For many years it was impossible to have a Google My Business page rank in a city that you were not physically based in – and for the most part, that made a lot of sense. Yes, if you own and run a restaurant, showing up in Brisbane when you are physically based in Melbourne would be a waste of everybody’s time. However, what about services that are not bound to one single location?
In this article, we’re going to talk about ranking your business online for multiple locations. Here’s everything you need to know…
Is it possible for my website to rank for a different location?
The short answer is yes. It is possible for your website to rank in different locations. For example, a Brisbane SEO agency with physical offices in that state, could also rank in other states, provided they do indeed service those areas.
Similarly, just because a logistics and house moving company are based in Melbourne, it doesn’t mean they should be unable to rank in Brisbane-related searches. The company may frequently service that area and are recognised as a trusted and authoritative business.
However, if you own and run pubs in Brisbane and you are adding Melbourne as a service area, you will be penalised.
Ultimately, all Google is looking for when it is ranking business for local searches is: authenticity, reputation, and reliability.
How to rank for different locations?
So, how can you go about optimising your website so that you can start showing up in local searches in different cities? Here are a few handy tips to help get you started:
- Optimise your Google My Business (GMB) page: The first step is to claim and flesh out your GMB as best you can. You must enter your physical business address, but you can also add your service areas as well. This is an effective way of letting Google (and more importantly, your customers) know who you are, where you are based, and which areas you are able to service effectively.
- Build service area pages on your website: You must be careful with this because if you are just spamming local keywords onto a page, Google will penalise you for it. So, this is a great opportunity for you to create unique, local-centric content based on each location that you are looking to service. Why do you want to work with Brisbane-based businesses when you are in Melbourne? Is it your home state? What local knowledge can you bring to the table? Demonstrate your authority.
- Have a solid internal linking structure: Make it easier for users to navigate your website and find the product they are looking for. Do you have a detailed FAQ? Have you got a blog post that lists everything you need to know about a certain service? A solid internal linking structure can help your SEO tremendously.
- Add NAP citations to your website (and GMB): In the footer of your website you should have a list of all of the locations that you service, with internal links to pages with relevant, local-centric content and further contact information.
- Use Schema Markup to tidy your listings: While Schema Markup doesn’t directly impact your local SEO, it can be used to make your search results far more attractive and thus likely to draw attention. Greater click-through rates = more business.
- Mobile first: Optimise your website for mobile use! Make this a priority. 82% of local “near me” searches on Google are carried out on a mobile phone. If your website doesn’t support mobile use, you’ll be missing out on a lot of business.
Conclusion
In conclusion, with the right approach, it is entirely possible to rank in other locations despite being based elsewhere. Just make sure that you can live up to expectations and will deliver an exceptional service.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by it all, the best approach will be to hire a reputable digital marketing agency to assist you. That way, you can focus your precious time on other revenue generating tasks while they take care of the grunt work.
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