GMB link to homepage instead of building location pages to link to?

[Mindquest]

A professional service company has one website and 2 physical locations. Currently we have two GMB listings and they rank well in maps for both of those areas. Both GMB listings link directly to the homepage.

Is there any advantage of building out two location pages on the website and then linking each one of them to the location page not the homepage? Just trying to understand if there will be any major benefits to doing this.

My first guess is no because the location pages would be new and very light on content. Also the homepage carries more weight.

Your help is appreciated!

 

[Colan Nielsen]

@Mindquest If you are already ranking well I wouldn't change the GMB landing page. I'd still create the location pages on your website for organic purposes though.

 

[Mindquest]

@Colan Nielsen Thanks for chiming in!

Thanks for confirming my thoughts on keeping the GMB as the homepage.

Could you clarify why you would suggest creating the location pages? What organic benefit would these location pages give us?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Well they add relevant content to the website related to those locations. And if you can get them to rank organically you can do cool stuff with Schema like adding reviews and triggering gold stars that you can't do with your homepage.

 

[Mindquest]

@Colan Nielsen Thanks for the clarification!

We already rank the homepage at #1 for maps and #1 organic for 90% of local keywords. The 4 service pages also rank in position 1 thur 4 and in maps for local keywords related to those specific services.

Could the addition of these location pages still help us gain more SERP presence? Trying to see how these pages could either take the place or enhance the homepage and 4 service pages that are already ranking.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Yes because these pages would be targeting different geographic regions than the ones you currently rank in.

 

[Mindquest]

@Colan Nielsen So trying to understand how these location pages would be targeting different geographical regions.

Example:

Our primary location (with GMB profile) is in downtown Chicago. Second location is in a suburb of Chicago (Naperville).

With the current set-up of a GMB profile for each location address and no location pages we rank well in organic and maps as indicated earlier.

When you say that location pages can target different geographical regions are you referring to more suburbs other than Naperville? Or different areas of the city of Chicago? Or something else entirely that I am missing?

Sorry for all this back and forth but you made an interesting point and appreciate you expanding on it if you have time.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hey @Mindquest got it. So if you already rank in those areas with your homepage for organic and in the 3-pack that's great! The location pages would be less valuable in this case but again I would still build them for the sake of overall relevance and with the goal that one day those location pages will also rank, or outrank the homepage in those specific areas so you can gain the benefits of the gold stars in the SERP's.

 

[Mindquest]

Thanks for the clarification @Colan Nielsen

Makes total sense now!