Last Updated on September 22, 2026

Best SEO Practices for Businesses with Multiple Locations

Create a Separate Landing Page for Each Location

It’s good to have one domain for all of a client’s locations, but each location needs its own page. Each location page should include information specific to that location: business name, phone number, and address, all matching the Business Profile exactly. You should also include an embedded Google map for that location.

The page can be further optimized by adding customized content specific to that location. This could include testimonials, names, faces, and titles of staff, photos of the actual building, and updates pertaining to that location. Avoid duplicating one page across every location and swapping the city name, since near-identical pages get treated as thin content and usually won’t rank.

Create Business Citations for Each Location

Creating consistent citations can help Google trust a local business. Every location needs its own citations with its own address and local phone number, since a citation set built only for the client’s headquarters does nothing for the other branches. See The Hoth Overview for running citation builds.

Utilize Google Business Profile Correctly

Either way, the client should use a company email on their own domain (like marketing@[company].com) to claim and own the locations, then add sebo.marketing@gmail.com with Manager access. Locations are then organized into a business group, which lets you apply changes and share access across multiple profiles at once.

Check eligibility first. A location only qualifies for its own profile if it has a real address that’s staffed during its posted hours where customers can be received. A service-area business gets one profile per operational base with a service area defined, not a profile per city it serves. Creating profiles for locations that don’t qualify risks suspension.

10 or More Locations

The easiest method is bulk location management, which lets you add, verify, and manage all locations at once.

  1. Sign in to Business Profile Manager on desktop and select the correct organization.
  2. Create the business group that will hold the locations.
  3. Choose Import businesses and download Google’s bulk upload spreadsheet template.
  4. Fill in every location: name, address, local phone, location-specific website URL, primary category, and hours. Use the location’s own landing page as the URL, not the homepage.
  5. Upload the spreadsheet, then review and fix any errors flagged in the dashboard.
  6. Request chain verification: Verifications > Chain, then complete the form.

Before submitting, make sure the client’s site has a page listing all locations that matches the business group, and that each location has signage photos showing the business name exactly as it appears in the profile. Google verifies by video, email, or postcard depending on business type, and it can take a few days to a few weeks.

Instructions on bulk location management

9 or Fewer Locations

Here you will need to claim, verify, and update each location individually, then transfer them into a business group so they can be managed together.

Video verification is now the default for most new listings. Record one continuous take showing exterior signage, the interior, and a real management action such as unlocking a register or accessing back-office equipment. Rehearse it with the client before they film, since a failed attempt adds days.

After verification, normal Business Profile optimization practices should be implemented on each location. Choose the narrowest accurate primary category for each one rather than defaulting to the same category everywhere.

Reviews, Generate Reviews

Reviews are like a reference for a product or service. People see reviews and think that if someone else liked it, they probably will too. Reviews don’t transfer between locations, so a new branch starts at zero no matter how strong the parent brand is. Google reviews matter most for SEO, but other relevant review sites are useful too. Here are some ways you might go about generating reviews:

  • Just ask. Simply send an email to existing customers asking if they’d like to write a review. You can also ask after the sign-up or purchase process in a confirmation email.
  • Use the location-specific review link so the customer lands on the right profile.
  • Add a review page or widget to the website. A dedicated landing page or embedded widget is a great way to generate reviews and showcase customer testimonials.
  • Include review links in email signatures. If the client has a team that communicates with customers daily, this can be a quick and easy way to generate reviews.
  • Ask everyone. Every customer of that location gets the same request on the same timing.
  • Respond to every review, both negative and positive. Make sure someone at each location is accountable for this.
  • Seek reviews on social media. Point social links to a review page, or ask customers to review the business on the platform itself.

Additional Tips

  • Utilize schema and structured markup. Add LocalBusiness structured data to each location page covering address, phone, hours, and geo coordinates, so Google’s crawlers accurately represent each location’s information. Use the most specific type available (Dentist, Restaurant, AutoRepair) where one exists. See Schema (Structured Data).
  • Build links to each of the location pages. Don’t let these pages fall by the wayside once they’re built. Actively build links to them through the Hoth and other creative methods, such as hosting meetups, event sponsorships, and creating valuable local content.
  • Don’t forget to track the data. Set benchmarks and goals before the pages are live. Segment GA4 by location landing page and pull per-location performance from Business Profile Manager, since aggregate numbers hide a location that’s underperforming.