How to Do Local SEO for Multi Location Businesses? 

Ranking in local search on the search engines is important if your business is related to a fixed geographical region. This can be done through local SEO but what will you do if you have a business that works with multiple locations?  When it comes to local SEO having multiple locations makes it more complex. 

Now the question arises how can you scale your marketing efforts to target multiple locations? The answer to it is pretty simple— Invest in a multi-location Local SEO strategy. Let’s look at some effective strategies to perform local SEO for multi location business. 

What is Multi-Location SEO? 

It is a process of optimizing your business search presence so that it appears on the local search results in multiple locations. This becomes important when you have a business that is a franchise model or retail chain that has multiple stores. It allows businesses to reach a large number of audiences who are looking for the same product or service. 

Why is Local SEO Important for Multi-Location Businesses? 

Before we discuss a particular approach, we want to discuss why local SEO is particularly crucial to companies with multiple locations because: 

Visibility: Relevant local searches ensure that your business is found on the internet. 

Simplified customer experience: Make it easier for the customers to choose the most convenient option by giving proper and consistent information for all of your locations. 

Higher ROI: Local SEO work is more likely to have a better return on investment, with higher conversion rates since you’re focusing on users who need your product or service in localized locations. 

Competitive advantage: This strategy is very competitive because, in many businesses, local SEO is still a problem, especially for multiple locations. A correct strategy can keep your services one step ahead of others. 

Optimize Your Google Business Profile Listings  

You probably have been using or are aware of Google My Business which recently changed its name to Google Business Profile, a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. For a multi-location business, it is important that each location has a well-optimized Google Business Profile.   

Create and Claim Individual Listings 

For each of your business locations, ensure that you have a Google Business Profile listing. Claim your listings through Google’s verification process if you have not done so yet. 

Provide Accurate and Consistent Information 

Make sure all the information is correct and consistent on all the platforms.  

• Business name  

• Address  

• Phone number  

• Website URL  

• Business hours  

• Services offered  

• Photos of your business 

Ensure that all the information provided here matches with the information on your website and other listings. 

Use Location-Specific Keywords 

While writing the description and posts for your business make sure to use location-specific keywords.  

Encourage and Respond to Reviews  

Reviews are important for local SEO. Ask satisfied customers to write a few reviews for specific locations. More importantly, be sure to respond promptly and professionally to all reviews-whether they are positive or negative. 

Utilize Google Posts 

Leverage Google Posts to share updates, offers, and events specific to each location. This will keep your listing fresh and educate potential customers. 

Create Location-Specific Landing Pages 

For multi-location companies, having unique landing pages for all locations is a must. These pages form hubs for content for each specific location or branch.   

Unique URLs 

Create unique URLs for each location page, preferably with a consistent format. Example:  

“https://www.rvsmedia.co.uk/seo-agency-london/”

Location-Specific Content 

Content such as: 

• Pages with reviews from local customers 

• A detailed description of the location and its services  

• Location-specific offers or promotions  

• Information about the local team or management  

• Local landmarks or points of interest near the business 

Optimize your Local Search Keywords 

While writing content for these pages use location-specific keywords such as city name, street name, neighborhood and landmarks. 

Include NAP Information 

Make sure to use your name, address, and phone number correctly and it should placed where the customers can find it easily. Ensure that the information is the same on all the pages, online directories, and Google My Business Listing. 

Add Schema Markup 

Use a Schema markup of your local business on every location-specific page. It helps in organizing data in a structured manner which helps search engines understand the information easily. It also helps search engines display information in a better way. 

Using Google Maps 

Adding Google Maps to your local pages will help the customers easily find the directions to your location. 

Implementing a consistent NAP Strategy 

When your business is present in multiple locations a consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) becomes important. Search engines use this information to verify if your business is legitimate or not. Let’s look at some steps to maintain a consistent NAP. 

Create a Master NAP Document  

Prepare a master document which keeps NAP information for all the locations of your business. This document will work as a reference for all the online listings and directories. 

Audit Existing Citations 

Conduct a thorough audit of all the listings and directories and try to find where the listed NAP information is wrong. 

Use Citation Building Service 

You can also consider using a citation-building service which will help you create citations across various online directories. It will also help you ensure consistency in citations and save time. 

Monitor and Update Regularly 

Create a system that regularly tracks these citations. It will be helpful when you are changing location, phone number and email address. 

Develop a Local Content Strategy 

Developing content based on location is a good way to improve Local SEO. Here are a few tips for creating content: 

Local Blogs 

Write blog posts relevant to each of your locations. This could include: 

• Events or news specific to the local region 

• Promotions or offers available in a given location 

• Stories about the people who work in a particular area or that serve your company 

• Customer success stories about people who hail from a specific location 

Location-Specific Resources 

Develop resources that are valuable to your local audiences. For Example: if you are a real estate agency, you might create neighborhood guides for each of your locations. 

Optimize for Local Keywords 

While creating content use location-specific keywords which appear naturally in your content. This will help the search engine to understand that this content is related to a specific geographical area. 

Encourage User-Generated Content 

Ask your customers to write content about their experience at the local branch. This type of content can include reviews, social media posts, and guest blogs. 

Build Local Backlinks 

Creating backlinks is a vital part of SEO, creating backlinks from a reputed local source will create a great impact on Local SEO. Let’s discuss a few strategies to achieve it: 

Engage With Local Organization 

Get involved with local organizations such as the local chamber of commerce, business organizations and other communities. This will provide you with opportunities to create high-quality backlinks through member directories or event sponsorship. 

Sponsor Local Events 

Look for the opportunity to sponsor local events which will allow you to create backlinks from the event website and local news. 

Leverage Social Media for Local Engagement 

Social media is not a direct factor for SEO, but it helps you increase brand awareness and visibility on the internet driving traffic to your website. 

Create Location-Specific Pages 

You can consider creating different social media pages for each location if you are a large business. By doing so you can target local audiences by creating location-specific content. 

Use Local Hashtags 

While posting anything on social media use local hashtags that are trending in your area which will help you increase visibility in the local audience. 

Share Local Content 

Share your local events, blogs and promotions using social media platforms to engage with local audiences. 

Engage with Local Community 

Take time to ensure that you are following other local businesses, influencers, and organizations on social media and other platforms. This way, you become more accessible, and your chances of finding a new relationship or a new partnership increase. 

Implement Local Schema Markup 

It is a piece of code that is inserted on the website to help search engines return more informative results for users. While working with multiple locations ass local schema markup to each location-specific page. 

Include Location-Specific Details 

You can also include an additional schema type that is relevant to your business. For Example, Restaurants can add additional restaurant schema to include menu Information. 

Use LocalBusiness Schema 

Implement LocalBusiness Schema for each location-specific page using the following information in the code: 

• Business name 

• Address 

• Phone number 

• Opening hours 

• Accepted payment Method 

Monitoring and Analyzing Your Local SEO Performance 

Monitoring and analyzing the performance of local SEO is highly essential for the success of this particular search marketing campaign. 

Track Local Ranking 

Utilize tools like BrightLocal or Moz Local to track the positions of your local keywords across various locations. 

Monitor Google Business Profile Insights 

Check your Google Business Profile insights frequently to know how customers are coming to your business and what actions they are taking. 

Analyze Website Traffic 

In Google Analytics, monitor traffic to your location pages. Watch organic traffic as well as the bounce rate and conversion rate. 

Monitor Reviews 

Monitor the volume and quality of reviews across your locations. Tools like ReviewTrackers can help handle reviews across many other platforms. 

Conclusion 

Improving the revenue of a multi-location business requires effective SEO strategies at the local level. To plan and execute correctly, develop a momentum that will continuously grow local optimization efforts for your multi-location business. From this Local SEO guide, you will be able to optimize Google Business Profile listings, create location-centric content, and develop local backlinks and schema markup. 

Remember that SEO at the local level is a process and not an end. Algorithms are constantly changing, and consumer behaviour is also changing continuously. Keep updated about the most current trends and best practices in terms of local SEO, and also keep looking for changes and applying those changes accordingly in the strategies. 

Indeed, local SEO efforts are time and resource-consuming; every business location needs to stand out in the local search results, ensuring more search traffic and ultimately bottom-line revenues. If you’re a multi-location business that wants to establish a strong online local presence, then it is the patient, persistent approach with data that drives your efforts.