Local search can be time-consuming and complicated for a single location; local search marketing for franchises can be downright intimidating! What’s difficult for one local business is even more difficult for a company with multiple locations.
One of the hottest topics in local search today is the rapidly increasing popularity of “near me” and “nearby” searches. Last May, Google noted that “near me” searches doubled in 2015. This is a trend that is not going away.
All local businesses have a new opportunity with “near me” searches, but the biggest winner may be multi-location business, especially large companies with many locations in the same city. Here’s why…
The multi-location search challenge
Ranking on the first page of local search results is already a tough task. Currently, there are only three spots available in the local map pack. And in organic results, there’s the added challenge of outranking powerful directories.
Now, try having five to 10 locations in the same region (all under a single brand) fighting for that limited space, and you have quite the challenge. Many multi-location marketers will tell you that having more than one location listed on the first page of Google is quite rare.
“Near me” searches are becoming more and more popular because on-the-go searchers often want to find a business, store or office located as close as possible to their current location. This is especially true for searchers who are in a new place, where they may not be 100 percent familiar with their surroundings.
Let’s use pizza delivery as an example. A hungry customer conducts a search for “[city] + pizza delivery,” finds a national pizza chain and calls the top-ranked store. Unfortunately, they learn that this particular store does not deliver to their location, and they must start their search all over again. Frustrating! There is a good chance this customer will take their business elsewhere.
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