Expanding your business’s reach beyond your core location is a powerful way to grow your customer base, but it can be a challenge to rank in areas where your physical presence isn’t as strong. Building local SEO in these areas requires a strategic approach that focuses on creating relevance, building trust, and signaling to search engines that you are an authority in those locations. It’s not just about driving traffic—it’s about attracting the right audience that will convert into loyal customers.
Establishing a Digital Presence for Each Target Area
Creating individual landing pages for the cities, towns, or neighborhoods you want to target is one of the most effective ways to establish a presence in those areas. Each page should feature unique, location-specific content that highlights the services or products you offer in that region. Repeating generic content across multiple pages won’t work; search engines need to see clear, localized value in every page.
A home services client I worked with had one generic service page for all their locations, which wasn’t ranking well outside their main city. We developed individual pages for each service area, including details about the neighborhoods, local landmarks, and customer success stories tied to each region. These changes resulted in a significant increase in local rankings for those areas.
Building Local Backlinks
Search engines rely on backlinks to determine the authority of your website, and earning links from local sources in your target areas is one of the best ways to signal relevance. Reach out to local bloggers, news outlets, and organizations in the area to build partnerships or earn mentions. Sponsoring local events or working with nonprofits can also lead to valuable backlinks while strengthening your community ties.
A roofing contractor I partnered with sponsored a Little League team in a nearby city they wanted to target. The league’s website linked back to their business, which not only helped their SEO but also built trust with the local community. These types of backlinks are incredibly valuable because they signal to search engines that your business is involved in the area.
Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for Multiple Locations
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is essential for local SEO. While many businesses optimize their profile for their primary location, it’s equally important to ensure your GBP reflects all the areas you serve. If you have physical locations in multiple cities, create a GBP for each one. If you only have one location but serve other areas, list those service areas within your profile to increase visibility.
A plumbing company I worked with added a list of service areas to their GBP and saw an immediate improvement in local search rankings for those regions. Including relevant keywords and ensuring consistency between your GBP and your website helps solidify your presence in nearby locations.
Collecting Local Reviews
Positive reviews from customers in your target areas not only build trust with potential clients but also boost your local search visibility. Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews that mention the city or neighborhood where they received service. Search engines use this type of user-generated content as a signal that your business is active and relevant in that location.
A cleaning service client received dozens of reviews that simply said, “Great service!” While those reviews were helpful, encouraging customers to mention their city or neighborhood made the reviews more impactful for local SEO. “Best cleaning service in Pasadena!” carries more weight for local rankings than a generic comment.
Leveraging Social Media to Build Local Connections
Social media offers a powerful way to connect with audiences in specific locations. Create content that highlights your involvement in the community, shares local events, or promotes region-specific offers. Engaging with local hashtags and tagging other businesses in your posts helps build visibility within those communities.
A bakery I worked with started creating posts about farmers’ markets and food festivals in nearby cities they wanted to target. By tagging those events and engaging with followers who commented on those posts, they built a strong connection with the local audience, driving more visits from those areas.
Using Localized Content Marketing
Blog posts, videos, and other forms of content that focus on your target areas can also help you rank in local searches. Write about topics that are relevant to the community, such as seasonal tips, local news, or common issues related to your industry in that region. This type of content not only drives traffic but also positions your business as a local expert.
A pest control client I worked with created blog posts titled “How to Keep Ants Out of Your Home in [City Name]” for each of their target areas. These posts ranked well in local searches and brought in traffic from people searching for region-specific pest control solutions.
Running Targeted PPC Campaigns to Support SEO
Paid search campaigns can help support your local SEO efforts by driving immediate traffic to your service area pages while they’re building organic authority. Target ads specifically to users in the locations you’re trying to rank for and direct them to localized landing pages. This strategy not only increases visibility but also provides additional data about how users in those areas interact with your site.
A chiropractor client wanted to expand into a neighboring city but struggled to gain traction in organic search. Running Google Ads targeting users in that area drove immediate traffic to their new service page, which helped establish their authority and improve organic rankings over time.
Monitoring and Adjusting Strategies
Tracking the performance of your efforts is crucial when expanding into new areas. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can show you how much traffic is coming from your target locations and which keywords are driving that traffic. Adjust your strategy based on what’s working and where there’s room for improvement.
A landscaping company I worked with monitored their rankings for new service area pages and noticed that one location wasn’t performing as well as others. Further research revealed that the page lacked detailed content about local landmarks and neighborhoods. Adding more localized information helped boost its rankings and brought in more inquiries.
Staying Consistent Across Platforms
Consistency across all platforms strengthens your local SEO efforts. Ensure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate and identical on your website, Google Business Profile, social media profiles, and online directories. Even small discrepancies can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings.
An HVAC company had inconsistent contact information across their GBP and online directories, which caused issues with their local visibility. Updating and standardizing their NAP across all platforms resulted in more consistent rankings and improved local traffic.
Focusing on Long-Term Engagement
Local SEO is not a one-and-done effort. Maintaining your presence in target areas requires consistent effort, from keeping content fresh to earning new backlinks and reviews. Regularly updating service area pages, engaging with local communities, and refining your strategy based on performance ensures long-term success in capturing local markets.
Expanding your reach into areas outside your core location takes time and effort, but the payoff is worth it. Businesses that invest in building a strong local SEO presence in multiple areas often find themselves with a steady pipeline of leads and a stronger connection to the communities they serve.
