The Best Local SEO Strategy for Targeting Over 100 Areas

In a recent Ask An SEO edition on Search Engine Journal, a cleaning service provider serving approximately 120 distinct neighbourhoods shared how they wanted to create an article for each district, city, neighbourhood, and service search. However, they do not know the right local SEO strategy to use. The person asked about the right link structure and strategy to improve their local SEO.

The answer to the question focuses more on articles and link structure, but one should note that they should not rely on this as their sole local search strategy. One should have a comprehensive local SEO strategy, which should include:

• Local link building
• Local keyword research and localised content
• Local reviews monitoring and management
• Google Business Profile
• Local listings on directories, search engines, etc.
• Paid search or social to boost organic performance

When consumers are looking for similar services, the business owner must either direct them to the desired URL to discover more about the product and service or convert them immediately. But the concept of creating a separate article for each city, district, neighbourhood, and service could be quite challenging.

Creating Local Articles for Each Area

Creating content for each area may sound like a lot of effort resulting in a poor user experience for potential consumers. Blogs and articles can be fantastic top-of-funnel, informative content that can help raise brand recognition. They’re also useful in the consideration and analysis phases, especially when dealing with big-ticket items or long sales cycles.

However, it is crucial also to consider local searchers’ intent. Some of the questions they would ask include how a certain type of service works, the products offered or used, etc. Here are some more:

• How much does the product or service cost?
• Is the business open when the customer needs it?
• Does the business service in the customer’s area?
• Where are the testimonials and reviews from past customers?
• Who else used the same product or service?
• What are the business’s specialisations?
• Can customers book a consultation?

Customers don’t want to go through 800+ words of content to discover the basic answers that will immediately get them to make a phone call, a scheduled appointment, or other desired action. Moreover, it is also difficult to develop enough unique information about each location to create an engaging, high-quality article about it.

For businesses and SEOs who have the funds and want to invest in producing content that meets distinct types of searcher intent in each area, this will be an excellent promotional technique. However, one should not solely rely on the content as their default, catch-all destination for local searches.

Local Landing Pages

Instead of using articles, one should go for local landing pages instead! A quality local landing page should have the necessary elements. Below are some of them:

• Integrated map – This allows the searcher to determine whether or not the business service is in their area and how far their location is from the business address.
• An embedded video - A short video presentation provides customers with a quick overview of the business’s techniques, equipment, facility, and staff.
• Local reviews - These show the most recent customer feedback, giving social proof about when and where they used the business’s products and services.
• Quality photos - High-resolution images may help customers better understand the experience the business offers.
• Local content and offers - These serve a visitor’s informational and conversion needs.
• Click to call, contact, or book functions - These functionalities make it easy for one to convert easily.

With these elements, a site owner or online business may now link to their more in-depth sources. They can also use their landing page templates to build unique pages for specific lines of business, industries, and so on. What matters most is that the local pages are:

• Well-optimised for search and conversion
• Responsive
• Has the proper and relevant schema markup to help Google understand why the web page is the best answer for user queries
• Specifically designed to provide the next steps for all types of local searchers

Getting People to the Local Pages

To help visitors find the correct place, one should link them to a locator. Making sure clients can return and explore other locations and services is an important part of this local SEO strategy. SEOs can either feature the locator on the homepage or place it in the main menu, and each local page is only a few clicks away.

Business owners and SEOs can use a template for their local pages to maintain the appearance, feel, and consistent experience while also reducing the work involved in creating them. They may also include cross streets and local landmarks, share pictures of their exterior and interior, or explain any special services that they offer.

Afterwards, site owners can link to the appropriate local page from each online listing and Google Business Profile. This is certainly better than sending site visitors from a localised search to the site’s homepage.

Aside from this, businesses should also look at the other sites ranking locally and organically within the area. These could be their competitors, local community organisations and media, information portals, social content, directories, and more. Afterwards, one should assess if they can outrank these sites, advertise or get listed with them, or persuade them to link to the website.

If one’s business website has a hard time appearing organically, they may want to try running a local PPC campaign to direct people to the relevant page within their area. Articles and blog posts are also crucial in answering the customers’ informational queries and directing them to the locator to find the closest business location.

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We can help with local SEO marketing strategies by providing quality services that use the best positive link building tactics to increase your website’s visibility in the SERPs. We can also help you set up your Google Local and manage your Google Search Console account.

Talk to us today if you want to know more about what we can do for your business!