What Is Location Page SEO?
Location page SEO is the practice of optimizing your website’s location-specific pages to rank higher in search results when people look for relevant products or services in your area.
For example, a coffee chain with outlets in multiple cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago can rank higher for location-specific keywords like “coffee shops downtown chicago,” “coffee shops new york city,” or “coffee near me.”
Any business that operates in multiple locations can benefit from location page SEO. Because it can:
- Improve your visibility in local search results
- Provide valuable information to customers directly on the location page—like operating hours, address, and contact information
- Drive foot traffic that leads to sales
- Build trust and credibility with local audiences through location-specific content
In this guide, we’ll teach you how to optimize your location pages to improve their SEO performance.
Let’s start.
How to Optimize Your Location Pages for SEO
Follow these 10 tips to start optimizing your location pages. And increase your chances of ranking better for local search.
1. Find Relevant Local Keywords
Local keywords are phrases people type into search engines to find what they need or want in their areas.
When people search for local businesses, they often include geographic terms in their search queries. Like a city name, neighborhood, or even “near me.”
So, your location pages should target keywords that combine your services or products with specific geographic terms. Based on where you want to attract customers.
For example, if you run a dental practice, your target keywords might include:
- “dentist in [city name]”
- “[neighborhood] dental clinic”
- “[city] emergency dental services”
How do you find these keywords?
Use a tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.
Open the tool, enter your main keyword (e.g., dentist), choose your country, and click “Search.”
For more personalized insights, input your website URL.
You’ll see a list of keyword ideas along with their search volumes (i.e., the estimated number of searches a keyword gets per month) and other valuable metrics.
Use filters to find relevant local keywords.
Select the “Include keywords” filter, choose the circle next to “Any keywords,” and enter relevant location modifiers (such as your city and neighborhood).
Click “Apply” to see only keywords containing those terms.
Review the filtered list of keywords and choose those most relevant to your business.
If you entered your domain earlier, refer to the Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %) metric. Which reflects how challenging it will be for your specific website to achieve a top-10 ranking for a given term.
Aim for keywords with decent search volumes and a PKD % scores in the 0%-49% range. Which indicates you may have a realistic shot at ranking.
Once you have a solid list of local keywords, strategically incorporate them into key spots on your location pages (e.g., title, URL, headings, etc). We’ll get into more specifics later in this guide.
2. Create Location-Specific Content
Each of your location pages needs unique, relevant content tailored to that specific area to stand a good chance of ranking well.
Users look for information relevant to their local needs and preferences.
So, explain exactly how you serve customers in your location page’s target market.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say your home cleaning service has separate location pages for Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The LA page might mention cleaning problems that are particularly relevant to LA and even specific neighborhoods. Like so:
While the San Francisco page could mention cleaning problems specific to the Bay Area. Like humidity and salt air buildup.
You can also include specific details about your business’s presence in that location, such as:
- Your address
- Location-specific contact details
- Operating hours
Make sure this information is consistent with the information on your Google Business Profile and other online directories.
This will help search engines understand that your business has a physical presence in that location and is relevant for local searches.
3. Embed a Google Map
Embed a Google Map on your location page to enhance the user experience (UX) and help Google understand your business’s geographical context.
For businesses with a physical storefront or office, add a map with a pin showing your exact location. This allows potential customers to quickly see where you are and get directions with a single click.
If you serve a specific area but don’t have a brick-and-mortar location, embed a map that highlights your entire service area instead.
Here’s what a service area map looks like:
You can embed a Google map on your location page by following the instructions on this page.
4. Include Location-Specific Images
Images can break up content on location pages to make them more engaging and easier to read.
Plus, Google may show your images in the image search results.
Consider including images like:
- Exterior shots of your storefront or office building, preferably with clearly visible signage
- Interior photos showing your products, services, or facilities
- Images of your team members who work at the specific location
- Photos of your staff engaging with customers
For example, this location page features high-quality images showcasing the location’s exterior, interior, and facilities.
5. Feature Customer Reviews
Feature customer reviews and testimonials on your location pages to build trust and potentially drive conversions.
Real feedback from satisfied locals can give potential customers the confidence they need to choose your business.
Plus, reviews can help your location page rank higher in local search results.
Some effective ways to incorporate reviews on your location pages include:
- Displaying your overall star rating and review count from popular platforms like Google, Yelp, or industry-specific sites
- Featuring snippets of reviews from happy customers
- Including longer-form testimonials with photos of the customer (with their consent) for added authenticity
6. Use a Relevant CTA
Use a relevant call to action (CTA) to increase your chances of turning visitors into actual customers.
For example, a law firm with multiple offices might mainly use a CTA like “Request a Free Consultation” or “Schedule a Meeting.”
Your CTA should be prominently displayed above the fold and repeated at logical points throughout the page. Such as after a key section of content or near your contact information.
For example, this location landing page from an actual law firm that uses the CTA “Get Help Now.”
7. Nail Your On-Page SEO
Effective on-page SEO involves making changes to your webpages to help search engines understand and rank your pages for relevant local queries.
Here are the key on-page elements to focus on for your location landing pages:
- URL slug: This is the end part of the URL that should include your primary keyword. Keep it short and readable.
- Title tag: This is the clickable title that can appear in search results. Include your primary keyword and keep it under 60 characters.
- Meta description: This is the description that can appear in search results. Write an engaging description that includes your main keyword and entices searchers to click through and keep it under 105 characters.
- Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.): These are HTML elements that organize your content hierarchically. Your main heading (H1) should include your primary keyword. Use subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) to break up content and include relevant secondary keywords.
- Body content: This is the main content of your location page. Naturally incorporate your primary keyword and related keywords throughout the page.
- Internal links: These are links to other pages on your website. Use internal links on your location pages to link to other relevant pages.
- Image alt text: This is the descriptive text that explains what an image shows.Accurately describe the images on your page using alt text to make your images more accessible to screen readers and help Google better understand what the image shows.
8. Make Your Page Mobile-Friendly
Making your location pages mobile-friendly is important because many users search for local businesses on their smartphones.
Google also uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily uses the mobile version of your site for crawling (discovering and scanning your webpages), indexing (storing and organizing the content found during crawling), and ranking (determining which pages show and where).
Here are some tips to make your landing page mobile-friendly:
- Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts your page layout to fit different screen sizes
- Ensure your buttons and clickable elements are large enough for touch interaction, with sufficient spacing between them to prevent accidental taps
- Make your text easily readable on small screens by using appropriate font sizes
- Improve page load time by compressing images, implementing lazy loading, and using browser caching. Keep in mind that mobile users often have slower internet connections.
For implementing these technical improvements, we recommend working with your web developers.
9. Add a Schema Markup
Schema markup (also known as structured data) helps search engines better understand your page’s content. It also lets search engines display richer and more informative search results for users.
When it comes to a location landing page, you’ll want to implement LocalBusiness schema markup.
This structured data tells search engines specific details about your business, including your:
- Business name and type
- Complete address
- Phone number and other contact information
- Products or services
- Business hours
How do you add the LocalBusiness structured data to your page?
Copy the code below, replace the placeholder values with your actual business information, and place this script in your page’s
section.
10. Incorporate Relevant FAQs
Incorporate relevant frequently asked questions (FAQs) on your location page to provide immediate answers to common queries potential customers might have.
FAQs can enhance the user experience and potentially boost your SEO.
Add questions that are:
- Location-specific: “Do you deliver to [neighborhood name]?” Or “Is there parking available at your [city] location?”
- Service-related: “How quickly can I schedule an appointment?” Or “What products or services do you offer at [location]?”
- Price-related: “What is the cost for [service/product]?” Or “Do you offer discounts or promotions for residents?”
- Returns and refund related: “What is your returns/refund policy?”
Examples of Effective Location SEO Pages
Here are a few examples of well-designed SEO location pages.
Weitz & Luxenberg
The law firm Weitz & Luxenberg has a great location page for their New York City office.
This is an effective location page because it uses:
- Local keywords in headings and copy to signal relevance for New York–based legal searches
- A clear CTA encouraging visitors to schedule a consultation
- Client testimonials mentioning experiences with the firm, which provides social proof and builds trust
- An embedded Google map pinpointing their location, making it easy for prospective clients to find the office
- An FAQ section that addresses common questions about their legal services
Swish Dental
Swish Dental’s Bee Cave, Texas location page is another great example of a location page done right.
Some of the key elements that make this an effective location page include:
- The page highlights the clinic’s exact address, contact information, operating hours, and parking details, which can make it easier for potential patients to find and visit the office
- It includes bios and photos of the dentists and staff who work at that location, which can help build trust and create a more personal connection with prospective patients
- The page features authentic patient reviews, which provides valuable social proof and showcases the quality of care provided at that location
Molly Maid
Molly Maid’s Santa Clara location page is another great example of how to optimize a location page.
Here’s what they do effectively:
- They included “Santa Clara” and “house cleaning” keywords throughout the page
- They used a clear CTA to make it easy for visitors to take the next steps
- They displayed customer reviews on their page, which can build trust and credibility with potential customers
- They embedded a Google map to clearly show their service area
- They have a comprehensive FAQ section addressing common questions about their cleaning services
Track Your Location Page Keyword Rankings
Once your location pages are optimized and live, monitor their performance with the Semrush Position Tracking tool.
The tool lets you track your rankings for local keywords—even within specific zip codes.
Regularly monitor these rankings to gauge the effectiveness of your location page SEO strategy. And identify opportunities for improvement.
Sign up for a free Semrush account to get started today.