How to Do Local SEO for Multiple Locations

For businesses with multiple locations—whether a regional chain, franchise, or enterprise with a national or global reach—local SEO is essential. Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to ensure your business appears in search results when people look for products or services in specific geographic areas. This includes strategies like optimizing Google Business Profiles, building location-specific web pages, and earning local backlinks.

A strong local SEO strategy ensures your target audience can easily find you online, whether they’re searching for “coffee shops near me” or “plumbing services in Chicago.” It helps drive foot traffic to physical locations, improves brand visibility in local markets, and builds trust by providing accurate and relevant information, like hours of operation, addresses, and customer reviews.

However, managing SEO for multiple locations comes with unique challenges. How do you ensure each location stands out in search results while maintaining consistency and quality across the board? In this blog, we’ll walk you through the essentials of local SEO for multi-location businesses. From fine-tuning Google Business Profiles to crafting custom content for each location, we’ll cover all the steps to boost your visibility while maintaining a unified, professional brand image.

Why Multi-Location Businesses Need Local SEO

For multi-location businesses, standing out in local search results is crucial. Search engines like Google prioritize factors like relevance, proximity, and prominence when determining which businesses to display. Without a solid local SEO strategy, businesses risk losing valuable customers to competitors who have optimized their online presence. Here’s why local SEO is essential for businesses with multiple locations.

Improved Local Visibility and Search Rankings

Local SEO makes it easy for customers to find your business online, especially when searching for nearby locations. By optimizing each location for local searches, your business can appear higher in local map packs and search results, increasing visibility and driving traffic. Search engines prioritize businesses with accurate, detailed listings, helping you connect with more customers and stand out as a convenient, reliable option.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Local SEO allows you to provide accurate, location-specific information, such as operating hours, contact details, and directions. This not only helps customers find what they need quickly but also builds trust and improves their overall experience. A business that prioritizes local SEO is more likely to connect with their audience on a personal level, fostering loyalty and repeat visits.

Beat the Competition

Without local SEO for multiple locations, you risk falling behind competitors who are actively targeting your shared audience. Businesses that optimize their local search presence can capture more traffic, leaving those without a strategy struggling to compete. Local SEO gives you a competitive edge by ensuring your business appears where and when customers are searching.

Site Structure for Multi-Location Businesses

Building an effective local SEO strategy starts with a well-structured website that clearly showcases each location's information. A strong site structure not only improves user experience but also boosts your visibility in local search results. One of the key questions multi-location businesses face is whether to create separate websites for each location or build a unified platform.

Single Website vs. Multiple Websites

Deciding between a single website and multiple websites comes down to branding consistency and operational structure:

• Single Website with Subdirectories: Using subdirectories (e.g., awesome-business.com/city) keeps all your content under a single domain, consolidating your domain authority and helping search engines view your site as a unified entity. This can improve rankings for targeted keywords. However, navigation can become tricky for users seeking information about a specific location. If they land on primary service pages, they may misinterpret details about your business or struggle to navigate back to their preferred location. Proper organization is key to avoiding confusion.
• Single Website with Subdomains: Using subdomains (e.g., city.awesome-business.com) can help create a sense of separation between your locations, making them feel more distinct or semi-independent. However, this approach means you may miss out on leveraging the full benefits of your root domain, such as consolidated domain authority and brand recognition. Additionally, subdomains can create navigation challenges for users who want to explore your business as a whole rather than just the specific subdomain, potentially leading to a fragmented user experience.
• Multiple Websites: You should choose this option if each location is distinct, has separate branding or ownership, or offers different products or services. Keep in mind, however, that this approach can dilute your SEO efforts and make it harder to build a unified domain authority.

For most multi-location businesses, a single website with location-specific pages is the better route. It provides a seamless user experience, strengthens your domain’s authority, and improves your chances of ranking for the best local SEO keywords.

Essential Location Page Details

Location-specific pages are at the core of a successful local SEO strategy. These pages should be designed to deliver all the essential information while also leveraging targeted keywords to maximize visibility. Here's what every location page should include:

• NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number): Display your business's name, address, and phone number in a consistent format across all pages. Consistency is critical for building trust with search engines and improving rankings for local searches.
• Business Hours: Display accurate business hours, including adjustments for holidays or special events. This attention to detail improves user experience and ensures customers have up-to-date information.
• Clickable Google Maps Embed: Add a Google Maps embed for each location to make it easy for users to find you.
• Unique Content and Local Information: Avoid duplicate content by writing unique descriptions for each location. Highlight specific services offered at that location, community involvement, and locally relevant information. Including local content tailored to each area helps create relevance for local search engines and builds trust with users.
• Keyword Integration: Optimize each location page with geotargeted and targeted keywords relevant to the area. For example, instead of just "plumbing services," use "plumbing services in [City Name]." Including city names, neighborhoods, or common nicknames in your headings, meta descriptions, and on-page content helps position your pages as the best local SEO resource for potential customers.
• Promotions and Services: Highlight location-specific promotions, discounts, or services. This not only engages users but also provides additional opportunities to integrate geotargeted keywords into your content.

Multi-location businesses need a well-organized website with strong local SEO to stay competitive. Create location-specific pages with key details like NAP information, Google Maps embeds, unique local content, and geotargeted keywords. This helps position your business as the top choice in each area and supports long-term growth.

Optimize Google Business Profiles (GBP) to Boost Local Search Rankings

Google Business Profiles (GBP) play a vital role in improving local search rankings for multiple locations. These profiles help ensure your locations show up in Google’s map pack, which dominates top results for local queries.

Steps to Optimize GBP for Each Location

1. Claim and Verify Each Listing: Use a Business Location Group in GBP to effectively manage all profiles and ensure visibility for every location.
2. Provide Accurate, Up-to-Date Information: Make sure each profile includes the correct NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number), website URL, business hours, and service categories. Consistency in these details is key to improving local search rankings.
3. Add High-Quality Photos and Videos: Upload engaging visuals, such as storefronts, interiors, team members, and products, to attract and retain potential customers.
4. Post Regular Updates: Keep each location’s profile active by sharing news, promotions, or events. Fresh content signals relevance and improves confidence.
5. Monitor and Respond to Reviews: Actively engage with customer feedback, especially negative reviews. Responding to reviews—both positive and negative—not only shows you value customer input but also helps build trust.

By following these steps, you can maximize the impact of your GBP and strengthen your local search rankings for all business locations.

Local SEO Tip:

Managing multiple GBP listings can be a challenge, but Digital Division offers a human-driven solution to make it easier. Unlike automated tools, our approach ensures accurate updates without the common errors or excessive fees, giving you peace of mind and reliable results.

Create Location-Specific Content That Drives Results

Original, location-specific content is crucial for improving on-page SEO and boosting your location pages' visibility in search engines. Unique, optimized content helps your pages stand out and perform at their best. While duplicate content won’t cause a severe penalty, it won’t help your pages rank well.

Ideas for Location-Specific Content 

• Highlight Local Expertise: Talk about how your services are tailored to meet the specific needs of your local community. Highlight the benefits of working with a local company, like personalized support, a better understanding of the area, and a stronger connection to the people you serve.
• Write Blog Posts Relevant to Your Business and Local Audience: Focus on high-interest topics that tie into your services, such as local events or issues related to your industry. For example, a lawn care company could write about outdoor activities to enjoy in your yard, while a foundation repair company might discuss common foundation problems specific to your area. These posts can boost search visibility and attract more organic traffic.
• Create Geo-Targeted Promotions: Offer region-specific deals or discounts to attract local customers. Combine this with strong title tags and meta descriptions to boost click-through rates. 

Invest in personalized, high-quality content that reflects each location’s identity while staying true to your brand voice. By focusing on unique content and on-page SEO strategies, you can maximize your reach and dominate local search results.

 

Build Local Citations

Local citations are mentions of your business across directories, websites, and other platforms. Maintaining consistent local listings boosts your credibility and helps search engines confirm the legitimacy of your business locations.

Popular Citation Sites 

• General: Yelp, Google Business Profile, Yellow Pages.
• Industry-Specific: TripAdvisor for restaurants, Healthgrades for medical practices.
• Aggregators: Data aggregators like Neustar Localeze that distribute information to multiple platforms. 

How to Manage Your Local Listings

Regularly review and update your local listings to ensure all information, like your name, address, and phone number (NAP), is accurate and consistent. Discrepancies in NAP details can hurt your search rankings. Consider using available citation management tools to monitor and streamline your listings across multiple platforms.

Encourage and Manage Online Reviews

Online reviews are essential for a local SEO strategy for multiple locations. Reviews not only influence search engine rankings but also build customer trust and credibility.

How to Get More Reviews

• Ask Directly: Include review requests on receipts, in follow-up emails, or during in-person interactions.
• Motivate Employees to Ask for Reviews: Create a competition or offer incentives for employees who generate the most positive reviews. This not only boosts engagement but also improves the customer experience.
• Respond Promptly: Show appreciation for positive reviews and handle complaints professionally to demonstrate excellent customer care.
• Encourage Location-Specific Reviews: Remind customers to leave reviews for the specific location they visited. This avoids confusion and ensures all locations receive accurate feedback.

Using a customer relationship management platform allows centralized review management across multiple locations, saving time and ensuring every review is tracked and addressed.

 

Monitor and Analyze Results

SEO isn’t a one-and-done effort—it requires ongoing monitoring and adjustments to drive success. For business owners, understanding how to track performance is key to optimizing local SEO strategies.

Tools for Tracking Key Metrics

• Custom Dashboards: Customizable reporting tools, like Digital Division’s custom marketing reporting dashboards, provide a clear overview of performance across all locations. These dashboards consolidate data, making it easier to track search volume trends, local rankings, and website traffic.
• Google Analytics: Analyze traffic and conversions by location to identify which areas are driving the most engagement. This helps focus efforts on high-performing regions or adjust strategies in underperforming ones.
• Google Search Console: Monitor click-through rates and discover which keywords are performing well for each location page. This tool also highlights how your content aligns with user search volume, helping refine your targeting.

Metrics to Track and Why They Matter 

• Local Rankings: Understand how your business is performing in search results for specific locations. This indicates your visibility in front of local audiences. 
• Traffic by Location: Pinpoint where users are engaging with your website, helping you tailor strategies to specific regions. 
• Leads from Local Queries: Measure how effectively your local SEO efforts are converting searchers into potential customers. This is essential for business owners focusing on lead generation.

Regularly reviewing these metrics will help you refine your strategy, focusing on what delivers results and adjusting where needed. With the right tools and insights, you can turn data into action and stay ahead of the competition.

Boost Your Business with Local SEO for Multiple Locations

Managing SEO for multiple locations can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to tackle it alone. Digital Division specializes in helping businesses thrive by implementing proven, data-driven SEO strategies tailored to each location. Whether you’re managing a chain of regional storefronts or expanding rapidly across one city, our expertise in local SEO for multiple locations in one city ensures your business connects with the right customers in the right communities.

Local SEO is more than just being visible online—it’s about building meaningful connections with your community. The right strategy increases traffic, engages customers, and drives growth for every location you manage.