Services
Not every business website needs individual pages that are optimized by location. If you have multiple stores, multiple offices, or multiple restaurants, however, there can be a real SEO benefit to developing these geographically focused “location pages.” In particular, these pages, when properly optimized, can show up in the Google map pack and in other localized SERP listings, e.g., “near me” queries. The question is, what steps should you take to ensure that these location pages perform the way they’re supposed to?
Key Features of an Effective Location Page
NAP Information
The first thing every location page should include is the business’ NAP information; that is, its name, address, and phone number. Naturally, you’ll want to feature the specific mailing address and phone number for the location in question, not a generic corporate office or an 800 number.
Ensure that you always list your NAP information consistently across all your online assets; what you put on your location page should match what’s on your Google My Business page, what’s on Yelp, what’s on Facebook, etc.
For instance, don’t list your business as Al’s Used Cars in one location and Al’s Used Car Dealership elsewhere. Precision is crucial.
Photos
To ensure a positive user experience, include photos on each location page.
Among these photos, make sure you have at least one or two interior photos, showing your customers what they can expect to see when they walk through the doors.
Exterior photos are important, too, and can be useful for customers as they try to identify your exact location. Make sure your exterior photos include business signage, and if you’re located in a shopping center, try to provide some context for the stores or businesses that surround you. In some cases, it might also be helpful to offer a sense of your parking situation.
Unique Description
You’ll need a little written content on each location page; for example, you might offer a brief summary of the products/services offered at that location; a description of the surrounding area, to help people find the place; and a note about what, if anything, makes that location unique.
A strong call to action is also recommended and provides a natural segue into your contact information; more on this in a moment.
The most important aspect of your business descriptions is that they be unique. Don’t simply duplicate the same content from page to page. That’s a major violation of Google’s best practices and can really impede your SEO efforts.
Call to Action
Every page of your business website should include a clear call to action. That’s pretty basic. What location pages allow you to do is to get really specific in that CTA. Some examples:
- Call our team to set up an appointment
- Speak to someone at this location
- Reserve a table
- Get directions to this location
Don’t hesitate to make your call to action as focused and as precise as can be.
Directions
These days, we all have Google Maps on our phone, which generally makes it pretty easy for your customers to find you.
Nevertheless, it can be helpful to provide some general tips about how to access your location. For example, you can specify the name of the shopping center you’re in or note major intersections that are nearby. For locals who have a rough idea of where you’re located, these tidbits of information may be all the direction that’s necessary.
Of course, you can also embed a Google map to help your customers visualize the location.
Meta Information
Your location pages will get some traffic from Google Search queries, so it’s important to optimize each page with the right meta information. This includes a meta description and title tag.
If possible, write title tags that include your brand name and your geographic location. If you have room for an additional SEO keyword, even better!
Speed
One more thing to consider with your location pages: They should load pretty quickly. Remember that a lot of your traffic may come from mobile search users who just want some clear directions or contact information, and the last thing they want to do is sit there for 30 seconds while the page loads.
Verify that all your pages load within three or four seconds, and especially make sure the location pages populate quick and easy.
Find Out More About Developing Location Pages
Not all businesses have use for location pages, but if you’re going to develop them, you want to get them right! Our team has a lot of experience here, and we’d be happy to chat with you about any of the issues raised in this post. Reach out to enCOMPASS to learn more.
