For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), local SEO can be a challenge when your business has multiple locations. However, by taking a Multi-Location SEO approach that connects with customers based on their location, you can build a loyal local customer base that drives foot traffic, phone calls and online conversions.
What is Multi-Location SEO?
Local SEO is often an overlooked part of a broader SEO strategy. By optimising your business with search terms ending in your location, such as “SEO Agency Belfast,” you can build credibility and generate business within the local community.
Multiple location SEO is exactly as it sounds: optimising all of your business’s physical locations or service areas. This involves improving all your online touch points (like your website and Google Business Profiles) by making each more visible for local searches.
And, once you’re ranking well for a specific location, Google’s algorithm will associate your business with ‘near me’ searches by people in that area.
Over the years, we’ve seen how impactful this approach can be. We’ve helped a range of businesses, from retail shops with multiple showrooms to service industries like law firms with several office locations, increase foot traffic and lead generation by fully utilising this aspect of SEO.
Why Multiple-Location SEO Matters for SMB
For SMBs with more than one location, multi-location SEO can make a significant difference in standing out in local search results.
While online giants like Amazon saw a surge during COVID, there has been a significant increase in consumers shifting back to local businesses, with 63% of consumers now preferring to shop locally. As people prioritise supporting their communities and reducing their environmental impact, there’s no better time for businesses like yours to maximise visibility in the areas you serve.
When each of your business locations is optimised for its specific area, potential customers can find you more easily, leading to increased calls, visits and bookings directly from local search results.
Multi-Location SEO Has a Multitude of Benefits
- It brings more customers in-store, increasing foot traffic by helping each location appear in “near me” searches. This is great for restaurants, cafes and retail stores that depend on walk-in customers.
- It builds local trust by showcasing local reviews and tailored info that helps each branch become trusted in its community. This is important for healthcare providers, and professional service businesses like solicitors or accountants.
- It increases online bookings and calls, with easy options like “Book Now” or “Call” on location pages that make it simple for customers to reach out. Clinics and dental offices can benefit from this most.
- It can boost seasonal sales by highlighting local offers and events directly in the local search results. This is ideal for retail stores with seasonal deals or auction companies with upcoming community events.
- It helps outrank local competitors, so you’re shown above nearby competitors on search results. This is the number one goal for any service-based business wanting to stand out in the local market.
Top Local SEO Tactics for Multiple Locations
As SEOs who help our clients rank across multiple locations, we’ve broken down some of our top multi-location SEO tactics. These tactics are designed to improve local visibility and generate results for businesses with multiple branches or offices.
Tactic 1. Optimise Google Business Profiles (GBP) for Each Location
Google Business Profiles (GBP) can be a game-changer for small and multi-location businesses aiming to improve their local SEO. By creating a GBP listing for each location, businesses increase their chances of appearing in the “local pack” – the section at the top of Google search results that highlights a map and three relevant local business listings.
This visibility makes each branch easier to find for nearby customers actively searching for similar services.
Maintaining consistent name, address and phone number (NAP) information across all listings supports SEO and builds trust with online searchers. Plus, GBP makes it simple to interact with customers through reviews and Q&A, which not only helps your SEO but shows you’re tuned into what your community needs. And, with options to post location-specific updates and photos, each of your branches can stand out and connect directly with its local audience.
So, creating and optimising a GBP for each of your locations is an excellent way to optimise for multiple locations.
Here are three ways to get started with GBP:
- Create or claim your GBP by visiting the Google Business Profile website. Sign in and follow the prompts to add a new location. If your business location is already listed, claim it to gain access.
- Optimise each GBP by filling out all details, including your business name, address, phone number (NAP) and website. Make sure these details are consistent with your website, social media and all online platforms. Add high-quality photos (images can increase revenue by 17%), respond to reviews and update your opening hours.
- Use the description field to highlight services or products specific to each location and choose categories that reflect what you offer to that area. In the long term, also think about using location-based posts on each GBP to keep each profile active.
Tactic 2. Create Unique Location Pages
Location pages are dedicated web pages for each of your business’s physical locations. These pages help you target specific geographic areas and provide detailed information relevant to each location. Having individual location pages helps you rank better in local search results, as each page can be optimised for its unique area and audience.
For instance, if Codefixer were a multi-location business, URL structure for multiple locations might look like:
While it’s best practice to format location pages consistently, it’s also important to make sure each location page has unique content. This helps search engines distinguish the pages as separate and provides users with relevant, location-specific information.
For many of our clients, we often create flexible location page templates that can be customised with unique content for each location. These templates maintain a consistent structure, making them easy for developers to implement and roll out efficiently.
Tactic 3. Create Localised Content for Each Area
Creating localised supporting website content is another way to approach SEO for multiple locations, especially when you’ve already set up and optimised your GBPs and location pages.
Supporting website content is any type of additional website content that’s created to complement and reinforce the main pages on a website. It can include things like blog posts, FAQs, case studies or service-related guides.
This content helps you target long-tail location-specific keywords and build credibility in each area. By linking this content to location pages, you can also strengthen your site’s internal linking and, therefore, boost SEO for each specific location page.
Here are three ways to incorporate localised content on your site:
- Write blogs highlighting local events, news or seasonal activities in each area.
- Create guides like “Top 10 Restaurants in [Location]” or “How to Prepare for Winter in [Location]”.
- Share case studies or success stories from clients in specific areas.
- Post updates about your involvement in local charities or sponsorships.
Tactic 4. Get Featured in Local Directories
A citation is a mention of your business on other websites, typically including your name, address and phone number (NAP). Being listed in reputable local online directories helps your business establish trust with search engines and can improve your local rankings in different areas.
Top Online Directories for Multi-Location SEO include:
- Yell.com
- Thomson Local
- Trustpilot
- TripAdvisor
- Local Chamber of Commerce directories
- Industry-specific directories like The Law Society’s Find a Solicitor or Doctify
Beyond basic citations, securing substantial backlinks from reputable external sites is also key to building authority in multilocation SEO. Links from well-regarded local websites signal to search engines that your business is a trusted resource in each area. However, effective backlink building is often resource-intensive and requires extensive outreach, so it’s always smart to partner with professional SEOs with experience in this area.
Tactic 5. Use Structured Data to Boost Local Visibility
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines better understand your website, including location-specific information like addresses and opening hours. It can improve your site’s visibility in rich snippets on Google, making your business stand out in search results.
How to Test Structured Data:
To check if your website is making use of structured data, you can quickly test it using Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema.org Validator. These tools allow you to see if your schema is correctly implemented and if there are any errors to address.
- Go to Google’s Rich Results Test or Schema.org.
- Enter your website URL or paste a specific code snippet containing the structured data.
- Click “Test URL” or “Test Code” (or Run Test in Schema.org) to see if your structured data is properly implemented.
- Review the results for any errors or warnings that may need fixing.
If you run into any issues or feel unsure about how to implement changes, it may be worth consulting with SEOs like ourselves or your web developer. Schema can be tricky to implement correctly, so it’s more time-efficient to leave it up to professionals.
Tactic 6. Cultivate Local Reviews for Each Location
Local reviews are essential for optimising for multiple locations. Positive reviews can boost your reputation and improve local rankings while serving as social proof to potential customers. Managing and responding to all reviews shows that you value customer feedback and are engaged with your community.
Requesting reviews can be a bit of a balancing act at times…while positive reviews boost your reputation, negative ones can impact it if left unaddressed. That’s why we use tailored methods to capture negative feedback privately before it reaches a wider audience.
Here are ways to manage reviews across different locations:
- Encourage happy customers to leave reviews through follow-up emails or at the end of a service. For the best results, we’ve found personalised requests work better than relying on automated review collection software.
- Respond to all reviews you get – not just negative ones. While it’s important to resolve issues by promptly responding to negative feedback, it’s also important to acknowledge and thank reviewers who left positive comments. If you can, try to use location-specific language when responding (as long as it sounds natural).
- Highlight positive reviews on each location page, as customers often use location-specific language for different branches. For example, your Ballyhackamore restaurant location might be praised for serving the “Best Ulster-Fry in East Belfast”, whereas customers in Dublin rave about your “Best Value Irish Stew in Temple Bar”. These reviews add a personal touch that resonates with local audiences.
Start Your Local SEO Strategy for Multiple Locations
That concludes our roundup of local SEO tactics for businesses with multiple locations.
Implementing even just two or three of these tactics helps move the needle and appear higher in the local search results – if done correctly as part of a wider strategy. While it may look relatively straightforward, the process of multi-location SEO can become very time-consuming and complex the more locations you have.
That’s why partnering with a trusted SEO Agency like ours can make all the difference.
We develop bespoke local SEO strategies for each client we take on, making sure each of your business’s locations reaches its full potential. From crafting optimised profiles for each branch to strategic backlink building, we have a proven track record of helping clients increase local visibility, build authority and achieve tangible growth.
Ready to Boost Your Local Presence?
Managing local SEO for multiple locations doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Let us handle the complexities while you focus on running your business. Get in touch today for a custom strategy that connects you with more local customers and drives results for each of your locations.
