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Multi-location website design applies to businesses that service multiple cities or occupy numerous office locations.

While listing multiple locations on a website doesn’t seem that difficult, the SEO implications of mishandling this delicate process can be far-reaching and damaging to online visibility.

At DataPins, we help multi-location businesses thrive through digital marketing software and targeted and customized local SEO campaigns.

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This is essential since over 80% of multi-location businesses plan to expand this year.

Of course, the foundation of every successful multi-location company is a website or websites that correctly promote services in a specific location.

The following guide will outline the best practices for multi-location websites and how you can audit your current strategy to improve your online visibility in 2024.

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What is Multi-Location Website Design?

Multi-location website design is the process of creating a customized website for a multi-location business that maximizes the company’s visibility and conversion rate in each of its target locations.

There are no one-size-fits-all strategies for multi-location websites. Still, there are best practices that have been tested and proven to maximize online visibility for businesses with multiple locations.

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Separate Websites vs. Unified Domains

The fundamental decision for companies with multiple locations is whether to create one or multiple websites. Your choice depends on whether your secondary locations serve distinct service areas or overlap with your primary location.

For example, a Dallas-based business should not create second and third websites for Plano and McKinney, respectively, as these cities are considered suburbs of the Dallas Metropolitan area.

The inverse is also true, as a Plano-based business should not create a second website for Dallas.

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However, creating additional websites is typically the most salient SEO strategy if your secondary locations are distinct (generally more than 65 minutes or 50 miles away).

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When to Create Separate Websites for Each Location

Google does not have official distances for when to create separate websites. However, our research concluded that locations over 65 minutes of driving from the primary location best suit an individual website.

For example, a pest control company with locations in Tuscumbia and Huntsville, Alabama, should create separate websites for each location.

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When to Use One Domain for All Locations

If all your locations are within a 50-mile radius, it’s best to keep them on a single website. To target particular cities, you can create individual city pages under a single domain.

Furthermore, you can link your secondary Google Business Profiles to those city pages under the same domain.

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6 Best Practices for Multi-Location Websites

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1) Create Unique Location Pages (City Pages)

You need a location page for each city you service. If you have verified office addresses and Google Business Profiles in some of these locations, you would place them on their corresponding city pages.

You may also service nearby cities where you don’t have an office. In these cases, you must publish additional location pages targeted at those consumers.

For example, if your office is in Orlando, FL, you can create an individual city page for Altamonte Springs, FL, and write local content unique to that location.

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Be careful when publishing hundreds of city pages with similar content, as it may trigger an algorithmic filter that dilutes your website’s overall rankings.

Instead, the best strategy is to make each page unique.

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2) Connect Local URLs to Your Google Business Profile

While your Google Business Profile listing is separate from your website, they are connected to your online marketing strategy. The highest-ranking business listings have a complete website with content for each location.

Each office address should have its own Google Business Profile listing. In the GBP website tab, connect your main website to each listing.

Include images of offices, signage, information on which areas you service, operation hours, and services offered.

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It is also essential to keep this information accurate and updated. NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) information must remain consistent between your multi-location website and your Google Business Profile.

Accurate and consistent NAP information helps your rankings. Google prefers to display recently updated content when available, so update your Google My Business listing often. 

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3) Optimize for Local User Experience (LUX)

The subtle differences in your audience make the difference in higher or lower conversion rates.

These subtleties should be reflected in the individual location pages targeting customers hyperlocally.

For example, share reviews and recent job photos from only the page’s location so that users will only consume content relevant to their area.

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This concept is known as Local User Experience or LUX, a localized user experience or UX variation.

As search results become more personalized with the adoption of AI, speaking directly to your target customers will help you stand out from competitors.

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4) Link to Location Pages From the Main Menu

Your website’s main menu must have a service area tab that lists each of your secondary locations and links to the corresponding city page.

Since your homepage holds the most website authority, distributing its equity to your location pages will be crucial for helping them rank well in search results.

If you fail to make your location pages easily accessible to Google crawlers, they may become “orphan pages,” which means they lack internal links, may rank poorly, or may not even enter Google’s index.

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In addition to inserting these cities into the main menu, look for other opportunities to link to these pages when they are relevant and user-friendly.

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5) Enhance Location Pages with DataPins

There needs to be more than just switching out city names in bland, uninteresting text to make your location pages satisfy search engines and their users. DataPins: a local SEO tool for contractors, helps you keep your pages unique with fresh, hyperlocal content.

DataPins consolidates location-based SEO signals based on recent jobs or projects and publishes them onto your corresponding city pages.

For example, each pin contains schema markup (structured data), geo-coordinates, unique project photos, mini-maps, and job descriptions.

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The tool also sends review requests via email and text message.

You’ll find that DataPins automates unique content by ensuring only location-specific content appears on the appropriate pages.

The tool serves as a curator of user-generated content, social proof, and reputation.

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6) Build Citations for Each Location

Building NAP citations on Yelp, Angi’, HomeAdvisor, and the Better Business Bureau is part of any local SEO strategy.

For companies with multiple locations, build citations for your legitimate business addresses and link them to the corresponding location page.

These external citation links send positive location signals to each of your city pages, increasing their authority and maximizing their ranking potential for location-based queries.

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Only employ this technique if you have legitimate business addresses for your secondary locations.

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Multi-Location Website Design Examples

Sometimes, seeing examples of websites that correctly implement multiple locations is the best way to apply those methods to your own campaign.

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Below, DataPins showcases some examples of a business website targeting multiple locations:

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Shoreline Snuba

Shoreline Snuba’s website does an outstanding job of linking to its individual dive locations from the main menu, located in the website design’s header.

This feature helps visitors easily navigate to their desired location and book a private snorkeling tour for their upcoming trip.

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Majestic Outdoor Lighting

The Majestic Outdoor Lighting website showcases how one domain can house dozens of unique location pages, all within the general radius of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.

While the business does have multiple Google Business Profiles, it also targets cities for which it does not have a specific office address but serves as a service area business (SAB).

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Other Considerations for Multi-Location Websites

When following the best practices for multi-location business websites, it’s important to note that other variables will come into play depending on your location, industry, and website authority.

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Below, we’ll outline other factors to consider with multi-location websites:

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Structured Data Markup

Adding structured data markup and schema markup to your website helps Google and other search engines understand the specifics of your various locations.

You can add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage and location pages to solidify the local intent of each page.

Adding this data to your website can indirectly boost rankings while making your pages eligible for rich snippets within local search results.

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Social/Brand Signals

One of Google’s primary ways to measure a brand’s legitimacy is social and brand signals from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Yelp, paid ads, and emails.

When social media users navigate to your website from a social media app, these are known as social signals, which convey to Google that your brand exists beyond organic search results.

Social signals are one component of a broader signal currency known as brand signals, which can expand beyond the scope of social media to other platforms like business directories, emails, paid ads, and even in-person promotion.

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Multi-location businesses must pay extra close attention to generating these signals so that their brand earns enough credibility to support rankings in multiple cities.

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Local Content Updates

There is a tendency for multiple-location business websites to neglect lower-priority cities regarding content updates and location accuracy.

This is a marketing misstep, as low-quality content on any portion of your website can degrade its site-wide SEO signals, resulting in lower rankings for all your cities.

Considering this, it’s essential to invest content resources for all of your locations, including regular updates of your city pages and NAP updates for each citation any time your information changes.

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Location Performance Tracking

Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console make tracking location performance simple when you collect user data for specific city pages.

For example, if your Seattle location page receives 90 visits and your Spokane city page receives 30, you can use those as a baseline for improvement and fluctuation.

Naturally, higher population areas should attract more visits, but the authority of each page can also influence traffic.

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Underperforming city pages should be audited and improved based on competitor research and the use of DataPins.

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URL Optimization

Each location-specific page should have unique URLs containing the name of the city it corresponds to. 

Also, make the URL format as consistent as possible. This will make it easier for search engines to index your pages accurately on relevant searches. 

For instance, a remodeling contractor in Miami and Key West should have clean URLs like “/key-west” at the end instead of “/contractor-key-west.”

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SEO Supplementation with Paid Ads

If some of your locations still need to accumulate enough authority to rank in organic search or Google Maps, supplementing the traffic with paid ads is one way to get quick results.

You can use either Google Search Ads or Local Service Ads (LSA) to send traffic to specific city pages or Google Business Profiles.

Search Ads are made for landing pages, like your location pages, and use a PPC model, while LSA ads are for Google Business Profiles and abide by a pay-per-lead model.

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We advise against paid advertising as a variable long-term strategy for multi-location businesses. Still, they can work well in short spurts to supplement your comprehensive local SEO campaign.

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Conclusion: Building a Strong Multi-Location Online Presence

Multi-location websites can challenge businesses seeking to rank for local queries in multiple cities. Still, with the correct design principles, your site can maximize performance for each distinct business address.

Creating unique city pages and connecting them to their corresponding Google Business Profile location is the foundation of a high-performance multi-location business website.

In addition, adding DataPins to your city pages while enhancing the local user experience can increase rankings and conversion rates.

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Don’t forget to create separate NAP citations for each of your legitimate business addresses to build authority for each of your distinct locations.

Call us at 800-775-1250 to learn more about multi-location website design and how DataPins integrates with this process.

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Google Maps SEO is a fantastic lead generation tool for local businesses throughout the United States.

After all, over 90% of search queries with local intent produce Google Map 3-Pack results.

By optimizing your Google Business Profile for Google Maps rankings, you can increase your customer base, expand brand awareness, and secure long-term visibility for your company.

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The following post will outline how to rank higher on Google Maps with 14 helpful steps and tips to guide you toward success.

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What Is Google Maps SEO?

Google Maps SEO is the practice of refining your Google Business Profile and its related entities to improve your rankings on Google Maps and Google’s Local Map 3-Pack.

When users search for a local query like [pest control fort worth], a local pack with the three most relevant businesses appears near the top of Google search results.

Businesses can influence whether they appear within the map pack for specific terms through a series of deliberate tasks known as Google Maps SEO.

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Why Is Google Maps SEO Important?

Since nine out of every ten local queries produce a map pack, investing in Google Maps SEO is essential for every local business owner.

In addition, listings within the 3-Pack garner 127% more traffic than those that rank 4-10.

Here are some of the other reasons Google Maps SEO is vital for local marketing campaigns:

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• Helps business rank for local keyword terms
• Increases local website traffic
• Increases conversion rate by showcasing reviews and experience
• Establishes a sustainable lead generation source

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Rank for Local Keyword Terms

As a local business, ranking for local keyword terms is essential to generating new customers. 

Google Map 3-Packs appear for all kinds of local queries across various industries. Capturing these clicks through your Google Business Profile is the most efficient way to grow your business.

Most businesses know the importance of primary terms, but Map 3-Pack results can also appear for long-tail terms with lower search volume but higher conversion rates.

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Increase Local Website Traffic

Some business websites brag about their Google Analytics traffic numbers without realizing that most of it is not resulting in sales.

For example, some local businesses include blog posts targeting national keyword terms or phrases on their websites, driving vanity traffic across the United States.

Traffic from Google Maps and the Map 3-Pack is all local, meaning your visitors are pre-positioned to sign up for your services, resulting in a higher conversion rate.

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Increase Conversion Rates (with Reviews & Experience)

Your Google Business Profile acts as a digital billboard for your brand by directly showcasing your customer reviews and years in business on the listing.

When customers find your business in the Map 3-Pack, they are also exposed to other consumers who’ve used your services and left a review, along with how long you’ve been in business.

Because this information is immediately visible to users, GBP visibility increases your conversion rates compared to paid ads or traditional website results.

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Establish a Sustainable Lead Generation Source

Paid advertising produces quick visibility, but the high cost makes the strategy unsustainable for local businesses.

Conversely, securing a spot within Google’s Local Map 3-Pack establishes a sustainable lead generation source.

Not only are these the highest-quality leads you can find as a local company, but they don’t cost anything to generate.

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Google Maps SEO Ranking Factors

Unlike organic SEO factors hidden from the public, Google publicly shares how to improve your local ranking on Google.

They clearly outline the Google Maps ranking factors as the following:

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Relevance

Google defines relevance as “how well a local Business Profile matches what someone is searching for,” which may consider your business name, description, categories, and subcategories along with the information on your GBP landing page (your website URL).

The vicinity algorithm update decreased the influence of business name relevance after businesses began stuffing their names with keywords that did not match their legal entities.

Still, the relationship of your business profile to the searcher’s query remains an essential ranking factor.

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Distance

Google defines distance as “how far each potential search result is from the location term used in a search” or “what we do know about their location” for queries that don’t include a local term.

For example, users who include a local identifier like “near me” aren’t using an explicit local term like “fort worth,” but they are still demonstrating a local intent.

In these cases, Google may use the user’s IP address or geodata to determine which businesses are closest to their location.

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Prominence

Google defines prominence as “how well known a business is,” which can be influenced by various factors, including “information that Google has about a business, from across the web, like links, articles, and directories.”

Google also implies that offline popularity can influence prominence, citing “famous museums, landmark hotels, or well-known store brands.”

In addition, Google explicitly mentions that “Your position in web results is also a factor, so search engine optimization (SEO) best practices apply.”

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How to Become Eligible for Google Maps Rankings

Only verified Google Business Profiles are eligible to rank in Google Maps, and the 3-pack makes creating, claiming, and verifying your Google Business Profile essential to Google Maps SEO.

You can skip to the next section if you’ve already completed these steps.

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Add Your Business to Google Maps

1: Sign in to your Google account.

2: Navigate to google.com/maps and search for your business name.

3: If your company name appears in the drop-down menu with a location beside it, you already have a listing.

4:If your company name does not appear, click the other option, “add a missing place.”

5: Enter your business name, category, and location

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Claim Your Business on Google Maps

1: Navigate to google.com/maps and search for your business name.

2: Click your business name.

3: Click “Claim this business” and then “Manage now.”

4: Select a verification option and follow the on-screen prompt

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How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile

While becoming eligible to rank on Google Maps is the first step toward appearing in the Google Map 3-Pack, businesses can optimize their Google Business Profile to increase their rankings.

Google recommends the following measures for optimizing your Google Business Profile:

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Complete Your Profile

Ensure your GBP includes accurate data that reflects your most up-to-date business information.

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Examples of essential GBP data include:

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• Business Address
• Phone Number
• Business Category
• Attributes

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Display Accurate Business Hours

Make sure you regularly update your business hours and maintain their accuracy. Business hours often change for holidays, and updating your consumers helps optimize your GBP.

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Manage and Respond to Reviews

Reviews can impact the relevance and prominence ranking factors in Google Maps, which means requesting and responding to customer reviews helps optimize your business listing.

Consider asking customers for reviews in person and through an automated software process, and ensure you respond to every positive or negative review.

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Upload Photos to Google Business Profile

Add photos to your Google Business Profile that positively reflect your company and its services. Unique images of your staff, equipment, and jobs help build trust and rapport with potential customers.

Avoid using stock or AI-generated photos, which may present your profile as spam.

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Tips for Ranking Higher on Google Maps

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1) Get a Central Location For Your GBP Address

The distance ranking factor on Google Maps is the most challenging one to influence for local businesses, especially those in service areas. 

To increase your visibility within this ranking criteria, you can purchase office space in a central location of your primary city.

When your physical address is within the central area of your primary city, you will rank higher and more frequently for queries that include your city name, resulting in more engagement.

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2) Optimize Your Site for Local Search

Optimizing your website for local search is one of the most effective ways to increase your Google Maps rankings.

Most business owners don’t realize that Google Maps scans the website URL connected to their Google Business Profile and uses the information to gauge their relevance and prominence.

Ensure your website’s homepage includes header tags with your primary location and that your physical address is listed in the footer.

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3) Audit and Update NAP citations

Building citations on other credible platforms, such as Yelp, Angi’, and Better Business Bureau (BBB), helps legitimize your listing data and lend credibility to your brand.

Many businesses undergo various changes over the years, from new addresses to new phone numbers, all of which must be updated on your citations.

You can use services like Whitespark to update your citations in bulk whenever your information changes.

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4) Use Google Maps Ads to Boost Engagement

Businesses with a visible physical address can appear on the Map 3-Pack through paid advertisements using Google Ads Location Extensions and Performance Max campaigns.

Unfortunately, service area businesses (SABs) are not eligible for Map 3-Pack ads. We recommend utilizing Local Service Ads (LSA) for SABs.

While Local Service Ads do not appear within the Map 3-Pack, they integrate your Google Business Profile information, including reviews, into the ads.

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5) Implement a Review Request Process

Automating your review request process and asking for reviews in person can increase the response rate by 49%.

Google reviews impact the relevance and prominence ranking factors within Google Maps’ algorithm, making them one of the most tangible currencies for improving your Google Maps SEO.

In addition to the total number of reviews impacting rankings, the frequency and recency of your reviews also play a role. This means your process must continue even after you’ve accumulated substantial customer feedback.

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6) Add Local Business Schema

Schema markup is a structured data format injected into your homepage’s HTML code. It provides Google with context about your local business.

The LocalBusiness Schema helps you mark up business information such as your website URL, business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation.

Because Google scans the website URL connected to your GBP, the schema’s impact can expand into your Google Maps rankings.

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7) Embed Google Maps on Your Site

Consider embedding a Google Map of your business location onto your website’s Contact Us page or, in some cases, the homepage.

This enhances the user experience for your website visitors by showing them your business location in Google Maps form. It also helps connect your web entities (website, GBP, citations) for a cohesive digital brand.

Google Maps makes embedding a map in your website easy by providing a “Share a map or location with others” button. This button generates custom HTML code you can copy and paste into a custom WordPress element.

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8) Use DataPins on Your Website

The DataPins software was developed to improve Google Maps SEO by converting real-time jobs into digital SEO signals for your local brand.

Using the DataPins app, you can capture images of your various jobs and tag them on relevant website pages to boost SEO performance.

Each pin contains unique photos, schema markup, mini-maps, geo-coordinates, and captions for Google Maps optimization.

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9) Demonstrate Website E-E-A-T

Google’s objective is to show users legitimate and trustworthy businesses and avoid showing spam, which makes their acronym E-E-A-T highly relevant to local businesses.

E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, which can be showcased on your business website (which is connected to your GBP).

Examples of showing E-E-A-T on your website include award badges, recent job photos, and a review slider widget that pulls verified Google reviews via API.

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10) Embed Reviews on Your Website

The reviews widget is a great way to integrate Google reviews into your website design.

Embedded reviews (through API sliders) are far more effective than publishing screenshots of your reviews, which can be easily doctored, especially in the age of artificial intelligence.

Embedding an API-driven reviews widget into your website’s codebase is the most effective way to leverage Google reviews for trust.

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11) Use Responsive Web Design

Websites that users can adequately navigate across all device types (mobile, desktop, tablet) foster a superior user experience, enhancing Google Maps rankings.

After all, Google doesn’t want to send its Maps users to a website they cannot access through a mobile device.

Ensure your web developer uses RWD in your web design process and test your site across all device types.

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12) Build Local Backlinks

Build local backlinks to your business website URL but not directly to your Google Maps listing, as only the former contributes to higher rankings.

We cannot stress enough that your website URL is connected to your GBP and, therefore, directly impacts Maps rankings (along with website rankings).

The best local links come from credible institutions like the Chamber of Commerce, industry or regional organizations, and local new websites.

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Source: Majestic

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13) Increase Branded Searches

We know that Google Maps’ prominence ranking factor considers the popularity of brands that branded searches can influence.

When users search directly for your brand name, Google assumes they’ve learned about your company elsewhere, such as offline, digital advertising, or social media.

Considering this, you should get your brand out into the community as much as possible, both online and offline, leading to more people searching for your name.

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Source: SEMRush

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14) Secure Google Maps Justifications

Google Maps justifications are relevant text snippets that appear in the Map 3-Pack and Google Maps based on the user’s search query.

Your GBP can earn justifications through website content (on the URL connected to your listing) or from informative reviews from your customers who mention specific service types.

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Types of justifications include:

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• Review Justifications
• Website Mention Justifications
• Services Justifications
• Menu Justifications
• Sold Here Justifications
• Provides Justifications

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15) Publish City Pages

Publishing city pages can give local businesses a greater chance of ranking in Google Maps outside of their primary service area.

While this pheromone is rare, it can happen in smaller cities with less competition.

By creating robust and unique landing pages, local businesses can signal that they service nearby cities and towns close to their central city.

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For example, businesses with a verified Cincinnati address can create city pages for Loveland and Milford.

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Putting Your Google Maps SEO Into Practice

Learning Google Maps SEO best practices is the first step toward increasing rankings and visibility on Google’s map platform. 

You must implement these techniques as part of your Local SEO strategy in 2024 to benefit from them.

By appearing in Google’s Local Map 3-Pack, your business can attract new prospects and garner a sustainable stream of qualified leads.

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Since over 90% of local searches generate map pack results, this is the only source that can match Google Maps’ lead generation potential.

At DataPins, we developed a software tool to assist you on your journey. This tool allows your business to use its real-life jobs as local signals for Google Maps.

Pins consolidate schema markup, geo-coordinates, mini-maps, unique photos, and job descriptions to demonstrate E-E-A-T and satisfy local intent for nearby consumers.

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With DataPins and the 15 Google Maps SEO tips outlined in this post, local business owners can gain an advantage over their regional competitors.

These tips, from uploading photos to your GBP to embedding maps onto your business website, can propel your listing to the top of the 3-Pack in 2024.

To learn more about Google Maps SEO and DataPins, call us at 800-775-1250.

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Business owners trying to figure out how to rank a service area business in multiple cities are often presented with conflicting or unhelpful advice.

Implementing a successful Local SEO strategy is more challenging for businesses that provide services outside their primary location.

These businesses, known as service area businesses or SABs, often serve dozens of smaller cities within a general area.

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Google’s local algorithm is not engineered for these types of businesses because the local map pack results are shown based on the searcher’s proximity to the businesses’ verified addresses.

For home service providers like HVAC and pest control, this confines their Google Maps clicks to a small sub-section of the consumers they are trying to reach.

Luckily, with innovative software solutions and website content tweaks, SABs can rank on Google in multiple cities.

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Steps to Ranking a Service Area Business in Multiple Cities

Since the early days of SEO, small businesses have consistently faced the problem of ranking for keywords in multiple cities. This is incredibly challenging for service area businesses (SABs), which often serve many areas and communities.

Although their office address (or home office) may be in a small suburb, they can travel 10 minutes to reach consumers in a much larger metro area. But how are these consumers going to find them?

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The following steps reveal how to rank an SAB in multiple cities on Google:

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1) Create Unique City Pages

Google’s organic algorithm (the traditional ten blue links) is less constraining than its Google Maps counterpart, providing a better opportunity for SABs to rank.

Considering this, service area businesses should publish high-quality city pages that target their service type (e.g., pest control) in specific cities (e.g., Plano, Mesquite, Allen, etc.).

Like any page that Google ranks on its first page, the content must be 100% unique and provide value to the customer based on E-E-A-T principles, which mean experience, expertise, authority, and trust.

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2) Utilize DataPins

DataPins is the software we created to include on city pages for service area businesses, such as HVAC and pest control companies.

DataPins generates pins based on recent jobs, consolidating local SEO signals such as geo-coordinates, schema markup, job descriptions, unique photos, and mini-maps.

Pins are a digital hand raise for Google, displaying 100% unique content based on real jobs.

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3) Establish a Digital Brand

The final step in this process is more of a long-term investment in building your digital brand.

While you cannot become a household name overnight, regularly accumulating Google reviews, showcasing proof of work, and publishing E-E-A-T signals on your website can help you do so over time.

As your brand gains authority, your city pages and Google Business Profile can rank for a broader range of keyword terms than a run-of-the-mill competitor.

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Other Considerations for Ranking in Multiple Cities

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Google Maps Results Favor Address Proximity

Many local SEO experts have demonstrated that Google Map Pack rankings favor the local listing whenever possible. The location data is based on the verified address of your Google Business Profile.

If you are a roofer whose business listing is set in Plano, TX, you will have trouble showing up for terms like dallas roofer, or roofer near me when the searcher’s device is pinged within a Dallas zip code.

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See an example below:

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Plano roofing companies will have difficulty ranking for queries containing “Dallas.”

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Organic Rankings are Based on Other Factors

Generally, local SEO city landing pages will only rank if A) they are endorsed through links from other relevant entities within that community or B) they have original content (like user-generated reviews and pins) that validate a business’s credibility within a specific geographic radius.

With DataPins’ technology, reviews and pins are added to location pages (automatically), which allows the page to rank in a city that your business has serviced but is not actually located in. See an example:

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It’s easier to rank outside of your address city on traditional organic results (with city pages)

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Google Business Profile Service Area Challenges

Google Business Profile is an essential tool for marketing your business. It makes it easier for people who need your services to find you. But what if you are a service area business?

Ranking outside your main zip code is notoriously tricky because Google prioritizes local searches based on which businesses have a physical address within the specified area.

And, the further you venture out from your physical address, the more competition there is. You may only have ten competing businesses within your zip code, but that number balloons to dozens the further you go out.

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Google is always trying to enhance its user experience, and location specification is a big part of that. That’s why it has been so tricky for service area businesses to get ranked in the areas that they serve. 

The following guide examines the challenges related to Google Business Profile service area ranking. We will also discuss some ways you can overcome those challenges and be seen by more people outside the city where your business is physically located.

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Google Business Profile Areas Served

Google Business Profile used to have a feature that allowed businesses to set their physical location and then an “areas served” radius that surrounded that centralized location.

It was a nice and convenient feature, to be sure. But people started abusing it. Businesses frequently exaggerated their service area radius to appear in more searches even though they didn’t really work in those areas.

So naturally, as part of Google’s ceaseless quest to please its users, it struck this feature down.

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As many businesses have found out, ranking using the Google Business Profile service area feature isn’t easy. However, as Google shut one big door, they opened a window simultaneously.

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Service Area Businesses (SABs)

Service area businesses were thrilled when Google unveiled its new service area features. While it’s not as easy as expanding your area’s served radius on a map, it increases the quality of search results, which, in the end, is better for your business.

A Google Business Profile wizard now helps you specify all of your unique areas served. And while it can be a bit tedious (especially if you operate in many cities), it is very simple.

The Google Business Profile setup process now includes a “Where do you Serve Your Customers” section.

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You can list as many areas as you want in this section. The city names you enter will then appear under the Overview section of your Google Business Profile.

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Zip Code SEO Rank

Business owners operating in large cities like Los Angeles and Dallas may encounter another challenge with their Google Business Profile service area.

These cities are massive and have multiple zip codes within their specific areas and neighborhoods.

The problem is that these smaller areas are still covered under city names like Los Angeles and Dallas. So, business owners in these areas haven’t been able to let their customers know that they serve their area until recently.

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In addition to including city names, Google has made it easier for searchers to find businesses in large metropolitan areas.

You can now enter specific zip codes for areas that may not have their own specific name.

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Adding New Service Areas to GMB

Another way Google has made it easier for businesses to manage their Google Business Profile service area is by not locking them into one area after they set up their profiles.

You can go into your Google Business Profile dashboard and change the Storefront Address and Service Area sections as needed.

This is an excellent feature for growing businesses and frequently adding new cities to their service coverage area. 

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Projecting Future Google Business Profile Updates

The challenge of ranking outside one’s own zip code is just one in a series of many more. As Google finds ways to improve its service, there will surely be more changes that will frustrate business owners and DIY marketers. 

It’s important to understand these challenges as they arise so that you can find ways to overcome them.

Here at DataPins, we must stay abreast of all such changes in ranking criteria and other marketing trends. Our software was designed specifically to address these service area challenges.

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Google Business Profile Address Requirements

Google requires a physical address to verify your Google Business Profile, but it does not have to be visible to the public.

Google sends a verification number to the physical address you provide to verify you as a real business. Your listing will be verified once you confirm this verification number with Google.

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Once you verify your address through Google, you can mark your listing as a Service Area Business (SAB), which allows you to hide the verified address from the public.

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You must verify your physical location with Google, but you can then hide it from the public

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Using a Home Address for Your Google Business Profile

Home services providers can use their home addresses to verify their Google Business Profile, even if it is not a storefront or official office.

Before you consider not creating a Google Business Profile and focusing only on organic results, please understand that it is critical for service area businesses to have an active GBP.

Your Google Business Profile is where customers leave reviews for your business, and it is what will show up when people search for your brand name on Google.

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Hiding your GMB Address

The process of listing your home address on Google Business Profile but keeping it invisible to the public is actually very easy:

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• Navigate to the dashboard of your Google Business Profile
• In the top right-hand corner, click the button that reads “Manage Now.”
• Provide the business name information it asks for during the prompts
• Once you have filled out your business name information, you will be prompted to list an address for your business. 
• List your home address or the residential address you wish to use
• Check the “I deliver goods and services to my customers” box
• Then, check the “Hide my address (it’s not a store) box 
• Complete the setup process as normal

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Now, your business can be verified, and your home address will not be visible to the public.

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Service Areas

Now that you know how to set up your Google Business Profile listing without using a business address, it’s time to list the areas you serve.

Listing service areas on GBP is absolutely crucial for service area businesses.

When people click on your Google Business Profile, they will see whether or not you operate in their area under the overview section.

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97% of people will use online resources like Google Business Profile to research local businesses. 

You simply cannot afford to omit this step. Luckily, the process is pretty easy, if not a bit tedious.

Google My Business now allows you to enter as many locations as you want when setting up your listing. In the setup wizard, you will see a section titled “Where do you serve your customers?”

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In the field they provide, you can type in the names of the cities that you service. If you want/have to be really specific, you can also enter zip codes.

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Using DataPins to Rank in Multiple Cities

The DataPins software is designed to help SABs rank in multiple cities throughout their service areas. Hundreds of businesses are already using this tool on their websites.

To expand your ranking radius, you should create unique city pages, implement DataPins, and build a long-term digital brand. The software helps you achieve all three of these goals.

Google and its users really want the same thing: to be presented with helpful content that meets their search intent.

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When a homeowner in Plano, TX, requires a pest control service, they seek the most qualified company rather than the closest office (since the provider will have to come to them).

While the Google Maps algorithm will continue prioritizing businesses with nearby addresses, the organic rankings will showcase websites and city pages that best meet users’ specific needs.

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Map Pack SEO is critical for local businesses in 2024. The Map Pack appears at the top of search results for most local queries, making it prime digital real estate for companies looking to generate local leads online. 

In some home services industries, up to 70% of Google searchers interact with the Google Map 3-Pack before making a purchasing decision. You can’t ignore those odds if you plan to maximize your local customer acquisition.

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While most small businesses want to rank in the map pack, few understand the optimization process required to secure these positions.

For example, most people don’t know that Map Pack SEO is based on a separate Google algorithm. Therefore, improving your position on Google Maps requires different strategies than you would use for a website.

Below, we’ll share seven proven map-pack SEO tips to help your small business capture these rankings.

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7 Map Pack SEO Tips for 2024

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1) Optimize Your Google Business Profile

The first and most important thing you must do is get listed on Google Business Profile. If you don’t, you have no chance of ranking in the Google Map Pack.

Getting set up is free, though you will have to go through a verification process, which you can get started here. 

Once you are listed, start loading up your profile with a concise description of your business, the areas you service, the services you offer, your hours of operation, and accurate contact information.

Don’t forget to include a link to your main website. 

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Bonus Tip: Stay Consistent with GBP Updates

Once you have everything set up, don’t just leave your profile idle. Instead, try to update it as often as possible. For example, if your company just started servicing a new area, add it to your profile.

In addition, people will be able to leave reviews of your business on your Google Business Profile, so be sure to respond to those reviews as much as possible. 

Remember that Google loves fresh content, so keep your Business Profile updated as much as possible. You can add Google Posts automatically using the DataPins Local SEO tool.

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2) Add Local Content to Your Website

Standard SEO overlaps with Map Pack SEO via local website content. However, to utilize this method, you must include your website URL within your Google Business Profile under the website field.

Once you’ve connected your website to your Google Business Profile, it can begin influencing your Map Pack rankings via web content.

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Bonus Tip: Connect a Local Landing Page to Your Business Listing

For example, adding a local landing page or a service page can increase your rankings on Google Maps for related queries.

This is because Google associates your website’s content with your Google Business Profile.

For example, say you run a plumbing business in Akron, Ohio.

Whenever someone searches for plumbers in Akron, Google will crawl websites associated with nearby map listings, searching for plumbing-related information.

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3) Submit Citation Listings

Your NAP (name, address, and phone number) is like a digital ID for your local business. Citations help verify and disseminate that identification.

Directories like Yelp and Angi and social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn create NAP citations for your local business.

Off-page citations are any mention of your business or website anywhere other than your own website. The more of these citations you have, the more signs you have pointing to your website.

As a result, Google trusts your business listing and may rank it higher on the Map Pack.

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4) Install DataPins

DataPins is a Local SEO tool that increases Map Pack rankings with schema markup, geo-coordinates, and user-generated content.

In addition, DataPins publishes social proof on your local business website, which contributes to your Google Business Profile rankings.

The best part about DataPins is that it auto-generates local web content based on your job and location.

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So once you take a photo of your job and write a short caption via the mobile app, the software does the rest by publishing the pin to the correct page.

Each time you submit a pin, another geo-coordinate, and mini-map appear on one of your pages, and your Map Pack rankings have a chance to increase.

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5) Publish City Pages

City pages are another way to boost Map Pack rankings in 2024. One of the most challenging things to do is rank on Google Maps outside your primary service area.

Using local landing pages combined with DataPins, you give yourself a chance.

Let’s say you operate a roofing company in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s relatively straightforward to show up on the Map Pack in Fort Worth.

However, showing up in nearby cities like Southlake and Grapevine requires publishing individual city pages.

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Bonus Tip: Ensure Unique Content for Location Pages

The key to creating successful city pages is writing unique and locally-driven content.

Unfortunately, most websites use duplicate content for their city pages and swap out the city name.

Google’s algorithm is far too sophisticated to provide you credit for duplicate content pages.

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6) Build Local Links

Local links also influence Map Pack rankings for local businesses. As a result, many companies wonder whether they should build links to their Google Business Profile or their website.

Of course, the answer is your website.

We’ve already outlined how Google can associate your website URL with your Google Business Listing. As a result, the links pointing to your website will also influence your Google Maps rankings. 

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Aside from the apparent SEO benefit, building links to your website ensures you own the digital property.

For example, if you were to build links to a suspended profile, those links would be rendered useless.

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7) Be Aware of Your Map Marker

The most overlooked Map Pack SEO ranking factor is your map marker. Spoiler alert: Google Maps is an interactive map with markers for every business listing.

Even service area businesses with hidden addresses have a map marker on Google Maps’ internal mapping system.

As a result, your physical location will directly influence your rankings.

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If your office address is in a prime location of a central metropolitan area, your listing will receive many more impressions than a business located on the outskirts.

Google’s proximity ranking factor is very significant.

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Bonus Tip: Consider Moving Your Business Location

While you can’t manipulate your map marker, you always have the option to move your office to a better location.

Once you re-verify your business via postcard, Google will move your map marker to your new location. 

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8) Get More Google Reviews

Last but not least, get as many Google reviews as possible. Use a tool like DataPins to automate review requests through SMS and email reminders.

In addition, ask all of your customers personally after finishing a job. The majority of consumers will submit feedback if requested multiple times.

The number of reviews on your profile absolutely influences rankings.

For example, searching for seattle hvac company will show you that nobody with fewer than 100 reviews ranks on the Map 3-Pack.

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Bonus Tip: Respond to Reviews

While review frequency is important, always make sure the feedback is legitimate.

You will get a few negative reviews on Google as you gather more customer reviews. When you notice a negative comment, reply professionally and attempt to resolve the issue offline.

Customers will often remove the review or change it to a positive one.

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Next Steps for Map-Pack SEO

The DataPins app was designed to rank your local business in Google’s Local Map 3-Pack.

Consequently, installing the software on your website will give you an immediate chance to increase your rankings.

Meanwhile, there are several things you can do to continue to expand your presence on Maps.

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For example, ask your customers for reviews in person, in addition to the automated email request from the DataPins app.

You can also build partnerships with other local organizations to improve your backlink profile.

Combining DataPins with these additional steps turns your local business into a Map-Pack SEO powerhouse.

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The following post outlines how to optimize your Google My Business cover photo. Remember that Google My Business is now called Google Business Profile, but the same steps apply.

Most local businesses understand the importance of an optimized Google Business Profile listing and want to take every step to enhance their profile. A strong cover photo can help achieve this.

Why are Google Business Cover Photos Important?

The quality, size, and message that your Google Business Profile cover photo sends will impact how many people click on your business profile. Google Business Profile listings appear on the local map pack.

The map pack is typically the top result people see when searching for a local business, product, or service.

You want to make a good impression as your Google Business Profile cover photo is likely the first interaction a new (or potential) customer will have with your business. 

Steps to Optimize Your GBP Cover Photo

It’s not so much that your cover photo is crucial as it is your Google Business Profile is essential. Your GBP listing is hugely important to your search engine rankings because Google will prioritize its own services as often as possible. 

As a result, a Google Maps listing will appear on the first page of a Search Engine Result Page(s) (SERP). The Google Map Pack is the most frequently indexed SERP feature, appearing on the first page of 30% of all SERPs. Furthermore, Map-Packs appear above regular organic listings.

Below, we outline ways to optimize your Google My Business cover photo.

Image Dimensions

First thing first: you must have a good image size for your photo. It used to be that Google would require a 16:9 aspect ratio image for your Google Business Profile cover photo.

While that is not the case anymore, and they offer more leeway, they implemented that requirement for a reason: it’s a good size aspect ratio for the sizes of images displayed on GBP listings. 

If you want to know the ideal image size for your GBP cover photo, it’s 1024 x 576. While you can upload other sizes like 854 x 480, 1024 x 576 is a good size because it’s small enough not to slow down your listing loading time but not too small to be a poor resolution. 

Remember that the searcher will see only a small image when your listing comes up, so choose a good one while remembering that they can see more photos if they click through.

While you will probably need to play around with the dimensions of your picture to land on the perfect size, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Load Time Affects Rankings: You never want your image to slow down your listing’s loading time. Remember that Google recommends a load time of 3 seconds or faster, so make sure your picture is not so big that it loads slowly.
• Quality Matters: You should always have an HD image as your Google My Business cover photo. Poor quality, blurry, fuzzy, or off-center images speak of unprofessionalism or carelessness. 
• Storefront Images: If you have a storefront business, making your storefront your cover photo may be helpful, as it will quickly let people know what your storefront looks like if they are physically searching for it. 

File Format

Google also gives you a choice of which format or file type of image to upload. For example, you can choose between PNG or JPG. Here is a brief breakdown of the pros and cons of both:

• PNG: PNG images tend to be in higher resolution, but their file sizes are larger. The bigger size makes them look good but can cause them to load slowly. 
• JPG: JPG images can be compressed, so the file sizes tend to be smaller and load quicker. 

The quality of a JPG can be compromised by compression. However, by and large, they still offer an adequate resolution for a Google Business Profile cover photo, so our overall recommendation would be JPG. 

File Size

You will need to stay within the file size parameters of 10kb and 5MB, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you stay within the 480 x 270 and 2120 x 1192 resolution range.

Google will notify you if your file exceeds its size limit and prompt you to choose a different cover photo or temporarily leave it blank. In addition, you can use image-editing software like GIMP to reduce file sizes.

Image Guidelines

Also, you should ensure that your Google Business Profile cover photo is devoid of filters that drastically alter the appearance of your image. Google doesn’t like business owners misrepresenting their stores, products, or services with doctored photos. 

Of course, it can be tricky to know how much photo alteration is too much, but as a general rule of thumb, you should stick to only tweaking saturation levels and brightness. 

If you go overboard with the doctoring or upload an image that doesn’t comply with Google’s requirements, they may replace your image with their own selection.

By using DataPins, you can consistently upload new, unique photos to your GBP listing.

Next Steps for GMB Optimization

Attending to all aspects of your Google Business Profile is integral to the Local SEO Process. This includes optimizing your Google My Business cover photo.

However, no single task can fully optimize your Local SEO presence. Instead, the combination of multiple optimization efforts will separate you from your nearby competitors.

Check out our YouTube channel to learn more about how DataPins can help optimize your business profile.

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The traditional form of Local SEO for garage door installation companies is obsolete in 2024.

Mass-producing generic service pages or city pages won’t help your business stand out on Search.

Google does not care about word count or total number of pages.

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They care primarily about one thing: E-E-A-T.

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What is E-E-A-T for Garage Door Installation Companies?

E-E-A-T is experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

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Experience: First-hand involvement in garage door installations

Expertise: Vast knowledge of the nuances of garage door installations

Authoritativeness: Respect and acknowledgment from residents and industry peers

Trustworthiness: Credible and reliable when providing garage door information

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Read Google’s Document on E-E-A-T

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How to Demonstrate E-E-A-T for Garage Door Installation Companies

To demonstrate E-E-A-T, you need a software tool called DataPins.

This software app was built for E-E-A-T.

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DataPins takes your jobs and converts them into E-E-A-T signals, including:

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• Geo-coordinates
• Schema markup
• Unique images
• Unique captions
• Mini-Maps

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DataPins allows you to showcase recent jobs with relevant digital signaling.

None of your private information is publicized; it is only information that helps market your business and showcase E-E-A-T.

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Why SEO Doesn’t Work for Garage Door Installation Businesses

SEO doesn’t work unless you rank on Google Maps and Google Search for service-based keywords.

Most blog posts about garage door installation don’t rank, and the ones that rank don’t convert.

In fact, 96.5% of blog posts get zero traffic.

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SEO strategies that rely on blog traffic don’t build businesses or drive results.

When a local garage SEO campaign fails, an over-emphasis on blogging is typically the culprit.

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Local Keywords for Garage Door Companies

A “keyword” is merely something a real person types into Google.

Keyword tools are based on obsolete data and are more of an estimate than a full-proof measurement.

That’s why Google Search Console doesn’t recognize over 50% of queries for local contractor websites.

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They are for terms that Google doesn’t have in their system, which means they are hidden or long-tail terms.

Everyone is different, just like your customers.

Don’t rely on estimated keyword volume to inform your local targeting.

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Link Building for Garage Door Installers

Backlinks have always been a point of contention in the SEO industry for various reasons.

While professionals can argue over the impact of link building, we will simply provide you with objective facts.

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First of all, most links violate Google’s guidelines.

Secondly, most links don’t work.

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Here are some link strategies that will help your SEO campaign.

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1. Submit your company to local directories.
2. Wait for people to link to your brand.

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Organic links are helpful for rankings, but they require taking a long-term view of your online presence.

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The SEO Foundation

The only essential element of SEO is to get your website crawled.

If Google cannot crawl your website, you cannot appear in search.

Luckily, Google is really good at crawling websites.

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Make sure your pages are indexed before moving on to other SEO tasks

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Google Business Profile

For local SEO, your Google Business Profile is essential.

Why? Google Business Profiles are needed to rank on Google Maps.

Google Maps is where over 50% of your traffic will come from.

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Let me cut to the chase: Create a Google Business Profile (if you haven’t already)

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Google Reviews

Another SEO essential of Google Business Profiles is Google Reviews.

Most customers will only call a business with at least ten reviews.

So start getting more Google Reviews.

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Use DataPins to send automated requests to your customers.

If somebody leaves a negative review, who cares?

The goal is to get so many reviews that a few bad ones don’t matter.

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You can always respond to a bad review (but stay professional) – as other prospective customers will read your response.

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Content Strategy is Misleading

Content for local garage door companies is really about building trust.

You cannot build trust with a boring blog post.

As we noted earlier, 96.5% of blog posts get zero traffic.

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The best way to build trust is to showcase recent jobs and reviews.

This way, visitors can see like-minded customers who’ve experienced your services first-hand.

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Local City Pages for SEO

Mass-producing city pages that proudly violate Google’s public guidelines.

The last thing the internet needs is more cookie-cutter, near-duplicate content that serves as nothing more than doorway pages to mislead visitors.

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Conversely, DataPins users show evidence of real jobs they did for real customers.

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The Purpose of Garage Door Installation Websites for SEO

In 2024, a website aims to demonstrate E-E-A-T and power your Google Maps rankings via your Google Business Profile.

Your website is not an Encyclopedia Britannica; nobody wants to read boring blog posts.

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When you show visitors that you can install their garage door, they send better user signals.

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Guide Conclusion

As a garage door installation company, you want to get new customers.

You can get new customers with E-E-A-T and a Google Business Profile.

While using old-school tactics like blogging and links is tempting, demonstrating E-E-A-T works best.

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The DataPins app allows businesses to showcase recent jobs and gather customer reviews on Google and other platforms.

By consolidating these user signals into prominent SEO information, DataPins helps your website stand out.

Call us today to learn how DataPins can power your garage door installation company.

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The traditional methods of Local SEO for Service Area Businesses have become obsolete.

SABs have been grappling with the daunting task of ranking in cities beyond their main address, a notably challenging feat on Google Maps.

Because SABs don’t have a storefront, they travel to different service areas for their jobs.

Regrettably, their challenges were exacerbated by despicable marketers who constructed 100-page websites of no value for their company.

Google doesn’t care about your blog post, backlinks, or word count.

The only thing Google cares about is a concept called E-E-A-T.

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What is E-E-A-T for Service Area Businesses?

E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

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Experience: First-hand involvement in your trade (HVAC, plumbing, etc.)

Expertise: Unique knowledge of the nuances of your trade

Authoritativeness: Credibility from residents and industry peers

Trustworthiness: Reliable information and sources

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It’s really a simple concept for SABs because it’s about building credibility as a business.

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Read Google’s Document on E-E-A-T

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How SABs Can Show E-E-A-T

Service Area Businesses can demonstrate E-E-A-T with a software tool called DataPins.

When your business uses DataPins to showcase recent work, the appropriate data is converted into pins.

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Pins consolidate the following E-E-A-T signals:

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• Geo-coordinates
• Schema markup
• Unique images
• Unique captions
• Mini-Maps

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Of course, DataPins does not use private or privileged information in pins; it only uses information that can be shared with the public.

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Ranking Outside Your Main City With Local SEO

Marketing gurus have tried every method to trick Google into ranking SABs in multiple cities.

For example, mass-producing city pages on SAB websites is a common tactic for old-school marketers.

This method violates Google’s guidelines on doorway pages.

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The tactic also doesn’t work well because the conversion rate of these pages is low, as visitors notice the spam-like qualities of the page.

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New Solution?

The most responsible way to rank cities outside of your service area is with Datapins.

Pins contain geo-coordinates from your jobs, which are then published on your website.

While you won’t outrank businesses on Google Maps with a verified address in those surrounding cities, you can overtake companies without an address.

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Best of all, you can convert website visitors with unique photos of real jobs in those areas.

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A Superior Local SEO Alternative

For most Local SEO agencies, the answer to every problem is more pages, content, links, and listings.

As you’ve probably noticed, each item comes with a price, often a monthly recurring one.

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Spending Less, Ranking More

You now have E-E-A-T prominently displayed on your website, outranking competitors with 500-page websites.

Their service page, “Central AC Repair in Evergreen, CO,” is drowned out by thousands of other websites and does not rank in Google’s Map 3-Pack.

You are ranking in both because you show E-E-A-T.

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And you are doing it at a much cheaper price.

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Local Link Building Dangers

In most cases, building local links violates Google’s guidelines on link spam.

The exceptions are nofollow links from directories and social media pages when you submit your business citation.

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1. Think about directories like Yelp, Angi, and BBB.
2. Think about social media profiles like Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin.

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These links are all safe to build for service area businesses.

However, any link that requires an “agreement,” whether for money or not, violates Google’s guidelines.

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The Problem With Large Local Websites

Large local websites won’t work well in 2024.

For example, a 500-page plumbing company website undoubtedly features spam.

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Unfortunately, the joke is on them as Google has grown more intelligent.

Google’s Helpful Content Update targets contractor websites with this kind of spam.

One-page websites demonstrating E-E-A-T are the best option for SABs in 2024.

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Local SEO Strategies That Still Work in 2024

While most Local SEO tactics are obsolete, a few remain essential.

These are Google Business Profiles (GMB) and Google Reviews.

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Google Business Profiles

Google Business Profiles remain an essential component of Local SEO.

As a service area business, Google Business Profiles can be frustrating.

However, you must create a Google Business Profile to appear on Google Maps or Google Maps 3-Pack.

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SABs tend to rank lower than listings that show their address.

You can solve this by listing your address publicly (as long as it’s an actual address with signage).

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Google Reviews

Accumulating Google Reviews also remains an essential Local SEO component in 2024.

The DataPins tool allows you to send automated review requests through text and email.

Reviews are a direct ranking factor on Google Maps and increase conversions.

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In addition, Google Reviews can be showcased on your website to convert visitors.

You might occasionally receive a negative review, but most customers expect a few bad ones.

The goal is to acquire as many legitimate reviews as possible to increase your E-E-A-T.

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Guide Conclusion

Local SEO for service area businesses can be frustrating when using old-school strategies that no longer generate leads in today’s digital landscape.

While tactics like optimizing Google Business Profiles and acquiring Google Reviews remain essential to ranking locally, most methods, such as mass-producing city pages, increasing word count, and building local links, don’t work.

The answer in 2024 is E-E-A-T, which you can demonstrate with a software app called Datapins.

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