Local SEO is important for any business, be it a small food chain with few branches or a multinational company with its existence all over the world. Every business wants to gain online visibility it can afford.
Around 88% of consumers who search for a local store visit it within a day. 47% of all the Google searches are made to obtain local information. More than 46% of the people on the internet are looking for local information.
Local SEO for multiple-location businesses comes with an added layer of complexity. There can be issues regarding name, address, phone number consistency, or clear location signals which can disrupt the ranking.
Before diving into the tips for tackling SEO in multiple-location businesses, let’s look at the definition of local SEO and multiple-location businesses.
Local SEO
Local SEO is the optimization strategy that enables the business sites to be more visible in local searches. It helps to improve your business visibility organically in location-based searches on search engines, like Google, Bing, etc.
“Where can I buy?” mobile searches have grown by 200% in the last 2 years. Almost 50% of near me searches result in a physical store visit. 48.6% of searches in the US were solved even without clicking on the results.
Initially, local SEO was limited because people were using desktops only. But now, with more mobile searches coming in each day, local SEO is mandatory for the success of local businesses.
Multiple-location Businesses
A Multiple Location Business indicates to the product manufacturers and service providers who operate at different physical locations. Some multiple location businesses don’t have physical stores but extend their services across the area.
While managing a multiple location business should be paid to branding, locations at which local stores are present and the products available at each local store.
Local SEO tips for Multiple-location business
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Creating location page and site optimization
Consumers get perplexed when a business throws different site results for different locations. But if the page of each location is to be ranked high in the Google search, the site should have a single domain with multiple subdomains for each location.
After creating individual location pages, on-page SEO is implemented to ensure that the site gets more traction.
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Location-specific content
For each location page to rank in top spots, location-specific content is necessary. The location pages in the sites should contain details regarding the name, address and phone number of the local store. A precise map location is an added advantage as 44% of consumers use mapping applications that search for the local businesses.
Attention must be paid to avoid duplicate entries on the local pages. Custom descriptions of the services provided, blogs, and photo galleries for each location page can further optimize the ranking of the site.
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Knowing the competition
Market understanding and knowing your competition is essential for multiple location SEO implementations. Linking strategies, like backlinks and inbound links and content strategies on-page optimization helps set the business ahead of the curve.
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Reviews
Reviews are social proof that people are using a particular brand. 15% of consumers don’t trust a brand without reviews. Local reviews should be encouraged to show the local engagement of the brand.
Negative reviews should be addressed because it takes 40 positive reviews to undo the damage done by one negative review.
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Consistency in citations and NAP
There should be a consistency for the name, address, and phone number for all locations while registering in business directories. Any updates or changes in the NAP should be reflected in all online business profiles and directories. 80% of the customers avoid businesses with inaccurate NAP.
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‘Google My Business’ listing
Registering with ‘Google My Business’ allows the business to show up in Google searches in the local area. A business account is created and multiple users can handle it from different locations. Google My Business provides bulk management and verification for multiple location businesses.
Local Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages should be created to keep the users engaged. Localized events, discounts, and giveaways can be hosted to create a separate user base in each location.
67% of users’ want ads customized to their zip code. One-third of the users search for information online while inside the physical store.
Final thoughts
Managing a multiple-location business is a tedious task. While marketing a local store, businesses should compete with counterparts in the same area. For a brand to demonstrate its credibility, the above-mentioned local SEO tips come in handy.
These tips can also improve the ranking of multiple-location business websites, which potentially influences the people to buy the product or use the service of the business.