If you’re looking for advice on search engine optimization, it’s not hard to find. A quick Google search for SEO generates over 600 million results. The problem is that so much of this information is basic. What about the business with more specialized needs - like those with more than one location that want to know if they need a different approach to search engine marketing?

SEO for businesses with more than one location is different in several ways. These businesses are reaching out to several audiences online, instead of just one – something that requires a specialized approach. Here are 3 things you need to know about generating an effective SEO strategy for your multi-location business.

Create Location Specific Web Pages

Do you need a separate website for each of your locations? Absolutely not. But including all of your locations on a single page can be detrimental to any efforts you’ve put into local SEO.

Your multi-location SEO strategy should start with creating location-specific pages for your website. Each location specific page should contain key elements, like location information, a Google map, location specific reviews and content that contains geographically relevant keywords.

Start with Google My Business

The value of optimizing a Google My Business (GMB) page for any business can’t be overstated. Google processes an estimated 3.5 billion search queries each day, many of them connecting customers with businesses. GMB pages make these connections easier.

A GMB page contains important details like location, contact information, hours and ratings. If a customer wants to connect with you, it’s important that they connect with a GMB page for the location they’re most interested in.

Optimizing multiple GMB pages is as simple as adding in the URLs for your separate location pages and verifying that the information on your listing is correct. When you have multiple locations, it's important to make sure that your business name and category is consistent across each page. Even a small error can cause Google to question your validity.

Location Specific Backlinks

There are two things that are core to your SEO strategy, no matter how big or small you are: content and backlinks. These two are separate elements that are designed to work together to generate more traffic to your website. If you have multiple locations, you want to give equal priority to generating links for each one.

Sometimes this can be done with one generalized approach to link building, but more often than not, you’re going to need to tailor how you generate links for each location. For example, you might need to invest in a separate content strategy for each location and then promote that content to those that are influential to the core market for each location.

Do you have a multi-location business that demands a specialized approach to SEO? Are you looking to grow beyond your one location and want to know how to adapt your SEO in the process? We offer SEO services that meet the needs of multi-location businesses, and we have the expertise you’re looking for. Contact Inquisitek today so we can help your business reach more customers.