Local search marketing is a complicated system. Standard SEO techniques such as keyword-rich content, well-optimized meta tags and a strong backlink profile are always important. For multi-location franchises, add the complications of Name, Address and Phone Number (NAP) accuracy, maintenance and distribution of local business listings, proactive management of Google My Business data and citation development, and you have a real challenge, especially for large franchises in competitive markets.
This article addresses three significant opportunities that are often overlooked by digital franchise marketers.
1. Proactively manage local business listing data
Possibly the biggest challenge in local search is keeping your local business data accurate and consistent across the web. With Google and various directories frequently making automatic updates, proactive review and management are a must. To do so, franchise marketers must start with an accurate list or database of NAP, hours of operation and other critical business data for every location.
In the United States, there are four major data aggregators across which it’s very important to ensure data accuracy and consistency: Localeze, Infogroup, Acxiom and Factual. You must frequently review your local business listings on these sites and eliminate duplicates and data inaccuracies.
For the tall task of monitoring a business with many locations, I highly recommend using a tool to streamline the process of finding missing or inaccurate citations. A few of my favorite tools are Bright Local, SweetIQ and Whitespark Citation Finder.
Proactive management of business data is an opportunity that many franchises miss. Due to the complex systems, the large volume of work associated with managing multiple locations and frequent market changes, many franchises don’t allocate sufficient time and energy to local listings.
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