What Is the First Option for Opening a Second Location for My Business in Terms of Local SEO?

The first option for opening a second location in local SEO involves creating a completely different brand. This strategy focuses on setting up a new Google My Business (GMB) profile using distinct contact information and website to generate new leads separately from your original brand.

Full Explanation

When expanding your business to a second location under local SEO guidance, one of the initial approaches is to avoid building on the existing brand identity. Instead, you create a different brand altogether. This means you don’t attempt to enhance or duplicate your original brand’s presence. Instead, you open a new Google My Business listing to attract leads specific to this new identity.

To effectively implement this, you will need to use a different email address, a separate website, and a unique phone number for the new location. These steps ensure the new location operates independently in terms of online identity and leads acquisition. However, this practice enters a gray area in SEO because it essentially involves creating a separate identity rather than extending the existing one.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Create a Different Brand: Establish a unique name and identity for the new location that is distinct from your main business.
2. Set Up a New Google My Business Profile: Register the second location with its own GMB listing to start generating location-specific leads.
3. Use Separate Contact Information: Ensure the new location has a different email address, phone number, and website to reinforce its distinct identity.
4. Manage SEO Independently: Handle the SEO efforts for this location as a separate entity, rather than linking it directly to the original brand.

Real Examples

Though specific examples are not provided, it’s implied that businesses adopting this approach intentionally create a new brand from scratch for the second location. This new entity has its own online presence, including a different website and contact details, to attract new local customers independently. The focus is on using Google My Business as a channel for lead generation under this new brand identity.

Common Mistakes

• Trying to build the second location under the original brand rather than creating a separate identity.
• Using the same email, website, or phone number for the new location, which undermines the separate brand approach.
• Failing to recognize that this method can be considered a gray area in SEO, which may have implications on reputation or search ranking.

FAQs

Why use a different brand for a new location?

Creating a different brand helps establish a distinct Google My Business profile to generate leads specific to that location without relying on or confusing the original brand identity.

Is it necessary to have a new website and phone number?

Yes, the new location should have its own website, email, and phone number to create a fully separate online identity.

Is this method fully compliant with SEO best practices?

This approach is considered somewhat of a gray area because it involves creating separate identities rather than expanding the existing one.

Key Takeaways

• An effective first option for opening a second location in local SEO is to create a completely different brand identity.
• This involves setting up a new Google My Business listing with unique contact details.
• Using different email, website, and phone number ensures the location operates independently online.
• Be aware that this strategy falls within a gray area of SEO practices and should be managed carefully.