What do you fix first in local search?
We fix the business profiles and listings first, because wrong hours, duplicate profiles and old phone numbers cost calls today.
A profile audit checks the business name against your real signage, the primary category, services, hours, photos and whether duplicates exist. Google's guidelines are strict here. Names should not carry keywords or city names that are not part of the real brand, and a rented mailbox does not qualify as a location.
Then we compare name, address and phone across Google, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and the directories that matter in your industry. Mismatches get corrected at the source.
How do you build location pages without doorway spam?
Each page has to be worth visiting on its own, with details that only apply to that location.
Google's spam policies name city-targeted pages that funnel to one destination as doorway abuse. The fix is real substance.
| Location page element | Useful version | Doorway version |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | Who works there, what that branch handles | City name swapped into generic copy |
| Services | Services offered at this location only | Full company list repeated |
| Proof | Local projects described in general terms, reviews from that location | Company-wide claims |
| Practical info | Hours, parking, directions, local phone | Head office number |
| Schema | LocalBusiness with this address and hours | None, or head office data |
Our article on how Google uses location to rank sites explains why proximity limits what any page can do, and hyperlocal SEO covers neighborhood-level detail.
How does the review program stay compliant?
We ask every customer the same way, never pay for or condition anything on positive sentiment, and never filter who gets asked.
The FTC's final rule bans fake reviews, undisclosed insider reviews and incentives tied to a particular sentiment, and it bars misrepresenting reviews as complete when negative ones were suppressed. Review gating, where only happy customers are sent to public sites, conflicts with that spirit and with platform policies, so we do not use it. We also write reply templates for negative reviews, since a calm public response often matters as much as the rating.
Do local pages need to be ready for AI answers?
Yes, because assistants answering "best plumber near me" style questions draw on the same listings, reviews and pages.
Consistent facts, clear service descriptions and crawlable pages give AI search the same signals traditional search uses. The GEO readiness checker shows whether AI crawlers can reach your site.
Pricing depends on the number of locations. Request a proposal for a scope and timeline range.
Frequently asked questions
Can we create a separate profile for each city we serve?
Not if you do not have a staffed location there. Google's guidelines allow one profile per real location, and service-area businesses should set a service area and hide an address customers do not visit. Virtual offices are not eligible.
Can we offer a discount for reviews?
The FTC rule announced in August 2024 bans incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment. Platforms have their own rules too, and Google's policies restrict incentivized reviews, so we design request programs without incentives tied to reviews.
Should every location have its own page?
Yes, if each page carries real local detail: address, hours, staff or services specific to that place, directions and local proof. Pages that only swap the city name are what Google calls doorway abuse.
How do you measure local SEO results?
We track calls, direction requests, website clicks and form fills from each profile and location page, then match them with booked jobs where your CRM allows. Rankings in the map pack are checked from several points, since they shift with the searcher's location.