Heard the latest? 7-Eleven is closing over 400 locations across North America. WQOW reveals that these closures are due to a variety of issues, such as slowing sales, declining traffic, and a dip in cigarette purchases.
This is a kind of wake-up call for any business running across multiple locations. You might rock it offline and serve up amazing products or services. But if people in your local community can’t find you online, they might not walk through your doors.
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So, how do you make sure all your locations stand out online and don’t get lost in the digital crowd? Local search engine optimization is the answer.
Here, we’ll share a few strategies that can boost your local search rankings for all your stores spread out across the map.
#1 Design Location-Specific Landing Pages
Don’t dump all your locations onto one contact page. Each location must have its very own webpage. Lumping all your addresses in a single, generic page will make it harder for each location to rank in local search.
These unique pages do more than please search engines. They create a much better experience for your local visitors. When someone lands on a page specific to their town, they see relevant info right away. This builds trust and makes them more likely to become a customer.
So, what goes on each of your location pages? NAP. Put your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) clearly on each location’s page.
Consistency here is important. Search Engine Land states that inconsistent NAP across different platforms can confuse search engines, which ultimately, affects your local search engine rankings.
List your correct opening hours. Keep them updated for holidays or special events. Embed a Google Map right on the page. This makes finding your physical location super easy. It also visually confirms the location for search engines.
#2 Claim Local Business Directory Listings
Creating a really good Google Business Profile can help people find your businesses on Google Search as well as Google Maps.
Set up one profile for each location of your business. Have 10 or more spots? Google offers bulk verification. You can use location groups in GBP to manage them easily.
Don’t stop at Google, however. Claim your listings on Bing Places for Business and Yelp too. People use it to find local businesses.
Yelp for Business reports that over 74 million high-intent people visit Yelp to find businesses of all types. Around 57% of them connect with a business they find on the platform within a day.
Optimize these profiles just like your Google Business Profile. Fill them out completely with accurate info. Check for duplicate listings and either merge or remove them. Duplicate listings can tank your local visibility.
Industry-specific directories count too. These listings are called citations. They help search engines verify your business details.
#3 Build Backlinks for Each Location
The Conversion Mill points out that earning local backlinks can boost your visibility in local search results by as much as 50%.
Links pointing back to your location pages from other local websites act like votes of confidence for that specific location. They tell Google your branch is relevant and trusted in that community.
How do you get quality local links? Team up with nearby businesses not competitors to cross-promote or link to each other. Sponsor local events or youth sports teams. Many organizations list sponsors on their websites.
You can also try content syndication. Search Engine Journal explains it as the process of distributing or republishing content from your website to industry-related websites or other news platforms.
Building these links takes time and effort. Some businesses find this challenging to manage. That’s where local search engine optimization (SEO) services can help.
Many SEO providers offer backlink building as part of their service. They have the expertise to find relevant local opportunities. They can build quality links to boost your location pages. This can save your team valuable time.
#4 Go Local With Your Content Strategy
If your content could apply to any business anywhere, Google and your customers won’t see you as a local authority. You’ve got to go local with your content strategy.
If your business is in Atlanta, maybe write about how your services help locals prepare for the summer heat. Got a location in Denver? Talk about how your product fits into outdoor lifestyles or snowy seasons.
Sprinkle in those city-specific keywords, but avoid keyword stuffing. Search Engine Journal warns that Google looks down on sites that overuse keywords. You might be demoted or removed from SERPs altogether if you’re caught.
Check out local news sites and community forums as well. See what events are happening locally. What are people talking about? Use Google Trends to spot local search patterns. Then, create local blog posts, local FAQs, and case studies.
This local content does two things. It helps you rank for local searches as well as build a stronger connection with the community.
Keep It Local, Keep It Consistent
What’s the big takeaway? Consistency and local focus are everything. Treat each of your locations like its own distinct business online. These steps might seem small one by one. But they add up to make a huge difference over time.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by all this. You don’t have to do everything at once. Pick one step. Focus on one location to start. Make progress bit by bit. Soon, your locations will start climbing those rankings in no time, and local customers will start finding their way to your amazing businesses.
