the footer if it fits properly). Including your address (as shown in google) and phone number.
- 2nd, and this is very important. Build out a page for each specific location:
It is absolutely recommended and necessary to have an individual page for each location to simplify and clarify to Google and other search indexes the value and relevance of your storefront or place of business.
Here is the beautiful thing, this helps you solidify and clarify your local results with Google; but it also can help you rank for major city specific terms as well. Google’s algorithm is good at determining how to point people to relevant results, and the more specific and targeted your website – the better the chance your page will rank. This can also help lower bounce rates (and higher conversion rate), which google uses to increase your search rankings. This also will help increase your organic search rankings, which we will elaborate on.
Let us give you an example of a Multiple Location success story to prove our point
Let’s say you are searching for something like “Phoenix air conditioning repair”. In the below example of search results, you will see the pages showing up are CITY SPECIFIC pages created to target this exact city. We took a largely competitive search niche and provided an example of how your chances of ranking are dramatically increased creating a page for each store location. These are organic results (and this lets Google know you are MORE relevant for local results as well).
You will see each page we put a Local stamp next to, the pages ranking in Google have created individual pages on their website for each business location (or if it is a review website, for each city)! The only page that didn’t have a city specific page in the URL – the entire page was dedicated to only this city and was not the home page (so further proving our point).
Ok Dataflurry, thanks for the advice – but how do I do this?
Easy, we want you to develop a URL structure within your website and then create pages for each business location.
We find that very simple structures will work best. So, we will act as if we are running an automotive repair store across all of Arizona. Let’s give some great examples that will work.
Yourcarshop.com/locations should be the founding folder
Yourcarshop.com/locations/phoenix
Yourcarshop.com/locations/scottsdale
Now, let’s say you are in multiple states. This only requires a minor URL structure change. Simply add the state behind the locations folder on your website and then add the cities, as shown below.
Yourcarshop.com/locations/arizona/phoenix
Yourcarshop.com/locations/arizona/scottsdale
This can also be repeated on a global level if you would like.
Yourcarshop.com/locations/usa/arizona/phoenix
Yourcarshop.com/locations/usa/arizona/scottsdale
Well, Dataflurry that is great as well – but what if I have more than 1 store in 1 city?
That’s an easy fix as well. Let’s simply name our stores with a unique identifier. Most businesses already do this when working in one city. Let’s assume you have a store in Phoenix near Arcadia as well as another in the Camelback area.
Yourcarshop.com/locations/arizona/phoenix/arcadia
Yourcarshop.com/locations/arizona/scottsdale/camelback
We won’t elaborate any further, however; this has worked incredibly low for our clients and also for convincing the search engines your business is relevant to show up in both local results as well as organic results.
- Make sure your content is optimized properly to rank!
First and foremost, now that we have a search friendly URL structure you will want to optimize your content. Let’s go ahead and break down the most important things to remember when you are optimizing for local search on your individual location pages.
Optimize your page meta description tags and title tags. Make sure your page title include the most relevant search terms for your business. They should also include the city name as well! Here’s a great example.
Title: Toms Auto Service Phoenix, AZ | Car Maintenance, Repair & Vehicle Mechanic
This title tag is very creative, because it allows a VERY LARGE number of possible search phrases to be included in a page title, while showing potential visitors exactly what you do when they see you in search results. This will make you relevant for a large number of search phrases (here are a few:
Phoenix Car Mechanic, Phoenix car maintenance, Phoenix car repair, Phoenix car service, etc. This also would target all terms relating to Phoenix auto, Phoenix vehicle, etc. For example, you are relevant for Phoenix auto repair, Phoenix vehicle service, and also terms such as Phoenix, AZ car repair and maintenance! I hope you see where we are going here – we want to cast a wide net with the most searched terms to bring in the largest possible audience.
Now, let us talk about your content within your website!
Don’t make a mistake of using VERY LITTLE CONTENT. Google does like to see verbiage on a page showing it is relevant and descriptive enough for the visitor to know what they are getting. It would be a big mistake to simply provide an address and phone number on your individual location pages. Here are some ideas to take into consideration:
– Description: Descriptions of services you offer at this location
– Coupons for this location: This is a great idea to help give that added incentive to get a customer in to your store or location.
– Common questions: Answer typical questions or concerns you get so they know you are the right provider.
– Photos: This adds to personalization for your business. A photo is great way to get extra SEO into your page. Make sure to use search friendly ALT or Title tags on your images, Google considers this in ranking as well as Google Image searches.
– A map with a link to directions : Why not make it easy for your customer. Plus, they are likely looking for someone close and Google knew this when showing the result in their search. So lets help use that to our advantage and show them a map. Even better, add a link that they can easily click and navigate, you got a new customer! (this is a great idea, because someone in their car may not want to type your address out)
– Reviews or testimonials: People love to know that customers are happy with your business, lowering the nervousness a potential customer will have.Make sure to include the basics on your page. Include the address, phone, store hours and any other relevant information. We recommend making sure this exactly matches your Google Local (my business) listing. We also prefer to link directly to the Google Local listing (Saying something like see us on Google).
- Create a Google My Business listing for each business location
Go directly to Google’s My Business Center. You will need to follow the simply steps they provide to create a master location along with all your other locations.
Make sure that you are including as much relevant information in your listing as possible. You are able to add a description within the listing for each store. Relevant keywords as well as a good description here are super important.
The more information you provide the better. Use areas such as Labels, Service Areas, Products and Services to further elaborate on your business with keyword rich information. - Citation listings Across Major Websites
Get listed amongst popular websites such as Yelp, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, Linkedin, Foursquare, Citysquares, Mapquest, Local.com, Citysearch, Merchantcircle, Yellowbot, Superpages, BBB, YP, Manta and others. This shows Google and other search engines your business is active and relevant. Your local listing can be harmed if the information doesn’t match on these sites to Googles. There are quality vendors that provide local citations services for your business (this is a service that adds you to these websites). Dataflurry offers this service for a very small fee, or free to our marketing customers.
- Reviews! And, this is IMPORTANT!
Over 80 percent of customers value and trust reviews! I am sure you are one of these people, but I assume that you are. Also, Google LOVES reviews. If you search a popular niche, such as a Los Angeles injury attorney – They will NEVER show the lawyers with no reviews, unless the law firm is literally in the building you live in.
Knowing that people look for reviews, it is common sense you need to maintain a high review rate of 4 stars or more.
Ask your customers for reviews!
Incentivize or at least tell your customers that you would love them to review your business on Google. This is powerful, and I literally have to tell our customers ALL the time to do this (repeatedly because they don’t do it). I wish people took this more seriously because the amount of business and success you can achieve by just pushing positive reviews is immense.
I have had clients literally give starbucks gift cards to customers for leaving reviews. Obviously, we aren’t trying to fool Google, but there is no harm in telling a happy customer to please leave a review and then offering them an incentive. I create a letter for my clients to give email to customers which provides a direct link to their page to leave the review. You must make it easy for customers to accomplish this.
The End
We have been helping customers succeed online for over 20 years (not joking). We still have several customers that have been with us over 10 years, which I think says a ton in this service area with such high turnover rates.
Dataflurry never places customers in to contracts. You can stop using Dataflurry at any time and maintain the success you achieved, we just ask you give us a try.
