What must you put within the “Web site” subject of your Google Locations web page: the URL of your homepage, or of one in all your location pages? You already know it could have an effect on your rankings. Which one do you choose?
I recommend you employ your homepage as your touchdown web page, at any time when potential.
There’s debate over which web page to make use of. This nice thread on Linda Buquet’s discussion board exhibits that.
It’s a trade-off:
On the one hand, the homepage URL (AKA root area) normally has essentially the most web page authority – from any hyperlinks the positioning has earned. Most of your hyperlinks in all probability level there.
However, a location-specific web page by definition does a greater job of “concentrating on” (I hate that phrase) town you’re in. You’re speaking about one metropolis fairly than a number of.
From what I’ve seen, the “authority” of the homepage appears to pack extra punch for rankings.
Why? As I discussed, my greatest guess is that it’s as a result of the homepage normally has essentially the most hyperlink juice. Or perhaps it’s as a result of most companies’ “location” pages are skinny on content material or over-optimized – to the purpose that perhaps Google dings them. I don’t know.
What I do know is I’ve seen the homepage URL work time and time once more for multi-location purchasers, and for enterprise I stumble throughout “within the wild.”
I additionally know I’ve had a few purchasers whose rankings had been nowhere till we switched the URL – on the Locations web page and within the citations.
I didn’t at all times err on the facet of utilizing the homepage as your touchdown web page. For a time, natural rankings and Google Locations rankings could possibly be mutually unique. Google’s setup was such that in case your homepage had a page-one natural rating, and then you definately used your homepage because the touchdown web page for Google Locations, you’d lose your natural rating in the event you began rating within the Google Locations “7-pack.”
That’s not the case now – thank goodness. A minimum of for the time being, you’ll be able to have your homepage rank organically and function your Google Locations touchdown web page.
You could have different considerations about utilizing the homepage:
1. You’d discover it exhausting to make the homepage title tag related to a number of places.
2. You are feeling that having the title / handle / cellphone (“NAP”) data for a number of places on the identical web page may harm rankings.
For the title tag, simply do the very best you’ll be able to – by way of getting metropolis names in there. In my expertise, it’s extra essential to ensure your major service(s) are within the title tag; Google is aware of the place you’re situated.
Talking of Google “understanding” the place you’re situated, I’ve by no means seen any unhealthy results from having a number of blobs of NAP data on the homepage.
One final thing I’d like to say:
Please use your discretion. If you happen to’re rating nicely already, you need to in all probability depart nicely sufficient alone. Don’t go altering your touchdown web page URL all over the place in the event you’re #3 and wish to transfer up a pair positions.
One of the best scenario during which to take my recommendation is (1) in the event you’re simply beginning your native search engine marketing effort, or (2) in the event you’re not rating nicely and you’re feeling such as you’ve tried nearly every thing else.
—
What’s been your expertise? Which kind of touchdown web page has labored – or not labored – for you up to now? Go away a remark!