When you want your business to reach customers in several cities — but don’t have a physical location in each — you need a thoughtful SEO strategy. Done right, you can grow locally without diluting your SEO power or creating duplicate‑content issues.
1. Build Dedicated City‑Specific Landing Pages
Instead of lumping all your city targeting into one general page, create a separate page for each city. These location pages should:
- Use the city’s name in the URL and headings (e.g. “/services-cityA”)
- Include locally relevant content, such as landmarks, testimonials, or area-specific case studies
- Show your company genuinely serves that city, even if it’s just by service rather than a physical office
2. Optimise Google Business Profiles Where Possible
If you have physical locations or service points in multiple cities, maintain a Google Business Profile (GBP) for each one. Each listing should have accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details, service descriptions relevant to that city, and city-specific photos or customer reviews.
3. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Implement local‑business schema on your city pages to help search engines understand the geographic relevance. Use structured data to define your business name, address, phone number, hours, and services. This improves clarity for search engines and can help you show in local search results more convincingly.
4. Focus on Unique, Localised Content
It’s critical to avoid copying and pasting the same text across your city pages. For each city page, write custom content that addresses:
- Local problems or needs
- City‑specific services or use cases
- Testimonials, local projects, or clients in that area
- Local news, events or community‑centric content
This helps demonstrate to both users and search engines that you genuinely operate in each city.
5. Target Geo‑Specific Keywords
Use keyword research to find search terms that are relevant to each city. Instead of generic service phrases, use “Service in City A” or “City B repair specialists.” Also include long-tail and conversational variants: questions like “where to find [service] in City C” can be effective.
6. Maintain Clear Internal Linking
Link between pages in a logical way. For example:
- Your main “Services” page → each city landing page
- City landing pages → relevant blog posts or case studies for that city
- Use internal links to help spread authority across the site and guide users naturally to the right city content
7. Build City‑Specific Backlinks
Get backlinks from websites in each of the cities you’re targeting. Tactics include:
- Partnering with local businesses or community organisations
- Getting featured in city-based blogs or news outlets
- Sponsoring local events or charities
These backlinks help reinforce your relevance in each geographic area.
8. Ensure NAP Consistency Across the Web
Make sure your business name, address and phone (NAP) are exactly the same across all directory listings, your website, and GBP (if applicable). Inconsistencies in NAP can confuse search engines and damage your local SEO credibility.
9. Avoid Keyword Cannibalisation
Prevent different city pages from competing for the same keywords by assigning each page a clear, unique keyword target. Each page should have its own purpose and focus so that Google doesn’t get confused about which page is most relevant for a given search term.
10. Monitor and Adjust with Analytics
Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and local SEO tools to track how each city page performs. Monitor:
- Which city pages are driving traffic
- Conversion metrics (calls, enquiries) from those pages
- Keyword rankings for each location
Based on performance, you can refine content, tweak targeting, and improve local SEO over time.
Conclusion
Targeting multiple cities is entirely possible without damaging your SEO — as long as you create unique, well‑structured, and locally relevant pages for each city. By combining strong internal linking, local content, schema markup, and targeted backlinks, you can build a scalable local SEO strategy that grows with your reach.
