Multi-Location Marketing Mistakes That Could Tank SEO Success
As a marketing professional, you probably know how to avoid common industry pitfalls. But even if you think you’ve got a foolproof strategy, you can always count on Google to throw another curveball your way. And if you’re not thinking ahead, you could easily fall behind. With that, consider these five commonly overlooked marketing mistakes – and avoid them at all costs.
Targeting the Wrong Keywords
There’s not just one way to select the best keywords. But if you’re inclined to believe that higher search volume = better keywords, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Long-tail keywords are usually more aligned with user intent. Multi-location businesses need to tap into the power of long-tail keywords to reach their target audience for a given area.
Don’t dismiss a keyword that has less than 50 (or even 10!) monthly searches recorded. You’ll be in a better position to compete if you target highly relevant long-tail terms over their high-search-volume counterparts.
Focusing On Vanity Metrics
When doing SEO, you’ll need to measure your success. But how you measure that success matters.
Some folks can’t resist the allure of being #1. But that won’t do much good if you’re losing customers before they buy. Similarly, measuring only your clicks means you don’t know whether those clicks are converting.
If you’re ignoring your bounce rate, conversion rate, or key recommendations from Google, you won’t stay on top forever (or ever get there in the first place). If you aren’t paying attention to the right metrics, you won’t know what to fix.
Failing to Leverage Local
Local SEO makes a big difference in multi-location marketing. If you want to reach customers in each service area, you need to consider all the aspects that impact local searchers.
These might include:
• Optimizing and updating your Google Business Profile for multiple locations
• Generating and managing online business reviews for each location
• Updating online directory listings for accuracy and consistency across locations
• Creating website landing pages for separate locations without duplicate content
• Optimizing your site for mobile and voice search (including FAQ page creation)
Just because you’re marketing for multiple locations doesn’t mean you’re competing with global corporations. By making the most of local SEO, you’ll reach nearby customers where they already are.
Relying Solely on AI
Artificial intelligence is getting a lot of attention right now. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should put all your eggs in that one basket.
AI can be useful for content brainstorming and making outlines, but should you trust it to write all of your website content? Nope. It may be fast, but it’s not original (and sometimes it’s not even usable).
Google cares a lot about E-E-A-T, which is something artificial intelligence can’t satisfy. We don’t yet know exactly how website rankings will be impacted by AI-driven content, but we already know there are no shortcuts to good SEO. If you really want to win, invest in making your optimized content truly extraordinary. Otherwise, your site will be a dime a dozen – and your rankings will reflect that.
Handing All Your Marketing In-House
Whether you’re marketing your own business or you’ve taken on other clients, your bandwidth is going to quickly run out. Hiring additional employees can be costly and challenging – and it’ll just add more work to your plate.
In many cases, outsourcing can be a viable solution. Some marketing agencies will partner with a white label SEO provider to get the support they need to improve results without burning out. Others may bring on consultants or work with independent contractors to fill the gap. As long as they’re properly vetted, these options can reduce overhead costs while offering the consistency and expertise required to make real SEO progress.
Avoid These Mistakes and Set Yourself Up For Success
Even when you do everything right, SEO can be tricky. So don’t make it harder for yourself by making these mistakes. If you follow the advice here, you’ll be in a better position to market your multi-location business in an oversaturated market.
