Adding multiple locations business to directories

[VicMark]

We have multiple locations business.
Adding each location business info to directories. There are same services and everything for each location.

Should we keep the same description for all listings or different for each location?
Should we indicate Home Page URL (with 800 number, no address in footer) or location URL?

[irvingw]

This post is deleted!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi VicMark,

It's definitely smart to write a different description for each citation you build on local business directories, if possible. Additionally, it's a best practice for each citation to link to a page on the website that is designated for that location. In other words, your local business listing for your restaurant in San Jose should link to a page on your website just for that San Jose location, with the local phone number, address, etc. Your restaurant in Santa Clara's listing should link to the Santa Clara page on your website, etc. This helps keep everything separate and cuts down on the chances of humans and bots becoming confused.

*This is likely obvious, but each location should have a separate local area code phone number and none of them should be using a toll free number. Just thought I'd mention!

Hope this helps. You've asked a good question!

[VicMark]

irvingw,

Questions is will URL address effect on Local Optimization, so we better use location URL /or we better focus on domain authority and send all link juice to Home Page? Please explain algorithm behind it if u know.

Why do unique description matter for local optimization?
We have the same services and all the same. It would be hard to write 10 different stories describing our company history and philosophy and services for 10 locations. Can u please explain.

Thank you

[VicMark]

The location page is just contact information. Has no other content. It's repair services. Not sure if we can add some content there and how. As local blog posts? But we have the company blog already.

The home page is a optimized landing page. I'd rather use it from marketing stand point.

Does URL really effect the local SEO? I thougth domain autority would be the goal. Am I wrong?

Thank you

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Again VicMark,

There are several reasons for building out a strong landing page for each physical office that you own. In short order, these are:

1. A local landing page tells the residents of that city that you are here to serve them and care enough about them to have devoted a page on your website to them. It can speak to their direct needs and show that you are local to them.

2. A local landing page can improve your search engine results visibility, as opposed to expecting the bots to rank all of your cities by glancing at your homepage. Just like the old SEO concept of building out a page per topic/keyword set, building a page for each of your physical cities creates a body of data that makes it very clear to bots that you've got something important going on, surrounding that city keyword.

3. For multi-location businesses, having a unique page for each physical office can help keep your data separate and clear, reducing the risk of ending up with duplicate or merged local business listings.

To my mind, these are all really good reasons for local businesses to invest in create an incredibly good and unique page for each of their physical locations. I've found it to be well worth the investment! You might like to read more about this concept of local landing pages at:

http://moz.com/blog/local-landing-pages-guide

Hope this helps!