Running a multi-location brand?
The last thing you need is a knife fight between your own locations for the top spot on Google.
But without a smart SEO (search engine optimization) strategy, that’s exactly what will happen.
So, what is SEO for franchises? Franchise SEO is the process of boosting your brand’s national rankings and visibility on Google, while optimizing individual locations for local “near me” searches.
76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours. Local SEO helps you get their attention!
In the next 10 minutes, we’ll give you 13 highly effective tips (courtesy of the 18 SEO experts here at Comrade). You’ll see how to achieve page-one national and local rankings and get up to 400% more qualified leads!
Key Takeaways
- Optimize every location separately; that way, each branch ranks in its own market without cannibalizing the others.
- Localize your keywords and content to tell Google which location connects to which “near me” search.
- Claim and optimize every Google Business Profile to allow customers to find accurate info, call faster, and walk through your door.
- Build consistent local citations across every directory; Google will trust your brand and reward you with higher rankings.
- Create a unified content strategy with localized pages; this ensures you dominate national brand searches AND local customer searches.
What is Franchise SEO?
SEO for franchise businesses is the process of optimizing a multi-location brand’s online presence to rank higher in both national and “near me” local search results.
It goes deeper than your standard SEO!
SEO for franchise websites ensures that each individual location ranks in its own local market, without competing against your other branches.
As a quick example, when we Google “McDonald’s USA,” the #1 result is McDonald’s main U.S. site, followed by a “People Also Ask” box to answer common questions.
Now, if we narrow that search to “McDonald’s Minnesota,” we see local branches with options to order or get directions instantly!
Yes. National and local rankings are important to capture different audiences.
But we’re not jockeying purely for rankings. Rankings don’t pay the bills.
The pot at the end of this SEO rainbow is more local visibility per location, more qualified leads per market, and a stronger brand everywhere you operate!
Franchise SEO vs Regular SEO
Regular SEO is the process of optimizing a single website to rank higher on search engines. One domain, one local franchise location, one target audience.
Franchise SEO is a whole different ball game. It’s the practice of optimizing multiple franchise locations under one brand, each targeting its own local market and audience.
Summary of Key Differences
| Feature | Regular (National) SEO | Franchise SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Broad, national, or international | Highly localized to specific zip codes |
| Strategy | Content authority and broad keywords | Google Business Profiles and “near me” intent |
| Scale | Meticulous, page-by-page optimization | Scalable templates and localized data (NAP) |
| Main Goal | Domain authority and global rank | Local “Map Pack” visibility and foot traffic |
The local SEO challenges for franchises go WAY beyond what a single-location business faces.
Here, you’re managing multiple Google Business Profiles, creating unique content across locations, keeping your brand messaging consistent, AND making sure your Chicago store isn’t stealing rankings from your Dallas one.
But don’t worry. We’ll show you how to navigate this SEO jungle to get more franchise SEO clients.
Why Franchise SEO Matters for Multi-Location Businesses
Why are we telling you about multi-location SEO for franchises?
Franchise SEO is critical because it connects your national brand to a customer’s immediate local need.
It ensures that when someone nearby searches for a service, your specific local branch (rather than a competitor’s) appears in Google Maps with accurate contact details.
Gets Every Location Found by Local Customers
83% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses. Without franchise SEO, your locations simply won’t show up for these top customers.
One Hour Heating & AC is a great example of franchise SEO. They have a location finder on their website, covering an estimated 440 locations across the U.S.
Attract High-Quality Leads
Franchise SEO ensures each location targets its own area. That way, your branches stop “cannibalizing” each other and instead, target their own local customers.
Ensures Brand Consistency
Lastly, when you maintain consistent messaging, design, and content across every location, you’ll build a strong web of authority and rankings, ultimately pulling in more customers and revenue.
Thankfully, multi-location SEO for franchises is NOT impossible to do. It takes a few highly regimented steps that we’ll break down below.
Confused?
13 SEO Tips for Franchises
As promised, here are 13 franchise SEO strategies for multi-location brands.
Our team uses this exact formula to get every location ranking, pull in real clients with their wallets open, and tick up those revenue figures, without fighting another one of your locations.
Let’s get into it!
1. Identify The Most Important Keywords Related To Your Business
Keywords are like little “SOS” signals from your customers.
They are the foundation of ANY solid local SEO strategy for franchises. Get them wrong, and no amount of great content will save you.
Start by identifying the terms your customers are typing into Google:
- Brand and location terms: “Subway Chicago” or “Anytime Fitness Austin.”
- Service and location terms: “Sandwich shop near me” or “gym open now in Dallas.”
- High-intent buying terms: Phrases that signal someone is ready to act.
Four Seasons nailed it. They have a dedicated page targeting a high-intent term: “emergency plumber Chicago.”
Our advice: Target local keywords with strong search volume AND buying intent. You can use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to check these numbers.
You’re ultimately looking for keywords that drive phone calls, foot traffic, and booked appointments.
2. Localize Your Keywords
Which keyword do you think would get more customers?
“Pizza delivery” or “pizza delivery Austin, TX”?
The second one!
That’s the whole point of localizing your keywords. Local SEO for franchise businesses pairs your core service keywords with specific cities, neighborhoods, and regions.
THAT’S how you attract customers in your own backyard without competing with another location.
- Add city or neighborhood modifiers: “24/7 gym Austin TX” or “hair salon near downtown Chicago.”
- Use location-specific landing pages: Each page targets its own geo-modified keywords; that way, locations stop competing against each other.
- Go hyper-local: Suburbs, zip codes, and landmarks all count. “HVAC repair Wicker Park Chicago” is a real search someone is making right now!
Kudos to All Temp for crushing this. They created a Wicker Park AC page to target this exact hyper-local search.
3. Global and Localized Content
SEO marketing for franchises can give you whiplash.
After all, you have to sound like one brand, while also speaking directly to customers in each local market.
You need 2 types of content:
- Global content: Your mission statement, service descriptions, brand messaging. This stays consistent across every location, every website, every page.
For instance, One Hour Heating & AC offers the same promise across hundreds of its locations:
- Localized content: City-specific pages, region-specific offers, local customer testimonials, and geo-targeted keywords that tell Google exactly which location serves which area.
One Hour also has a Phoenix page, decked out with hyperlocal content and reviews!
4. Target and Remove Duplicate Content
Duplicate content is no bueno for franchise SEO!
When multiple locations use the exact same page copy (same descriptions, same headlines, same everything), Google gets confused.
It doesn’t know which location to rank.
So it picks one, buries the rest, and your other locations disappear from search entirely. So, how do you protect all your franchise websites?
- Audit every location page for copied or near-identical content. You can even run each page through Claude AI to find this faster.
- Rewrite each page with unique local details, city-specific language, and location-specific customer reviews.
- Use canonical tags to signal to Google which pages are the authority.
As per Raven Tools, 29% of web pages have duplicated content. For franchises with multiple location pages, that number is likely even higher.
Take pains to create unique content for every page and every website. It will pay off, we promise!
5. Master Google Business Profile (GBP) for Local Authority
This is the most important asset for local SEO marketing for franchises:
Your Google Business Profile!
A well-optimized GBP puts each of your locations on the Google Map Pack (or 3-Pack).
Semrush found that businesses in the 3-Pack get 126% more traffic and 93% more customer actions — calls, clicks, and direction requests — than those ranked 4th–10th!
Every location needs its own GBP:
- Claimed and verified listing: Head to business.google.com to claim yours.
- Consistent NAP: Name, address, and phone number matching corresponding listings on Yelp, BBB, etc.
- Fresh local photos: Businesses ranking in the top 3 positions on Google typically have over 250 images on their profiles.
- Regular posts and promotions: Google rewards active profiles with better local search rankings.
- A steady stream of genuine customer reviews: More on that later!
If there’s one thing you do this week, build out your GBP.
6. Local Listing Management
But don’t stop at your GBP.
Every major directory (Bing Places, Yelp, Apple Maps, Meta Business) is an opportunity to get found by a local customer.
Here’s what to nail on every listing:
- NAP consistency: Name, address, and phone number must match exactly across every platform. Use tools like Moz Local or Yext to audit and fix your NAP.
- Real location photos: E.g. A before-and-after of a completed project (burst pipe fixed, lawn transformed, roof replaced).
- Up-to-date business hours: Including holidays and special hours.
- A direct link to the right location page: Every extra hoop you make them jump through loses you business.
This takes time; we won’t lie to you. But it is HIGHLY important. It gives your business another “doorway” to get discovered by a new client.
7. Make Sure Your Local Citations Are Accurate
A local citation is any mention of your franchise’s name, address, and phone number across the web. This includes directories, review sites, social platforms, and industry listings.
Citations can get messy.
It’s super common to accidentally have one phone number on Yelp and another one on Google Business. That kind of inconsistency will confuse Google.
Keep every citation consistent.
- Audit all locations regularly using tools like BrightLocal or Yext, as we said.
- Fix every mismatch: Look for old addresses, disconnected numbers, and outdated URLs.
- Target industry-specific directories relevant to your franchise category.
- Build new citations proactively: Get as many high-quality mentions of your location across the web as possible.
Local SEO Search even reports that a robust local citation profile boosts visibility on Google by as much as 50%!
8. Unified Brand Design
Walk into any McDonald’s in the world, and you instantly know where you are.
They all use the exact same colors, similar uniforms, and consistent packaging.
That’s the power of unified brand design! In fact, consistent branding could yield as much as a 33% revenue difference, as per Marketing LTB.
For franchises, consistent branding across every location’s website immediately assures people they’re in the right place.
To ensure consistent branding, use:
- The same color palette, fonts, and logo across every location page.
- Consistent tone and messaging; every location should sound like the same brand.
- Uniform website templates; thestructure, layout, and navigation should feel identical.
Terminix nails this perfectly. They have over 300 branches and use very consistent branding across each one.
Not sure what great web design looks like? Check out our roundup of the best franchise websites right now!
9. Have A Local Link Building Strategy
A backlink (also called an “inbound link”) is simply a link from another website that points to your own website.
Getting backlinks from other businesses directly impacts your Domain Authority: how likely your website is to rank in search engines!
Here’s how to earn local links at scale:
- Co-sponsor local events: Charity runs, school fairs, neighborhood festivals. They generate web coverage and backlinks simultaneously.
- Partner with non-competing local businesses: A gym franchise partnering with a local nutritionist is a natural fit.
- Join local business associations: Chamber of Commerce mentions (like the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce) almost always include a link back to your site.
- Track unlinked mentions: Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to find places already talking about you but not linking to you. Then simply ask!
The average enterprise site has 100,000+ backlinks, as per OutRank. But as they point out, “10 amazing backlinks can outperform 100 mediocre ones.”
10. Optimize E-E-A-T On Local Pages
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Search Engine Journal points out, “E-E-A-T is used by Google’s algorithms to identify good content as part of the ranking process.”
Translation: It’s NOT a direct ranking factor. But it is important!
For SEO for home service franchises, E-E-A-T is everything. Customers are inviting you into their homes. They need to trust you before they call you.
Here’s how to build E-E-A-T into every location page:
- Add staff bios and local team photos: Lawrence Park Garden Care created a beautiful team page, showing off their talent.
- Customer reviews and testimonials: 85% of consumers will hire a business after reading positive reviews.
- Local awards, certifications, and accreditations: Proof you’re legit in that market.
- Original, locally relevant content: Not copied from other location pages. Use landmarks and hyper-local content wherever you can.
You have one mission: To get Google to trust each location page.
11. Develop A Great Content Strategy
Content rules supreme. It’s how Google decides you’re worth ranking.
A great content strategy operates on 2 levels: brand-wide content that builds national authority, and location-specific content that attracts local clients.
Here’s what to publish:
- Location-specific blog posts: “Best HVAC Tips for Chicago Winters” is far better than “Best HVAC Tips.”
- Local FAQs: Answer the questions your specific customers are asking.
World of Comfort nailed this. They have a fantastic FAQ page with accurate, concise answers.
- Community content: Local events, neighborhood news, and regional promotions that make each location feel genuinely local.
- Service pages per location: Instead of one generic “Plumbing Services” page, a franchise with 10 locations should have 10 unique pages: “Plumbing Services in Atlanta,” “Plumbing Services in Dallas,” and so on.
Need exclusive tips on franchise marketing? Check out our franchise marketing guide.
12. Encourage Local and Online Content Reviews
Your brand’s national reputation may be great.
But local customers want to know how YOUR location performs.
90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. A single star increase on Google can boost your conversions by 44%.
Here’s how to collect reviews (follow this to a T):
- Ask right after the job: Strike when the customer is happy, fresh off a great experience.
- Make it easy: Send a direct Google review link via text or email.
- Respond to every single review: Customers spend nearly 50% more with businesses that engage with their feedback, according to Keywords Everywhere.
- Do it location by location: Reviews for your brand HQ won’t cut it. Every location needs its own reviews. Encourage every customer to mention their city naturally when they review.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Las Vegas has a profile on HomeAdvisor with reviews specifically calling out its location: “Las Vegas.” Nicely done!
13. Drive Local Leads with Targeted Advertising
SEO is a long game. It takes about 3 to 6 months to see a meaningful increase in leads.
That’s why you need targeted local advertising in the meantime. This will perfectly complement your franchise SEO strategy.
Here’s where to focus:
- Local Services Ads (LSAs): You pay per lead, not per click, and Google’s “Guaranteed” badge builds instant credibility.
- Location-specific PPC campaigns: Target specific zip codes, neighborhoods, and service areas for each franchise.
- Geo-targeted social ads: Reach homeowners scrolling Facebook and Instagram in each location’s backyard.
The golden rule: Never, ever run generic national ads that dump leads into a central call center.
Every ad dollar should drive traffic to the right location, for the right customer, in the right city.
Ramp Up Your Exposure & Get Customers with Local SEO for Franchises
You’ve just seen 13 steps to dominate Google, nationally and by location!
But here’s the truth: knowing what to do and actually executing it well are two very different things.
Partner with the franchise SEO experts at Comrade.
Since 2008, we’ve helped 300+ multi-location brands get massive exposure and rein in customers at record-breaking speed.
Our clients regularly see 400%+ more qualified leads in the first 12 months, without their locations fighting each other for the same rankings.
Ready to ditch the stress?
Our SEO services are built specifically for multi-location brands (like yours!). Let’s get every location ranking.