How to Do Local SEO for Multiple Locations in 2025

Managing SEO for one location is tough.

Managing SEO for five, ten, or fifty? That’s a whole different game.

The truth is: multi-location SEO comes with unique challenges. Duplicate content. Proximity bias in the map pack. Scaling reviews without looking fake.

But here’s the good news: if you know how to structure your site, optimize each Google Business Profile, and scale local proof the right way… you can dominate search in every city you operate in.

And stick around until the end, because I’ll also share a few SEO agency secrets we use to rank multi-location clients faster than their competitors.

What Is Multi-Location SEO (and Why It Matters in 2025)

Multi-location SEO is exactly what it sounds like: optimizing your business to rank in multiple cities, regions, or branches.

But here’s the catch: Google doesn’t see “one brand with many offices.” It sees individual locations that each need their own signals.

That means:

• Separate Google Business Profiles
• Unique location pages
• Local reviews and citations
• And content that proves you’re legit in every market
  

Why does this matter in 2025? Because local SEO is more competitive than ever. It’s no longer enough to have one strong homepage. If you want to win in Montreal, NYC and LA… you need to build authority for each of them.

Do it right, and you’ll multiply your visibility across cities. Do it wrong, and you’ll end up with dozens of “doorway pages” that never rank.

How Google Handles Multi-Location Businesses

When it comes to local search, Google has one simple rule: every location is unique.

That’s why the map pack doesn’t show “brands.” It shows addresses closest to the searcher. Proximity is baked into the algorithm.

But proximity isn’t the only factor. Google also looks for signals that prove each branch is real and trustworthy:

• Is there consistent NAP data across the web?
• Does this location get fresh reviews?
• Is there a dedicated page with useful info, not just a clone of another city page?
  

This is why so many multi-location businesses struggle. They treat their 10 offices like one brand. But Google expects 10 unique entities, each with their own digital footprint.

So if you want to win across cities, you can’t just “copy-paste SEO.” You need to localize your presence at scale.

Core Local SEO Fundamentals for Multiple Locations

Before you get fancy with advanced tactics, you need to nail the basics.

Because here’s the truth: most multi-location businesses don’t fail because of competition. They fail because they skip the fundamentals.

Think missing Google Business Profiles. Thin location pages. Or reviews all piled up on the head office instead of spread across branches.

The good news? These are easy wins. If you get them right, you’ll already be ahead of 80% of your competitors.

Let’s break them down.

Optimize Every Google Business Profile (Individually)

If you run a multi-location business, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the single most important asset you have for local SEO.

Why? Because the map pack is prime real estate. And GBP is how Google decides who gets in.

The catch? You can’t shortcut this.

One profile for the whole brand = lost rankings.

Each location needs its own GBP, optimized from top to bottom.

Here’s the exact playbook:

1. Fill Out 100% of the Profile

Don’t just drop in your name, address, and phone number.

• Add categories (primary + secondary)
• Services and products
• Hours, attributes (wheelchair accessible, WiFi, parking, etc.)
• Appointment links or booking links
  

The more complete your profile, the more “trust” signals you send to Google.

2. Use Unique Descriptions Per Location

Copy-pasting your business description across 20 GBPs? That’s a missed opportunity.

Each one should include:

• City name naturally
• Services offered at that branch
• A differentiator (team size, certifications, specialties)
  

Think: “mini landing page,” not “copy-paste bio.”

3. Photos and Videos = Proof

Google wants fresh, authentic photos. And users do too.

• Upload team shots, storefronts, interiors, even work in progress
• Post at least 5–10 photos at launch, then add monthly
• Short 30s videos crush it (office tour, meet the staff, behind-the-scenes)
  

This not only boosts CTR but also signals activity. Dead profiles don’t rank.

4. Review Management by Location

Don’t funnel all reviews to HQ. Ask for reviews on the profile of the location that actually served the customer.

Pro tip: bake it into your process. Example –  “Thanks for coming to our Montreal office! You’ll get a quick email to share feedback.”

Fresh reviews + keywords + city mentions = ranking power.

5. Call Tracking Without Breaking NAP

Want to track calls per branch? Use this setup:

• Set your tracking number as the primary number
• Add your real local number as secondary
  

Google will still see the NAP consistency, and you get call data. Win-win.

6. Posts and Q&A for Engagement

GBP posts and Q&A don’t directly rank you higher… but they drive engagement. And engagement does influence rankings.

• Use posts to highlight city-specific promotions
• Seed common Q&A (“Do you offer free consultations at your Laval office?”)
  

It makes your profile look active and that’s what wins clicks in the pack.

Create Unique Location Pages That Actually Rank

Here’s the mistake 90% of multi-location businesses make:

They spin up dozens of “city pages”… all with the same copy, just swapping out the place name.

Result? Google sees doorway pages. Users see fluff. Nobody wins.

If you want location pages that rank (and convert), you need to treat each one like a mini homepage for that city.

Here’s the playbook:

1. Nail the URL Structure

Clean, predictable, and scalable.

• /locations/montreal/

• /locations/nyc/

• /locations/los-angeles/

If you offer multiple services per city, go one level deeper:

• /locations/montreal/plumbing/

• /locations/montreal/roofing/

Short slugs. No parameters. Easy crawl paths.

2. Build Real Local Proof

This is where most competitors fail. Don’t just swap the city name in a headline. Add:

• Local reviews from that branch
• Team photos (faces build trust)
• Landmark directions (“5 minutes from the Jacques Cartier Bridge”)
• Job photos / case studies done in that city
  

Proof turns a thin city page into a legit local asset.

3. Unique Copy Without Reinventing the Wheel

Yes, you need unique content. But you don’t need to rewrite War & Peace for every city.

Use a modular template:

• Local intro (100–150 words about your services in that city)
• Core services (pulled from your global service pages, slightly localized)
• Proof stack (reviews, photos, certifications)
• CTA tailored to that branch (phone, form, appointment link)
  

Same framework. Different local data. That’s how you scale without duplicating.

4. Internal Linking That Feeds Authority

Every location page should:

• Link back to your main services pages
• Link sideways to nearby locations (ex: “Looking for plumbing in NYC? See our NYC page.”)
• Be linked from a store locator hub (crawlable HTML list, not just a JS map)
  

Internal links = authority flow.

See our article on ‘How Many Internal Links Are Best for SEO

5. Schema That Signals Location

Wrap each page with LocalBusiness schema:

• @id, address, geo, openingHours, sameAs

Tie them back to your global Organization schema

Add Breadcrumb schema so Google sees hierarchy

It’s boring, but it works.

Bottom line: if you want city pages that rank, don’t think “SEO landing page.”

Think mini homepage.

Use Smart Site Architecture

Most multi-location SEO fails because of sloppy site structure.

Here’s the truth: if Google can’t crawl and understand your locations, they won’t rank, no matter how good your content is.

That’s why site architecture is a make-or-break factor for scaling local SEO.

Here’s how to set it up the right way:

1. Build a Location Hub

Start with a /locations/ page.

This is your “store locator” hub that links to every city page.

But here’s the key: don’t just drop in an interactive map and call it a day. Google struggles with JavaScript-only maps.

Instead, create a crawlable HTML list of all your locations. Example:

✅ Montreal – /locations/montreal/

✅ NYC – /locations/nyc/

✅ Los Angeles – /locations/los-angeles/

This gives Google (and users) a clear path to every branch.

2. Keep URLs Clean and Scalable

Don’t get fancy.

✅ /locations/city/

✅ /locations/city/service/

❌ /city?=123

❌ /office/456

Clean URLs = easy crawl = better indexing.

3. Use Internal Linking Like a Pro

Location pages shouldn’t sit in isolation.

Link up to your main service pages.

✅ Link across to nearby cities (Montreal → Laval → Longueuil).

Link down from blogs to locations (“Looking for window cleaning in Gatineau? Here’s our Gatineau team.”).

The more internal links a page has, the more “authority” it inherits.

4. Optimize Navigation

Add a “Locations” link in your main nav or footer.

Why? Because site-wide links funnel PageRank to your location hub… which then distributes it to each city.

Simple tweak. Big impact.

5. Breadcrumbs = Clarity

Use breadcrumbs like this:

Home → Locations → Montreal

Mark them up with schema. It shows Google the hierarchy and strengthens relevance.

Bottom line?

Smart architecture lets you scale to 10, 50, or 500 locations without creating chaos.

Manage Citations at Scale

Citations aren’t sexy. But they’re still a core signal for local SEO.

Here’s the deal: Google uses citations (mentions of your business name, address, and phone number) to verify that each location is real. If your data is messy, your rankings will be messy too.

The challenge? With multiple locations, keeping citations consistent gets complicated fast.

Here’s how to manage it:

1. Start With the Core Directories

Every location should be listed on:

• Google Business Profile
• Apple Maps
• Bing Places
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Industry-specific directories (lawyers → Avvo, healthcare → Healthgrades, etc.)
  

Get these right before worrying about the long tail.

2. Keep NAP 100% Consistent

The three things Google cares about:

Name → Match your GBP exactly

Address → Use the same format everywhere (St. vs Street = inconsistency)

Phone → Local tracking number as primary, real number as secondary

One typo can create confusion at scale.

3. Use Tools (But Don’t Blindly Trust Them)

Platforms like BrightLocal, Whitespark, or Yext can help automate citations. But:

• Double-check for errors
• Manually verify high-value listings
• Don’t pay for “500 directory blasts”, most are garbage

4. Audit and Clean Regularly

Old addresses, duplicate listings, closed branches they all drag you down.

Run a citation audit every 6–12 months. Kill duplicates, fix mismatches.

Bottom line: citations won’t win rankings on their own. But bad citations can absolutely sink your multi-location SEO. Get them right once, and maintain them.

Build Location-Specific Reviews

Reviews are one of the strongest local ranking signals.

But here’s the mistake most businesses make: they push all their reviews to one main location.

Google doesn’t like that. Each branch needs its own stream of fresh reviews to prove it’s active and trusted.

Quick wins:

1. Ask customers to leave reviews on the specific GBP they visited.
2. Use follow-up emails/SMS with a direct link to the right profile.
3. Encourage details: service + city + outcome (“The NYC team fixed my issue the same day”).

The more relevant and location-specific your reviews are, the faster you’ll climb the local pack.

Add Localized Content & Proof

Google doesn’t just want to see that you exist in a city. It wants proof that you’re active and relevant there.

That’s where localized content comes in.

Instead of copy-pasting the same service text across 10 city pages, give each one its own local flavor:

• Mention landmarks or neighborhoods (“5 minutes from UCLA”)
• Share before-and-after photos of jobs in that city
• Add case studies or testimonials tied to the branch
• Include local FAQs (“Do you offer emergency service in NYC?”)
  

This “local proof” shows both Google and users that the page is legit.

And here’s the bonus: localized content doesn’t just help rankings, it makes pages convert better. People trust businesses that look rooted in their community.

Advanced Strategies to Scale Multi-Location SEO

Once you’ve nailed the basics, it’s time to level up.

Because here’s the truth: optimizing 2 or 3 locations is one thing. Scaling to 20, 50, or even 100? That’s where most businesses crash.

The key is building a framework that grows without breaking.

In this section, I’ll share the advanced strategies agencies use to scale multi-location SEO without falling into duplicate content traps or wasting hours on manual work.

Local Link Building at Scale

Here’s the problem: one or two local links won’t cut it when you’ve got 10+ branches. You need a way to earn consistent, city-level authority across all your locations.

The trick isn’t chasing “big DR” links. It’s stacking hyper-local signals that prove each office belongs in the map pack.

Here’s how to do it:

Chambers of Commerce – Most cities have them. Membership = easy backlink + trust.

Local sponsorships – Youth sports teams, charity events, community pages. Cheap, scalable, link-worthy.

Supplier/partner pages – Ask vendors and partners to list you on their “trusted companies” page.

Local PR – New branch opening? Pitch it to regional news outlets. These stories often stick in Google News.

Hyper-local directories – Skip the spammy ones. Go for legit regional hubs (ex: Québec business associations).

Pro tip: don’t build every location’s links at once. Rotate. One month Montreal, next month NYC, then LA. Over time, you’ll spread authority evenly without overwhelming your team (or leaving a footprint).

Bottom line: national links are nice, but local links are what get each branch ranking.

Schema for Multiple Locations

Schema might feel technical. But for multi-location SEO, it’s a cheat code.

Why? Because it helps Google connect the dots between your brand and your branches.

Here’s the playbook:

Organization schema – at the brand level (name, logo, website, social links).

LocalBusiness schema – for each location page (address, phone, geo coordinates, opening hours, @id).

Breadcrumb schema – shows Google the hierarchy (Home → Locations → Montreal → Plumbing).

SameAs links – point to each location’s Google Business Profile, Facebook page, or Yelp listing.

Think of schema as your “truth layer.” Even if citations get messy, schema tells Google exactly how your locations fit together.

And here’s the kicker: when done right, schema increases your chances of pulling in rich results (like address snippets, reviews, or maps) directly in the SERPs.

It’s not flashy. But it’s one of the most scalable wins for multi-location businesses.

Tracking & Reporting Across Locations

Scaling local SEO means scaling reporting too.

Because here’s the problem: if you’ve got 10 or 20 branches, looking at “overall traffic” won’t tell you much. One location could be crushing it while another is invisible and you wouldn’t know.

That’s why you need to track performance per location.

Here’s how to do it:

Google Search Console – Split data by directory (ex: /locations/montreal/) to see impressions, clicks, and queries per city.

Google Business Profile Insights – Calls, directions, messages, all broken down by branch.

Review velocity – Track how many new reviews each location gets monthly.

Conversions by city – Use UTM tags on GBP links (“Website,” “Appointments”) to prove which profiles drive leads.

Pro tip: build a simple dashboard in Looker Studio (or your favorite tool) that pulls in all locations. That way, you can see which cities are growing and which need attention, at a glance.

The bottom line: don’t just scale SEO, scale accountability.

Common Multi-Location SEO Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Most businesses don’t lose in multi-location SEO because of competition.

They lose because of simple mistakes.

1 – Duplicate content across city pages.

2 – One GBP trying to cover every branch.

3 – Doorway pages that add zero value.

The good news? These are easy to fix once you know what to look for. Let’s go through the biggest pitfalls (and how to dodge them).

Copy-Paste City Pages

This is the #1 killer of multi-location SEO.

Most businesses think: “We’ll just copy our service page, swap in a new city name, and boom, 20 location pages.”

But here’s the problem: Google sees them as near-duplicate doorway pages. And instead of ranking them all… it ranks none of them.

Even worse, users land on those pages and instantly bounce. Why? Because nothing proves you actually operate in that city.

The fix:

Build location pages like mini homepages.

• Start with a modular template for consistency.
• Add real local proof (photos, reviews, case studies, team).
• Mention landmarks or neighborhoods to anchor the content.
• Use unique CTAs (“Call our Montreal office,” not just “Contact us”).
  

It doesn’t take 1,000 words per page. It just takes real signals that you belong in that city.

One GBP for Every Location

Here’s a mistake I see all the time:

A business opens five locations… but only creates one Google Business Profile.

Bad move.

Google doesn’t rank brands in the map pack. It ranks addresses. Which means if you try to cover multiple cities with one profile, you’re basically invisible everywhere except HQ.

The fix:

• Create a separate GBP for every location.
• Use a unique phone number (with call tracking if possible).
• Add location-specific hours, photos, and services.
• Encourage reviews on the right profile, not just the main one.
  

Each branch needs its own profile. Treat every GBP like a mini-rank magnet for its city.

Doorway Pages

Google has been crystal clear on this: doorway pages don’t work.

These are the thin, cookie-cutter “service + city” pages businesses churn out to try and cover every location. Same copy, same layout, zero value, just a different city name slapped in.

The result?

• Google sees them as spam.
• Users bounce immediately.
• Rankings tank.
  

The fix:

• Build city hub pages (ex: /locations/montreal/) with real value about that city.
• Under each hub, create service-in-city pages (ex: /locations/montreal/plumbing/).
• Fill them with unique content: local reviews, photos, case studies, and FAQs.
  

When you treat city pages like mini homepages, Google rewards you. When you treat them like shortcuts, Google buries you.

Ignoring Reviews at Branch Level

Stacking all your reviews on the head office profile might look impressive… but it kills your other locations.

Why? Because Google uses reviews as a location-specific signal. If your NYC office has 0 reviews, Google assumes it’s less relevant, even if your Montreal branch has 500.

The fix:

• Ask customers to review the exact branch they visited.
• Use unique review links for each GBP profile.
• Train staff at each location to request reviews consistently.
• Bonus: encourage reviewers to mention the city + service (“Great dental care at the NYC office”).
  

Fresh, city-specific reviews do two things: they boost rankings and make people way more likely to click.

Messy Citations

Citations don’t get a lot of hype these days… but mess them up, and your multi-location SEO can fall apart.

Here’s why: Google cross-checks your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) across the web to confirm a location is legit. If your data is inconsistent, Google gets confused, and confused businesses don’t rank.

Common issues?

• Old addresses still floating around
• Different phone numbers across directories
• “Street” on one listing, “St.” on another
• Duplicate listings from past moves
  

The fix:

• Standardize your NAP and stick to it everywhere
• Audit citations every 6–12 months
• Kill duplicates and update old listings
• For scale, use tools like BrightLocal or Whitespark, but always manually check high-value directories
  

Clean citations won’t skyrocket you to #1, but messy ones can absolutely keep you out of the map pack.

Final Thoughts: Why Multi-Location SEO Wins in 2025

Multi-location SEO isn’t about spinning up dozens of thin pages or stuffing “near me” keywords everywhere. It’s about treating every branch like its own business online with a unique footprint, reviews, proof, and structure that actually scales.

Do that, and you won’t just rank in one city. You’ll dominate across every market you serve.

The best part? 

Most competitors won’t do the hard work. They’ll keep copy-pasting city pages and hoping for the best. That leaves a huge opportunity for the businesses and agencies willing to do it right.

So if you want to win in 2025, focus on building trust for each location, show real proof that you operate in every city, and give Google the clear signals it needs. That’s the difference between getting lost in the shuffle and turning multi-location SEO into a true growth engine.