Location page SEO: Rank locally, convert visitors fast

What are location pages and why do they matter for SEO?

Location landing pages are website pages representing the different branches of chains and franchises. Any local business with more than one storefront is eligible to create location landing pages. The impact of these pages extends far beyond sharing NAP (name, address, phone number) into a branded user experience packed with helpful information.

These landing pages empower multi-location brands to maximize local search engine visibility by optimizing each page for the geographic, product, and service terms that are relevant to each branch. 

High-quality, effective location pages also support increased conversions. Without this type of content, website visitors are left roaming random areas of brand websites, trying to discover information about the stores nearest them. 

This problem is solved by location landing pages because they offer a customized experience for each community in the geographic area surrounding a particular branch. When properly developed, they’re powerful SEO and UX assets because they increase visibility in localized organic search and also build brand trust.

The most common FAQ about location landing pages is how to develop them at scale without weakening website quality due to publishing large volumes of thin and duplicate content. This guide addresses that concern in the “Advanced content strategies for location landing pages” section below. 

Service area businesses (like plumbers or electricians) can also create their own sets of landing pages, which we’ll cover in a separate guide. For now, use this resource to learn how to use optimized location pages to market brands that serve customers face-to-face at their storefronts.

How location pages drive local SEO visibility

The above example shows a standard location landing page for the Sacramento, California branch of REI, the outdoor outfitter chain. Smart brands like REI understand that by publishing a unique landing page for each of their premises with location-specific content, they can accrue multiple benefits. 

Let’s look at four major wins you can achieve with location landing pages.

1. Align your brand with Google’s local ranking factors: Relevance, distance, and prominence

A foundational Google document, Tips to improve your local rankings on Google, outlines three key pillars of its local ranking algorithm. All three of these are applicable to location landing pages for multi-location businesses.

Relevance
Location landing pages offer the opportunity to match searchers’ language and intents with website content that proves your brand offers what they need. Whether a customer’s looking for a particular product or service, or is trying to find a business with a specific attribute (e.g., late night dining, pet-friendliness, plus-size clothing), there’s no limit to the detail that can go into location landing pages. 

Use this localized content to let customers know when a branch nearest them offers exactly what they’re looking for. The better your landing page content matches search language, the more likely it is to be returned by Google as a relevant result.

Distance

Because location landing pages highly feature content like contact information, store photos, and reviews from branch customers, they go far towards proving to Google that your brand has a valid physical location in close proximity to specific searchers. 

Google’s local algorithm seeks to return local business results that are nearest to searchers at the time they search. Location landing pages increase both search engine and consumer trust that one of your storefronts is within easy distance. 

Prominence

The concept of prominence revolves around how well-known your business is. It’s based on how many third-party publications link to and cite it, plus how many consumers review it. Ensure your business is prominent by publishing reviews and testimonials pertaining to a specific location of your business on its relevant landing page. 

Meanwhile, consider whether there are elements like event calendars, podcast episodes, or local news items that could be incorporated into your location landing pages to help them merit links and mentions from third-party publishers. Such publishers could include local or industry news sites, hyperlocal blogs, lifestyle publications, video channels, podcasts, and social media conversations.

2. Publish location landing pages to support both organic and local rankings

For each eligible location of your brand, create a Google Business Profile and be sure the website URL field (see the website tab in the above screenshot) links to the relevant location landing page on your site. 

This creates a frictionless experience for consumers who can then move effortlessly from the Google Business Profile to a page on the site that’s been thoughtfully designed to help them understand the offerings of the location nearest them. 

Often, Google doesn’t display a website link in local packs (as shown above), but searchers will see them when they click the “More places” link that leads to the expanded local results interface called the local finder. 

As you can see in the following screenshot, the website link is present in this local finder view:

The same is true for the separate Google Maps interface, which can be reached from the Maps tab in Google’s organic SERPs (it’s also the standard mapping application on mobile Android devices). 

The screenshot above displays REI’s domain, but when the link is clicked on, it points to the landing page for their Sacramento store.

Location landing pages are also one of the best assets for ensuring your brand is included in Google’s organic SERPs for relevant search phrases.

For instance, note how REI’s Sacramento store landing page is ranking highly for the search phrase “outdoor outfitters Sacramento”:

3. Capture both branded and non-branded query traffic with location landing pages

The base-level win provided by location landing pages is that they’ll show up in Google’s organic SERPs when a potential customer already knows about your brand and is searching for it by name (e.g., “REI Sacramento”). 

But this is just the starting point. A fully-featured location landing page can enable you to rank for multiple non-branded search queries, as in the above example of REI’s Sacramento branch being surfaced for the search “camping gear sacramento.” 

This demonstrates the vital role location landing pages play in brand discovery. A potential customer may have never heard of your brand before. They could be new in town or on a vacation in an unfamiliar city. They don’t already know to search for your brand by name. Instead, they could be searching for terms like “snowboards Sacramento,” “outdoor outfitter near me,” or “sporting goods store open now.” 

Your location landing pages give you the space to write about everything a customer will find at your branch, signaling to Google that your content deserves to be brought up as a relevant organic result for specific searchers.

4. Embrace E-E-A-T and Helpful Content compliance with location landing pages

It’s Google’s long-standing policy that anything brands publish should be helpful for people. Location landing pages shine in this context when they’re built to fully assist nearby searchers who need to know if a local business offers what they want.

Google has gone so far as to roll out a major search algorithm update called the “Helpful Content update” to enforce its policies. This update rolled out in 2023 with the goal of rewarding people-first content while demoting search engine-first content in Google’s results. 

Most local businesses will have little to worry about from Google Updates if they adhere closely to the E-E-A-T concept Google uses to train its quality raters whose job is to evaluate whether the SERPs are returning relevant content. 

Here’s how you can ensure you’re incorporating E-E-A-T principles into your location landing pages.

Experience

Incorporate these unique content elements into your location landing pages to prove experience:

• Customer reviews and testimonials relevant to the specific branch, demonstrating that real people are engaging with and evaluating the business
• User-generated videos as social proof showing the public engaging with the business
• Product tests and demos conducted by the business that show first-hand experience with the brand’s inventory, such as evaluations of the benefits of different camping gear brands, running shoes, or survival supplies

Expertise

Showcase your brand’s expertise with these landing page elements:

• An FAQ section that provides expert answers to common questions
• Staff bios that highlight credentials, accreditations, and earned expertise
• Pro tips from company experts, such as a guide to lighter backpacking for hikes, or a checklist for what to stock in a first-aid kit for a camping trip

Authoritativeness 

Highlight how third-parties recognize your brand’s authority in its field with the following landing page elements:

• Awards the branch has won, such as an award for being your city’s greenest outdoor outfitter from a local lifestyle publication
• Links to the podcasts, video channels, and blogs that the staff at the branch have been invited to appear on as authoritative experts in their field
• Links to press citing the location for its authority on local or industry news sites

Trustworthiness

Prove that a branch of your business is legitimate and trustworthy with the following location landing page elements:

• Accurate and complete business information like name, address, phone number, hours of operation, map, and driving directions that demonstrate that this is a real-world business consumers can come to
• Photo and video media to further signal that this is an open, active branch of the brand
• Responses to reviews that demonstrate the responsiveness of the brand to its customers
• Policies and guarantees that outline consumer protections and how the public can expect to be treated by the brand
• Functional menus, buttons, and links that appropriately facilitate consumer actions such as booking appointments
• A website environment that is secure and free of hazards like malware

---

Pro tip: Location landing pages need to be helpful for your target audience. To maximize conversions, ensure that each page answers consumer questions and assists customers towards feeling confident that the featured branch of the business can meet their needs.

---

Essential SEO elements of a high-performing location page

This checklist will help you build strong but basic location landing pages designed to help website visitors quickly access essential information about each of your branches as they evaluate whether to do business with your brand.

---

Pro tip: Never assume Google knows the locations of your business. This is a common mistake. Always include complete contact and location information on your landing pages to clarify that both search engine bots and potential customers are accessing the best webpage for the branch. 

---

If branches of the business exist in markets with little or no competition, the above checklist may be all you need to accomplish to earn:

• A decent level of prominence in Google’s organic results
• A good conversion rate based on consumers encountering the details they need to make a quick decision to choose the business

However, the more competitive your markets, the greater your opportunity to stand out from less-motivated competitors by publishing the best location landing pages in town. 

The advanced location landing page content strategy covered in the next section offers you more options for differentiating these assets, more power to convert visitors into customers, and more chances to publish truly helpful content. 

Advanced content strategies for location landing pages that scale without becoming thin or duplicative

The top FAQ about location landing pages relates to how to make each page unique so that the brand doesn’t water down the quality of its site by publishing large volumes of duplicate or near-duplicate content. 

Take your location landing pages to the next level of optimization and usefulness with these components: 

Advanced contact information

The example we’ve been looking at of REI’s landing page for its Sacramento branch does include some additional contact information in its footer in the form of social media and app links (see above) to encourage increased consumer engagement. 

However, you can go one better with your location landing pages by including the following:

• Branch-level social media links (empower branch managers and franchisees to market the business on their own social channels and link directly to them from the relevant location landing pages)
• Additional contact information (showcase after-hours support options and other ways to reach the business, such as text lines, email addresses, live chat, and secondary phone numbers)
• Other ways to engage with the business (include links to branch-level blogs, podcast episodes, video content, events, newsletter signups, etc.)

Advanced visual media strategy

REI’s landing page for its Sacramento branch features a single exterior photo of the individual business, but look at all of the images and video content that the public has added to this location’s Google Business Profile to soup up its online presence.

This is the kind of visual media the brand could be adding to its location landing page for this storefront to increase both visitor engagement and content uniqueness. 

Photograph and film:

• Store exterior from different angles
• Parking availability
• Exterior amenities (such as patio dining, pet watering stations, signage, etc.)
• Interior shots of key areas of interest (“shelfie” content showing shelves of popular inventory, checkout counters, seating, social media photo ops, etc.)
• Individual products and services (in-demand goods, popular services, etc.)
• Store staff (greeting the public, group photos, engaging with customers, performing services, participating in community events, being interviewed, etc.)
• User-generated content (photos and videos your customers have taken of themselves interacting with aspects of the branch)
• Guided photo or video tours (helpful for large or complex premises)
• Interior amenities (restrooms, rest areas, seating, customer service counters, etc.)
• Seasonal visuals (fresh imagery if the store’s appearance, inventory, or offerings change throughout the year)
• Social video tie-ins (embed relevant videos from the brand or branch’s YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram channel, if applicable)
• Gallery (a selection of the most engaging images of the business if it has an inviting visual component)

Reputational content

One of the simplest methodologies for differentiating location landing pages from one another and featuring highly influential content on each page is to incorporate reputation content, including:

• Third-party reviews from platforms like Google Business Profile and Yelp
• First-party reviews the business gathers directly from consumers and publishes on the location landing pages
• Handwritten testimonials that have been scanned or photographed
• Video-based consumer reviews in which customers describe their experience with the business. These could be videos you film that feature the customer directly. You could also embed videos from social media platforms (e.g.,TikTok, Instagram) where customers are discussing your brand.
• Professional reviews and awards from industry or local publishers

Advanced product/service content

REI has made the effort to enhance its landing page with links to key inventory and in-store services pages.

Your landing pages can go the extra mile by incorporating:

• A menu of major brands carried, dining menus, seasonal product showcases, upcoming items on sale, etc.
• Links to real-time local inventory available at the branch
• If an item is out of stock at the nearest branch, links to the next-nearest location that has the desired product
• Complete service menus with descriptions of available services and links to service landing pages for more information
• Coupons/deals/offers
• Image and video content showing real-world product tests and use cases
• How-to content answering product or service FAQs, such as how to install an item or how to get a quote for a service

Proofs of community involvement

REI’s landing page example includes mention of the Sacramento store using solar power to generate 45% of its own electricity. 

A best-in-class location landing page can give potential customers compelling reasons to feel good about choosing to do business with a particular branch by showcasing:

• Green initiatives (solar power, recycling offers, minimal packaging, low-water landscaping, chem-free offerings, scent-free environments, local product sourcing, etc.)
• Philanthropic activities (sponsoring local causes and institutions, hosting community events, participating in holiday drives, donating a percentage of sales to valued organizations, etc.)
• Special hour information, such as popular times, senior citizen shopping hours, low-stimulus hours, etc., to suit the needs of different shoppers
• Job opportunities (providing employment for local residents)
• B2B cross-promotion (leaguing up with local business peers to offer joint deals to customers)
• Contests (rewarding customers who participate in events that can be used to publicize the brand locally)
• Local/industry media mentions (a PR section highlighting positive stories about the local branch as seen in online publications of local or industry news)

Trust signals

It’s a good sign that REI is inviting its customers to provide feedback about the branch’s performance on its landing page.  Add a section to your location landing pages that requests customer feedback in the form of reviews, testimonials, form submissions, texts, or phone calls. 

This is a strong trust signal because it lets customers know you want to hear from them about their needs, concerns, and any potential problems. 

You can provide additional trust signals with:

• A website that adheres to online security protocols
• Functionality to opt-out of cookies and other forms of tracking
• Clear consumer guarantees such as satisfaction guarantees and shipping and returns policies
• After-hours support options
• Disclosure of how staff is actively trained to offer a superior level of expertise
• Legal licenses and accreditations such as membership in trusted industry associations
• Links to additional media that personalizes the business, such as blog posts, vlogs, or podcast episodes featuring real staff at the place of business
• Company timeline demonstrating a long history of community involvement
• FAQs that provide information and reassurance about how the business is the best option for particular needs

How to scale your location landing pages’ content strategy

If the brand you’re marketing has a limited number of locations, almost any Content Management System (CMS) is likely to empower you to create a few location landing pages that incorporate some or all of the above types of content we’ve covered. 

However, if you’re promoting dozens, hundreds, or thousands of storefronts, here’s what to look for in a CMS:

• Dynamic template design that lets you easily swap different content widgets in and out of your pages 
• Sophisticated multi-seat access permissions that enable branch managers and franchisees to contribute to the marketing of relevant pages while being excluded from other areas of the website
• Dedicated developer support so you can understand any additional fees involved if your brand needs novel content widgets developed to meet the needs of the business and the community being served
• Dedicated technical support to ensure that your CMS provider has a guaranteed timeframe for solving emerging technical problems

In addition to the technological aspects of scaling location landing page development effectively, the creative aspects are vital to the ultimate usefulness of this content to potential customers. Enterprise brands can struggle to truly localize and humanize this content because of the distance between C-suites and the communities being served.

The best solution to this challenge is to actively involve local staff and franchisees in the creation and ongoing management of the location landing pages. Have teams identify branch employees who have lived the longest in towns and cities, who are most involved in community life, and who bring diverse perspectives to local culture. 

These people on the ground can highly personalize location landing page content so that it respects community aspirations, traditions, and norms. Whether that’s knowing which softball team to sponsor, how to allocate volunteer hours to an animal shelter, or what kind of booth to set up for the Founder’s Day picnic, location landing pages should be a sensitive and useful reflection of the communities being served. 

Next step: Build citations

Once you’ve built a strong location landing page for each branch of the brand you’re marketing, it’s time to start promoting your new content.

Learn to build both structured and unstructured citations to drive discovery, traffic, mentions, backlinks, and conversions for all of your storefronts.