Local listings for a few locations with one site

[Frog]

I have read around this subject a little but what I am coming across is either dated or comes with warnings saying that it is not within googles guidelines.

If a business has several locations in different states but only one webstite can anyone recommednd me any reading on the most effective way to rank in google local results/on the map?

Thanks

 

[JasonSc]

Maps hasn't changed much and most things form 2 years ago still work today.

Build a landing page for each location. Make sure you fill it with content and include some local information. Use JSON-LD mark up. Don't skimp on this. If you can select sub section of local business if there is one. Also, use the same as, has maps, geo coordinates etc. This is a good starting point but it miss some items: http://microdatagenerator.org/localbusiness-microdata-generator/

Then build Google My Business (GMB) pages for each location. Make sure you fill out all the information, upload photos. Then get the pages verified, they still mail the postcards.

Once you have a verified GMB, embed a map on the location landing page.

Next you want to build citation's for each branch. So if you have 5 locations, you want 5 Yelp pages, 5 Yellowpage.com pages...etc. You can use BrightLocal, WhiteSpark or build them yourself. I would avoid using Yext. Yext charges an annual fee and if you don't pay a lot of your citations will be removed or revert back to what they where in the past. BrightLocal and WhiteSpark, is a one time fee and you get login/pass to the citations your build, incase you want to tweak their work.

Regardless of who or how you build your citations, you want to get them indexed. Sometimes this easy and sometimes it never happens.

From there wait about 60 days and see where things start to land.

To help rank in maps, you want to push authority and relevance to your Google Map (GM) url. Here is an example GM url for the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pepsi+Center/@39.74866,-105.00771
Your not pushing it directly at that page, but by embedding the GM.

You can use internal anchor text to link to your location landing pages.
Sponsor local charities, schools and events and have them link to the respected landing page.
Get mentions in local newspapers/TV stations and link to your landing page
Embed GM on 3 party sites.
Ask your vendors, (the people who sell to you) to link to your landing pages.
Do a local round up

Your trying to rank local, so you want to try and focus on local backlinks. I'm not saying pass over any juicy links from no local, but your focus should be more geared towards local backlinks.

If you are doing local you may want to check out the Local Search Forum. There are some really sharp people there.

Also get reviews on each of your GMB pages. It doesn't directly help rankings, but it helps click through. If you company has 0 reviews and the 2 competing companies have multiple reviews 4 and 5 star reviews, who do you think a user is going to click on.