How to do SEO for new physical locations

How to set up digital properties to help maximize online visibility when opening new locations.

Opening a new business location can be exciting and chaotic at the same time. But some preparation can greatly alleviate the workload and boost your opening day traffic.

Keep reading to get tips for preparing and executing local SEO strategies when opening a new physical location.

First things first

What is local SEO? Simply put, optimizing your online and offline presence to reach people in local markets.

Let's get to the tips now

1. Google Business Profile: Set an opening date 

Google Business Profile (GBP) is fundamental to any local SEO strategy. Once the location’s details are live on your website, set up GBP next. Set an opening date to share when the business will open. This will make the profile eligible in search results and allow potential customers to engage with the business. 

Make sure to include the following, at minimum:

• Adding all relevant information.
• Uploading photo.
• Creating a post calendar that can be used to announce promotions or events leading up to the grand opening.

   

Once the data is entered and the profile has been verified, the profile will start showing on Google 90 days before the scheduled opening date, along with a message to inform users that the business is opening soon. 

Yelp has a similar process for letting users know when a business plans to open soon. However, Yelp recommends that a business add its opening date to the “From the Business” section or add “Opening Soon” to the business name to convey the message. 

2. Websites and local landing pages

Your website is vital to share information about your business. From a digital perspective, it’s the main way to tie everything together and drive users to become potential customers. 

From a local SEO standpoint, you’ll want to get the website ready to capture organic traffic and potentially start ranking for local queries.  The website should include valuable information about the business, such as where it’s located and the products or services that will be offered. 

For a business that isn’t open yet, include messaging that states when it’ll be opening or a “coming soon” message. And display it prominently, like the top of the page.

Another benefit of launching the website before opening is that now there’s a way to start collecting potential customer information. For a location opening soon, consider including a website form for users to sign up for updates or enter information for a promotional offer.

3. Building local backlinks

A good starting point for building local backlinks to a website is through citations like GBP and Apple Business Connect.

Why backlinks? To shoe authority, when others talk about you Google see your as a potential authority for your topic: restaurant, CPA, coaching, etc. 

Also, look into partnerships with nearby establishments and where the business can be listed in directories (i.e., the shopping center or where a business is located, the local chamber of commerce, etc.). 

Being listed in local directories or niche publications can help connect you with your audience.

4. Creating a comprehensive grand opening strategy

While local SEO is crucial for businesses, it’s just one part of a comprehensive marketing strategy. Businesses can connect with consumers by sharing consistent messages across various channels and platforms to reach diverse audiences. 

As marketers, we should consider the big picture and align strategies with our clients’ goals. A holistic approach often strengthens marketing channels more effectively than staying siloed.

Ideas for a comprehensive opening strategy:

• Paid search: Get in front of your target audience. Paid search is a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness in new markets. It efficiently targets the right audience by leveraging collected emails from web queries. 
• Social media: Share updates and build followers. Start building an audience and show the business’s personality through social media. This can include sharing updates about the construction progress via Instagram Stories, TikToks, and FB posts to give followers an exclusive look into the business and help build some anticipation around the opening.  Consider giveaways and exclusive offers to entice people to engage. Look into both organic and paid social media efforts.
• Email marketing: Build customer lists. Businesses can start interacting with customers before they open. This can be done through promotional offers or by getting people to sign up for informational newsletters. If people  filled out their information, they want to learn more. Use email campaigns to send special offers, information about grand opening events, or a newsletter to share updates.
• Press Release: The OG. They've gone online and inexpensive. These are opportunities to earn links and grow awareness about the business. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for a link when a story gets picked up on an online publication. 

Final stop: Opening day and beyond

We’ve finally made it to opening day – what an exciting time! 

Make sure all publicly available information is accurate.

Update messaging from “Coming Soon” to “Now Open.” This includes social media posts, ad copy, metadata, web copy, GBP or anywhere else as necessary. 

Check that local listings indicate the business is now open and that information like hours are updated.

With the right preparation, your hard work will pay off with a successful launch and a strong foundation for getting the new business spotted locally.

And if you need help with some of the above do not hesitate to contact us online or just reply to this email, we can help make the process easier and go smoother, while you focus on getting your business ready to open.