Multi Location SEO: 7 Steps to Rank Every Location

Most multi-location businesses put their SEO effort into the flagship location, or into whichever location is struggling most. The rest are left to fend for themselves. A good multi location SEO strategy gives every location its own chance to show up when nearby customers search.

This guide covers how to optimize your online presence for each location you already have. It also gives you a checklist for getting a new location ranking before its grand opening.

How To Do Local SEO for Multiple Locations

1. Set up a Google Business Profile for each location
2. Keep your NAP consistent everywhere
3. Write a location page for each location
4. Build reviews at every location
5. Plan local content every quarter
6. Set up social media for each location
7. Launch a new location the right way

Why Multi Location SEO Is Different

Google wants to show its users the best, most trustworthy results. When one business has several listings, Google looks closely to make sure they’re real locations and not spam, even when you really do own every one of them.

If you’re newer to the topic, learning local SEO basics first will make the steps below easier to follow.

Multi-location businesses face a few challenges that single-location businesses don’t:

• More listings to manage. Each location has its own profile, hours, photos, and questions, and each one needs regular attention.
• Inconsistent branding. Different teams may interpret brand guidelines differently, so maintaining a unified brand image across locations takes effort.
• Information drift. Hours or phone numbers change at one location, and the update never makes it to every website that lists you. Standardizing processes across locations helps keep everyone updating the same way.
• Copy-and-paste location pages. It’s tempting to write one page and swap the city name. Google sees through that, and so do customers.
• Uneven reviews. One location may have 200 reviews while another has 12, even if the service is just as good.
• Different communities. Each location serves different neighborhoods and demographics, so one marketing message rarely fits all of them.

The good news is that each of these has a fix. Before you start, make sure your website has a solid foundation. Our LOCAL 5-Step Process is where we start with every client, and the steps below build on it.

Step 1: Set Up a Google Business Profile for Each Location

A Google Business Profile is your free digital storefront on Google Search and Google Maps. For a multi-location business, every location that serves customers in person should have its own profile. Each one needs a real address, staff, and signage.

Fill out every profile 100%:

• Name, address, and phone number that match your website exactly
• Hours, including holiday hours
• Primary and secondary categories that describe what that location actually offers
• Services and products, with the ones each location wants to grow listed first
• Photos of the storefront, signage, interior, and team at that location
• A link to that location’s page on your website, not just your homepage

Keep Every Profile Up to Date

A complete profile builds trust, but only if the information is correct. On a weekend trip to Catalina, I was hungry and short on time, so I skipped the breakfast spot I really wanted to try because Google listed it as closed. I found out later it was open. That restaurant lost my business over a listing nobody had updated.

With several locations, it’s easy for one profile to fall behind. Put a recurring check on the calendar to review each location’s hours, photos, and details.

Use the Features That Build Engagement

Your profile does more than list your address:

• Reviews: customers can leave feedback, and you can respond publicly.
• Posts: share updates, events, and promotions for that location.
• Messages: potential customers can reach you directly.
• Insights: see how people find each profile and what actions they take, so you know what’s working.

Every one of these helps you manage your online reputation and increase your local visibility in Search and Maps.

Step 2: Keep Your NAP Consistent Everywhere

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Google compares your NAP across your website, your Google Business Profile, and directories like Yelp, Facebook, and industry sites. When the details match, Google trusts that your business is real.

For multiple locations, that means:

• Use the exact same business name format for every location.
• Give each location its own local phone number rather than one shared number.
• List each location’s NAP on its own location page.
• Update every listing whenever a location moves or changes its number.

These directory listings are called citations. If you’re not sure where to start, here are 7 reasons to start citation building.

Step 3: Write a Location Page for Each Location

Next to your homepage, location pages (also called service area pages) usually get the most traffic on a local business website. Creating location-specific landing pages lets each one speak directly to the people who live there.

We include 15 sections on every location page. To sum them up, write about the local details that community cares about. Here are 3 of those sections:

1. Neighboring businesses. Highlight local businesses that serve customers similar to yours.
2. Community pride. Mention local schools, sports teams, and their achievements.
3. Local problems. Get to know the people in the area and help solve problems beyond your own services.

For example, a location in Santa Monica, California, might mention the Third Street Promenade, the beaches, and the waterfront. A location in a business district might recommend a nearby dry cleaner that does a great job on suits, even if that isn’t something you offer.

Yes, you’ll talk about your services too, but the page doesn’t have to feel salesy. Write it as if someone just moved to the area and you’re sharing insider secrets so they feel welcome. This approach works for everyone from dentists to real estate agents who want to sell more homes in other parts of town.

Why Hire a Copywriter?

You don’t need to hire a copywriter for every blog post. But when you’re sending paid or local search traffic to a page, that page has to get visitors to take action. Location pages are exactly those pages, so they’re worth getting written well.

Schedule a call if you’d like us to write a location page for each of your locations or service areas.

Step 4: Build Reviews at Every Location

Reviews help customers choose you, and they help each location rank. The goal is a steady flow of honest reviews at every location, not just your busiest one.

Here are four ways to make that happen:

• Make it easy. Put QR codes on receipts and in-store signs that link straight to that location’s review page.
• Train your team to ask. A friendly request at the end of a great interaction is often all it takes.
• Follow up. After a purchase or appointment, send a personal thank-you email with a link to leave a review.
• Remind your followers. Use your social media to encourage happy customers to share their experience.

One important rule: don’t offer discounts, gifts, or contest entries in exchange for reviews. Google’s review policy prohibits incentives, and incentivized reviews can be removed or put your profile at risk.

Respond to every review, positive or negative, from each location’s profile. Having a plan for managing online reviews will help you stay calm when a negative one comes in.

Step 5: Plan Local Content Every Quarter

Before I write a blog post, I ask one of the questions from Google’s own guidance on content and quality: “Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?”

To answer it, I Google the topic and read all 10 results plus the “People also ask” section. If I can answer the question better or write a better how-to guide, I write the post. Don’t just write about whatever you feel like that day.

Your Quarterly Content Plan

• Review your list of blog categories. We have 11.
• Review your list of products and services.
• Pick the one product or service you want to grow this quarter.
• Choose 2 to 3 blog categories that will lead to more sales of it.
• Research the keywords people use for it in the cities where your locations are.
• Write a list of 12 blog titles, including a few about local events or promotions at specific locations.

For example, we have a laundromat client that wants to grow its “Fluff and Fold” service. That service is the focus of their Google Business Profiles and location pages, and now we write blog posts on the same topic so they show up in local searches.

Step 6: Set Up Social Media for Each Location

Every location should have its own Facebook Business Page, using the same details as its Google Business Profile. Your other social media accounts can stay under your main brand.

Post location-specific news, events, and photos on each page. It helps to have at least one team member at each location who enjoys social media and can post regular stories. A high school or college student is often a great fit.

Step 7: Launch a New Location the Right Way

A client of ours had 3 locations when they came to us 5 years ago. Because we had built a solid foundation, we could start their new-location steps 30 to 60 days before each grand opening, and the new locations were ranking before their doors opened.

Here’s the checklist we follow.

When You Get the Keys

• Put up your business sign.
• Take photos of the sign and the front door.
• Create the Google Business Profile for the new location. Google wants proof that you’re a real business, and these photos help. If Google mails you a verification code, don’t worry about the wait.
• Use interior photos from another location while construction is underway, then replace them as soon as the buildout is finished so customers know what to expect.

30 to 60 Days Before Opening

• Publish the location page using the approach in Step 3.
• Start local content focused on the service you want that location known for.
• Launch the Facebook page and share behind-the-scenes posts and stories from construction. People love that content. Share it to your nearby locations’ pages too, so customers there know a closer option is coming.

Write a Press Release

I recommend hiring a professional to write your press release. Good PR writers have relationships with news stations, blogs, and websites with high domain authority. Expect to pay $500 to $2,500, depending on where you want to be featured.

If you write it yourself, a press release typically has 7 parts:

1. Headline
2. Dateline
3. Introduction
4. Body
5. Boilerplate
6. Call to action
7. Media contact details

Grab the reader’s attention with a unique angle. Focus on your customers’ number one problem and show how the new location solves it. Describe what success looks like, and briefly note what customers miss out on without you.

Once your foundation is strong, each new location gets easier. With several locations in one city, a well-built site can often reach page 1 and the map results quickly, because the new location benefits from everything you’ve already built.

Take Action

Ranking multiple locations takes consistent work, but it compounds. Every optimized profile, location page, and review makes the next location easier to grow.

If you’d like help with your multi location SEO strategy, whether that’s a new location opening soon or a single step from this list, schedule a call with our team.

Want a head start? Download our free guide, 5 Hacks That Will Get You On Page 1 Of Google.