If you are a rural small business or a rural service area business, you know that showing up on Google can be difficult at best. I am not going to lie. Showing up in Google’s local pack is nearly impossible. Mainly because you can’t get a Google Business Profile (GBP) listing in a town you don’t have an address in. However, it is possible to take over the top rankings for local organic results on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Now to clarify the difference between the local pack and local organic results, take a look at the screenshot below for Fishing Charters:
Looking at the top of the page, you will see the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads, Local Pack or Three Pack, followed by the organic search results.
Targeting local organic results for places within your service area necessitates the creation of well-thought-out geographical landing pages.
They go by several names, such as:
- local landing pages
- city-specific pages
- location-specific pages
- regional landing pages
- area-specific pages
- geo-targeted landing pages
- neighborhood-specific pages
- zip code-specific pages
- geo-pages
- geo landing pages
- localized web pages
For the purpose of this post, I will refer to them as geo landing pages because, for rural markets, we need a much broader term than our urban counterparts.
With that being said, by putting a little time and time and effort into creating outstanding, informative, and relevant pages targeting the areas you service, you can start to generate traffic to your site, which in turn becomes leads and sales.
The geographical landing page approach isn’t new, and it’s something that agencies that don’t specialize in digital marketing for rural small businesses frequently miss or perform poorly. Therefore, I have decided to put together a comprehensive guide so you can do exactly what we do to help our clients improve and create awesome geo-landing pages.
Who Are Geo Landing Pages Ideal For
- A rural business with only one location but serves clients in surrounding areas.
- Small Service Area Businesses that do not have a physical location and travel to their clients’ homes or businesses within a larger geographic service area.
What You Need to Know About Geo Landing Pages
A geo landing page is similar to any other location landing page, except it lacks a physical business address in the desired ranking town or community. But both types of landing pages require the same basic principles and elements.
Geo Landing Pages Tips:
- Geo landing pages are web pages specifically designed to target a particular town, city, zip code, or region where your service area business operates.
- Geo landing pages are designed to provide valuable information to potential clients in your service areas. They often include a single service you provided, contact information, and any unique selling points that differentiate your business from your competitors.
- Ensure that each geo landing page is unique and has relevant content. What you don’t want to do is simply duplicate the same content across multiple pages.
- Geo landing pages should include local keywords that potential clients will likely use when searching for the services you offer.
- Geo landing pages should be optimized for desktop and mobile devices to ensure a seamless user experience.
- Geo landing pages should be updated with new and relevant content, such as blog posts, case studies, or testimonials.
Elements For Making an Exceptional Geo Landing Page
On-Page Basics
If you are targeting a broad rural area, understatement, I know, for the organic results, then you need to have the following elements built into your site:
Proper Title Tags
I recommend including one service, one location, and your small business name in the title tag of each geo landing page. When you write the title tag, you typically want to keep it around between 50 to 70 characters. However, Google has said there is no limit, so if you run over and it creates an ellipsis (...) on the SERPs, it’s ok because Google still sees it, and that is the goal.
Here would be an example using our fishing charter example:
- Saltwater Fishing Charters in Oak Island - Chaz’s Charters
- Deep Sea Fishing Charters in Sunset Beach - Chaz’s Charters
- Offshore Fishing Charters at Holden Beach - Chaz’s Charters
- Tuna Fishing Charters in Calabash NC - Chaz’s Charters
- Marlin Fishing Charters in Murrells Inlet, SC - Chaz’s Charters
Meta Description
Your meta description is the short text blurb that displays below your title on the SERPs. While some people may never look beyond the headline to decide where to click, many will read the description to better understand whether the site provides exactly what they are searching for.
Another way to think about your meta description is it is a 160-character sales pitch. Your goal is to persuade the searcher that you have what they’re searching for and that your content is valuable enough to click on.
Here would be an example if we were to do one for Chaz’s Charters:
Are you looking for the best offshore fishing charter in Holden Beach? Chaz’s Charter will put you on the fish and ensure you have a rockin’ good time!
In that example, I was able to ask if the reader was looking for the best offshore fishing charter in Holden Beach, told them what we do (put them on the fish), and conveyed the atmosphere and that they would have a good time. You will also notice that I didn’t try to stuff it with keywords. Instead, I devised something that would compel the searcher to click to learn more.
Page Name & URL Structure
When creating a geo landing page, it’s common in the industry to use your top keyword and city name in both the page name and URL. This approach can positively affect rural SEO and even attract more visitors to your site.
Examples:
- ChazsCharters.com/holden-beach-offshore-fishing-charters
- ChazsCharters.com/oak-island-saltwater-fishing-charters
- ChazsCharters.com/sunset-beach-deep-sea-fishing-charters
- ChazsCharters.com/calabash-nc-tuna-fishing-charters
- ChazsCharters.com/murrells-inlet-sc-tuna-fishing-charters
Use Headings and Header Tags
Headings and header tags are essential aspects of your website and content creation. They are used to structure and organize content on a webpage and can also play a role in your SEO.
When using headings, it’s important to think about how you want to organize your content. Headings should be used to break up the text into sections or topics, making it easier for readers to navigate and find the information they’re looking for.
Therefore you will want to use the proper tag for each. According to the HTML5 standards, multiple h1 tags are allowed. However, having more than one per page is typically a bad idea. The easiest way to think about the title tags and the “h tags” is to think about it as a book. The title tag would be the title of your book. The h1 would be the chapter’s title, then the headings inside the chapter would be h2 to h6. You also want to keep your headings sequential. In other words, you shouldn’t have an h2 with an h4 directly under. That h4 should be an h3.
You should also consider using descriptive and precise text to ensure you accurately reflect each section’s content. Using relevant keywords in your headings is essential, but avoid overusing them or stuffing them into the text.
Internal Links
It is a best practice to have visible and logical internal linking on your website. Ensure you link relevant internal pages on your website to the new geo landing page. Internal links can contribute to the new page’s value by sharing their existing ranking power. They also contribute to relevance by linking to relevant topics that provide value to the user.
For example, suppose you’re showcasing your services and completed projects on your page. In that case, it’s a no-brainer to include a link to any existing projects page that details the work completed in your geographical area. You should also have a link to any blog content that is specific to your prospects and your area. Include links to any service pages that go into greater detail about the services or products you offer in your rural community.
Remember that linking from relevant pages on your site’s content is generally more valuable than linking from your navigation or footer. However, linking from your navigation is still usually a good idea.
This is a no! Don’t do it:
External Links
Linking out to other websites that make sense or complement your services and the geographical area you are targeting can help you provide prospective clients with valuable and informative resources and create a connection to your local community where you want to earn organic rankings for.
Returning to our fishing charter example, let’s say your company decides to eliminate plastic bags in favor of paper or reusable containers for the obvious environmental and wildlife impact. Linking to the various resources promoting this initiative may provide a helpful resource while also establishing a relevant link.
When it comes to link building, many businesses choose to partner with outsourcing SEO companies to help them establish relevant and high-quality backlinks. These outsourcing companies specialize in creating connections with other websites that can complement the services offered and enhance their online presence. By checking a list of outsourcing companies and finding one which you want to collaborate with, you can gain access to valuable resources and expertise in link-building strategies.
Proper Navigation
Remember to include your geo landing pages in your navigation or link to a page with them on your site. Consider including a “Areas We Serve” or “Service Area” section in your main navigation if you have multiple target areas.
Navigation
- About Us
- Where We Fish
- Trips and Rates
- About The Area
- Blog
- Contact Us
- Book a Trip (button)
Geo landing pages that are not properly integrated give off a spammy vibe and may be classified as “Doorway Pages” by search engines. These pages target specific keywords and are designed to direct visitors to another page on a website. Doorway Pages frequently have duplicate content, are keyword stuffed, and have an excessive number of links. These types of pages are considered a no-no by Google’s quality guidelines. But since you’re about to create outstanding original content, you don’t need to be concerned about this!
Create Unique and Engaging Content
Creating unique content for geo landing pages is usually the biggest challenge for small business owners and their staff. The page’s content should be interesting, informative, engaging, and pertinent. Having repetitive content or using a cookie-cutter template and plugging in your ideal keyword and location is not recommended.
Here are three ideas and suggestions to get your creative juices flowing and help you create an excellent geo landing page.
1. Start With Your Business
Clients want to know about your small business. Try to answer these questions and then put it all together to create a story.
- When was your small business established?
- How long have you been helping clients in your community?
- What are your business’s values and beliefs?
- Do you have a mission statement?
- What services are offered to clients in this area? Explain and outline the items and services.
- Explain how your services vary from those of your competitors.
- Is there a specific team or manager that helps clients in “my area”?
- List any references and resources related to town or county bylaws, initiatives, events, or information connected with your services and offerings in your rural area or surrounding area.
2. Your Clients
Use your experience with your clients to grow your content even further.
The easiest way to do this is to think about any and all questions you have to answer on a daily basis. Then consider creating a list of the most frequently asked questions and answers for a specific topic and specific location.
For example, if we were to have a page “Fishing Charter to Frying Pan Shoals - Chaz’s Charters,” we might list the following:
- What you can catch in each season (Great Barracuda, Greater Amberjack, Amberjack, Vermilion Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Grouper, King Mackerel, Sea Bass, Porgies, and Bluefin Tuna)
- What bait to use
- What rigging and tackle to use
- Distance from shore
- About the Frying Pan Shoals Light Station
You might also want to take an alternate approach to showcase clients’ projects and services in your target area. Incorporating before and after images if it is applicable to the service you offer.
Example of Before and After Photos:
3. Testimonials & Reviews
Get testimonials, either written or videos, from clients in the target service area and feature them on the page. Client testimonials help create trust and provide you with relevant, valuable, and unique content for your page.
Examples of Testimonials for Chaz’s Charters:
Trust Signals
While trust must be earned, there are some indicators that can assist you in establishing it with prospective clients. Aside from reviews and testimonials, another way to encourage prospects to choose your small business is to include at least some of the following:
Guarantees
Include that information on the page if you guarantee your services or products. It is an excellent technique to give prospective clients confidence in their decision to work with your small business. This includes your return policy, labor guarantee, or money-back guarantee.
Associations & Memberships
Is your rural small business part of an association that is recognized in your industry? Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau? Are you a member of your local Chamber of Commerce? Are you associated with civic organizations? Feature this on your website, typically in the footer or close to it. The bottom line is that this becomes a broad trust signal and shows your commitment to being involved with your community.
News & Mentions
Has your rural small business been mentioned in a local newspaper, chamber newsletter, online magazine, or blog post? If so, include it on your landing page (s). Even if your company was not explicitly featured, but your work was displayed or mentioned, it is still appropriate to put this as a resource on the page.
If you’ve had several news pieces, interviews, or features, it’s probable that you already have a page on your website dedicated to your media mentions; be sure to include a link to these as well.
Contact Information
Make your contact information is easy to find, easy to read, and, more importantly, visible.
How can people get in touch? Ensure the following:
- Have your contact numbers listed
- Have a contact form
- Make sure to list your hours of operation. They are up to date
- Include directions if you want clients to come directly to you. If not, then show a map of your service area.
- List accepted forms of payment.
Take Your Geo Landing Page and Content Further With More Details
You could have great content, but if that’s all you have on your page, people will be bored. Nothing is less welcoming than a massive block of text that lacks personality.
Photos
Images and photos help tell a story, so capture high-quality pictures and incorporate them into your content when it makes sense for your rural small business. It could be as simple as a team photo, a shot taken on a job site in that area, or a photo taken at an event. The goal is to have something that contributes to the overall picture of your company.
Videos
Video is becoming more common, if not necessary, so if you are not camera-shy, you can take your local landing page(s) to the next level with a video.
Ideas for videos include:
- Welcome or about us video: Create a video about your staff and what clients can anticipate from your organization. You could also provide information about your company’s history and experience. Including an approachable, friendly, and professional greeting video will help visitors and potential clients understand who you are as a company.
- Turn your FAQs into a video: Create a video out of your most commonly asked question(s). This is a double benefit for service businesses that can both display and explain the solution.
- Create explainer videos: Make a short and informative explanation film for the most popular services in your service area. These videos can be beneficial to new clients, especially if a significant percentage of them are dealing with similar issues.
Specials
Consider creating a city-specific or area-specific promotion for your services or products, such as a discount code or printable coupon. This can be an incentive for clients to contact you, as who doesn’t want a deal?
How Many Geo Landing Pages Are Too Many?
Here is where rural digital marketing differs from our urban counterparts. For an urban market, 10-15 geo landing pages may be enough. However, if you are in a rural area, you need to widen the net and do more than that. As a general rule, if there are 20 zip codes or communities in your service area, then I would recommend having a page for each.
Other Important Factors to Consider
Tracking
Remember to include basic tracking for your local landing pages to help you gauge their performance.
- Call tracking: This can be one of the best ways to track the effectiveness of a local landing page. Depending on how many city locations you want to target, you may want to have a separate call tracking number for each location. However, this may be undesirable and cost prohibitive for most rural small businesses.
- Tracking Contact Forms: Using a marketing analytics and tracking system such as the one outlined here, you can track the conversions of each geo landing page to see which ones have the most completed contact forms.
Earning Links
For some lucky small businesses in less competitive markets, such as a rural areas, ranking organically for their local landing page won’t be as hard. However, as more small businesses realize the power of digital marketing, it will become harder and harder. You will need more links pointing to each page to create authority and stronger rankings.
Research the Competition
I speak with clients all the time, and I often hear that ACME, Inc. has been in business for 120 years. How am I going to compete with them? I then bring up their website, if they have one, and it looks like something out of the last century.
I can then confidently say, “I am sure we can get you ranking at the top or near the top of the SERPs,” above ACME, Inc.
However, on the rare occasion that ACME, Inc. is doing digital marketing, I usually say, “we have some catching up to do, so we just have to do more than they are to get you to the top of the SERPs.”
Hire a Copywriter
If the mere thought of creating unique content for just one geo landing page instills fear and dread, then invest money in a qualified agency, copywriter, English major, or journalist. I promise you will not regret it.
Pay To Rank
Ranking locally is becoming more and more difficult. From the monetization of the local pack to zero-click results, small businesses with no physical location in their target area are finding it increasingly difficult to appear in results.
While some small businesses try to avoid the pay-to-play path entirely, if you’re not prepared to put in the time and effort required to design an exceptional geo landing page (which includes completing everything outlined in this post), you’ll need to invest in some paid advertising or pay-per-click (PPC) ads.
Examples of What Not to Do
In my quest to get my own agency to rank better on the SERPs, I have encountered several national agencies who are, at best, doing a poor job of creating geo-landing pages.
Here is an example video. Can you spot the difference between them?
Final Thoughts
As we come to the end of this guide, I hope that you have a better understanding of what it takes to target the local organic results for areas outside of your current location. The bottom line is that it takes building informative and relevant pages about the services you offer in the areas you do it.
Suppose you are ready to take your rural small business to the next level. Then contact me today. I am here to help you and your rural small business grow!
