If you are a multi-location business, location pages can help you increase your online presence, appear higher in local search results, and find more customers online. Here is a breakdown of what location pages are and how they can help you dominate local search.
- What Are Location Pages?
- How to Create Strong Location Pages
What Are Location Pages?
Location pages are webpages dedicated to discussing and converting customers from a specific location where your products or services are available.
For instance, a restaurant with many locations would have a dedicated page for each location. And if their locations were in different cities, the business might even have city pages—each linking to the corresponding location pages that can be found within the city.
On the surface, location pages give users information about how your business operates in their local area. But the unseen benefits of location pages are too good to pass up. Keep reading to learn more about how location pages benefit local SEO and how to use them to grow your business online.
Benefits of Using Location Pages
A location page is often the first thing someone sees if they are finding your business in a local organic search. That’s why it’s so important for these pages to be impactful to both the user and to create a conversion.
Here are a few of the benefits of using location pages and how to leverage them for your business:
Appear in More Local Searches
As we discussed earlier, the more locations you have, the more areas you serve. The more areas you serve, the more local searches you need to appear in.
If you have a business operating in multiple areas but don’t have localized pages on your website, you are more likely to appear lower in local searches for your service area. Google sees location pages as you meeting your customers where they are, which is what can make these pages so effective alongside your Google My Business (GMB).
If Google recognizes that you are trying to meet your customer needs and visitors have a meaningful experience on your site (clicks, time spent, conversions) after coming from your business listing, Google is more likely to see you as a strong recommendation for local search results in the future.
Simply put: location pages give you the opportunity to create pages optimized specifically for local areas and local search. And Google likes it.
If you’re a pizza parlor in the Bronx, use local keywords like “best pizza in the Bronx” and “pizza in North New York” on your location pages to try and match popular local search queries like “pizza in the Bronx” and “pizza near me” for searcher in your area.
Your location pages should also always include the name of the specific branch, the address, hours of operation, photos of your business location, and any information that makes that location different/special. This shows Google that your location is legitimate and that you want to give customers everything they need to find you, which gives your Google listing and that specific webpage a higher chance of appearing in local search results.
Create Strong Landing Pages for GMB
As you know, you can link your location-specific GMB listing to a page on your site. This linked page becomes your GMB landing page. It serves one purpose: to convert website visitors.
Without location pages, you would have to send users to your homepage from your Google listing, creating more work for those looking for a quick solution. And, of course, Google notices and takes those hurdles into consideration when deciding your search ranking.
With location pages, however, your visitors can land on your webpage directly from a local listing, which helps you build a seamless user experience that should give them all the information and opportunity they need to easily convert.
Build Your Domain Authority
If you are trying to meet your customer’s needs by providing them with valuable information, Google is more likely to trust your business. The estimation of how much a search engine trusts your website is called domain authority.
Domain authority is essentially a metric that predicts how likely your webpages are to show up on search engine results pages (SERPs). While this doesn’t have as big an impact on Google Map Pack or Google Maps searches, it is one of the most important factors in appearing in local organic search results.
Yes, your domain authority is determined by more than just your location pages. But they do improve it.
Location pages impact website metrics like the quality of your site (speed and presentation of information), user experience, and SEO optimization. They’re a big tool for meeting your customers where they are and giving them what they’re searching for—two major wins in the eyes of Google.
How to Create Strong Location Pages
How do you actually create location pages that drive conversions? Here are a few aspects of effective landing pages you should be sure to implement on your website:
1. Name, Address, Phone Number
Your business’ NAP data (name, address, and phone number) is one of the most important additions to location pages since it can help you rank in local search and convert customers.
It’s good practice to have NAP information on your page so customers know where to find you. Google also pays attention to the presence and consistency of your NAP data across the web.
Complete your location pages with location-specific NAP data to make it easier for Google to trust your location page and, in turn, rank it higher in local search results.
2. Hours of Operation
Along with NAP data, your hours of operation are something Google wants to be present and consistent online.
If you don’t display your hours of operation, how will a consumer know when they are able to visit or contact your business? You need to include your location’s specific hours of operation alongside your NAP data in local search directories and on its corresponding location page for both potential customers and the search engine.
3. Location-Specific Photos
Just as it’s important to add photos on your Google listing , including photos of your business on its corresponding location page is good practice for a lot of the same reasons.
When a user visits your location page, you want them to be able to learn everything they need in order to find your business. This includes giving them an idea of what your business looks like.
Add professional-level photos of your business to your location pages, and be sure to optimize the image name and alt text to give Google more context on what the image is showing.
While photos may not have a direct impact on your local search performance, they build trust with customers online and give Google more content to show in Google Images search results.
4. Paragraph-Form Content
Paragraph-form content is a great way to provide information to users about your location. When writing location pages, focus on information that is specific to the storefront the page is about. Here’s an example:
Diluted Value – “All of our locations have great customer service and we’re super passionate about offering [product / service] to people like you!”
Unique Value – “We’re located at the corner of [Street] and [Avenue] and a five minute walk from [Landingmark].”
There is a time and a place for “diluted value” content, but your goal should be to provide as much unique information as possible.
5. Location Attributes and Features
If you’ve optimized a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business or GMB), you’re familiar with location attributes. In short, these are a list of features that help customers plan their visit to your location.
If you’re not sure what to include in your attribute list, check your GBP and carry over any boxes you checked there. That said, don’t limit yourself to those items — feel free to add as many attributes as are helpful to your customers.
6. Staff Profiles
One of the things that is (almost) always unique to each business location is the people who work there. Highlighting notable staff members’ profiles is a great way to show humans and search engines what (and who) to expect when they arrive.
7. Products and Inventory
I recommend adding product information or an inventory feed to every location page, even if the products offered at each location are the same.
Your customers only care if a given product or service is in stock near them, so inventory information is, in a way, another form of unique value content.
8. Nearby Locations
Nearby locations are great if you have multiple storefronts in close proximity. They’re also another opportunity to add unique information to your location pages.
These can be added as their own module on the page or integrated with an existing map. I personally prefer to dedicate an entire page section to them to avoid confusion for readers who land on the page to get directions.
9. Offers and Specials
Specials and offers don’t have to be unique for every location. I just wouldn’t make sense. That said, coupons and offers that are geographically relevant can be an opportunity to build additional value for local customers. Coupons, offers, deals, etc. by state or metropolitan area are one way to accomplish this.
10. FAQs
Frequently asked questions are one of my favorite ways to create rich, in-depth and unique content on local landing pages. I’ve seen a lot of businesses add FAQ modules to their pages, but I’ve also seen a lot of businesses only add generic questions and answers to those modules.
When adding FAQs to your local landing pages, ask questions that will elicit a unique response. Also, try to avoid yes or no questions, unless you plan to expound on the answers.
Generic:
Question: “Do you have vegan options?”
Answer: “All of our locations have vegan and gluten-free options for you to enjoy!”
Unique Value:
Question: “Can I get to {Location} from public transportation?”
Answer: “You sure can! We’re a five minute walk from the {specific} bus stop. Just head toward {street} and take a left at {street} and you’ll find us on the right.”
11. Departments and Services
Departments and services are another example of content that can be unique, but isn’t always. For some business types (automotive dealers, for example), departments are clear: Sales, Finance, Repairs, etc.
For other business types, this content type isn’t as obvious. A bakery chain, for example, could include services in their location pages to highlight which locations offer wedding cakes versus their typical inventory.
Like inventory, the value of these departments or services comes from the fact that as a customer, I only care if the location nearest me offers the specific thing I’m looking for.
12. Feature Consumer Reviews
One of the biggest crowdsourcing methods Google uses to determine its local recommendations is online reviews. Google especially loves Google reviews, but any legitimate online review can be used by Google to determine local search rankings . This is why it is important to take some of the best reviews and testimonials you have received about a specific location and use them on your location page.
Keep an eye out for high-star reviews that are received on Google or Yelp, along with reviews that mention information specific to that location and keywords about your services or location. Google loves when the customer gives as much context as they can.
Not only are testimonials on your location pages good for search engine optimization, but they can help you win over more customers before you rise in the search rankings. If a potential consumer sees that past clients are satisfied with your service, they are likely to feel more comfortable in your ability to meet their needs.
If you are having a hard time finding high-quality reviews among those you have already earned, write case studies for your website or ask past clients (especially if you have B2B clients) to write a testimonial about how your business helped them.
And that’s a wrap! Creating location pages is not easy, at least the first time. With the right amount of time and practice, you will get the hang of it.
