We delivered a +32% increase in Google Maps listings and a +110% lift in local SEO traffic. We prioritized comprehensive audits, a scalable location‑focused plan, and repeatable on‑the‑ground execution to enable consistent rollout across markets.
Franchise / Multi‑Location SEO Case Study
Linchpin SEO and their Founder Bill Ross helped our 120+ location franchise, increase our Google Maps listings by 32% and grow our local SEO traffic by 110%.
After completing comprehensive local and national SEO audits, they rolled out a location‑focused growth plan that included regional landing pages, hyper‑local content, and a photo‑acquisition program for each Google Business Profile. The results speak for themselves.
Bill
Marketing Director, HairClub.com
Client Snapshot
This engagement centered on a national, multi‑location franchise operating in a high‑intent, research‑heavy category. The organization needed a playbook that would scale across markets while respecting local nuances. The marketing team prioritized outcomes they could operationalize and measure at the location level.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | HairClub.com |
| Footprint | 120+ franchise locations across major U.S. metros |
| Operating Model | Centralized strategy with local execution and market‑level accountability |
| Primary Channels | Google Maps / Google Business Profile, Local Organic Search, Location Landing Pages |
| Starting Point | Inconsistent GBP listings and uneven content depth by market |
| Key Constraints | Brand governance, photography at scale, and maintaining accuracy across listings |
| Data Stack | GBP Insights, Web Analytics (GA4), and location‑level call/lead tracking |
| Engagement Goal | Operationalize a durable, location‑focused growth engine that compounds over time |
Business Objectives & KPIs
We aligned on outcome clarity and measurement discipline. The objectives emphasized footprint visibility, demand capture, and program scalability, with KPIs that roll up cleanly from the location level to the executive dashboard.
- Objective 1: Expand Google Maps presence and completeness across all operated locations.
- Objective 2: Grow local organic traffic to location experiences and regional content hubs.
- Objective 3: Establish a repeatable operating model for content, photography, and governance.
- Objective 4: Maintain data integrity so wins reflect real, location‑level demand.
Approach: Location‑Focused Growth Plan
We started with rigorous local and national SEO audits to determine what to fix, what to scale, and what to retire. From there, we operationalized a growth plan that balanced centralized standards with market‑level execution. The deliverable set prioritized speed to impact and long‑term maintainability.
- Audit & Prioritization: Diagnose GBP status, on‑page gaps, duplicate listings, and content depth by market. Prioritize fixes and opportunities by location tier.
- Regional Architecture: Launch regional landing pages that route users to the closest center while capturing high‑intent queries at the metro level.
- Hyper‑Local Content: Build city pages and FAQs aligned to local search behavior, landmarks, and neighborhood vernacular to improve relevance and conversion.
- Photo‑Acquisition Program: Stand up a repeatable workflow to source, approve, and publish authentic photos to each Google Business Profile at scale.
- On‑Page Optimization: Standardize schema, headings, internal linking, and trust cues so each location page converts and ranks more consistently.
- Governance & QA: Create SOPs for listing edits, UTM tagging, and content updates to keep data clean as the footprint evolves.
Program Components Strategies
- Google Business Profile Management: Ownership verification, category optimization, service attributes, and ongoing Posts for each location.
- Regional Landing Pages: Metro‑level pages engineered for discovery, routing, and conversion with clear CTAs and embedded local proof.
- Hyper‑Local Content Modules: Location‑specific FAQs, directions, neighborhood references, and policy details to boost topical authority.
- Photo Ops at Scale: A lightweight intake and approval process for authentic imagery, elevating listings quality and engagement.
- Technical & On‑Page SEO: Structured data, page speed, internal link hubs, and canonical discipline across the network.
- Data & Measurement: UTM governance, event naming, and location‑level dashboards aligned to the KPIs that matter.
- Change Management: Clear roles, SLAs, and a cadence that keeps local teams engaged without overloading them.
Outcomes & Proof
The program delivered material gains in Maps presence and local organic demand. Results below are expressed as indexed values to show percentage lifts without exposing confidential baselines. Location‑level drill‑downs are available on request.
| Metric | Change |
|---|---|
| Google Maps Listing Growth | +32% |
| Local SEO Traffic Growth | +110% |
- Evidence: Aggregated GBP Insights and web analytics validate lifts in discovery and engagement.
- Sustainability: Gains are supported by governance, SOPs, and content workflows that scale with new locations.
Inside the Playbook (How We Operationalized It)
The operating model balanced speed with quality control. We set a tight cadence, standardized artifacts, and kept the feedback loop short so each location benefited from wins learned elsewhere.
- Audit & Setup: Establish source‑of‑truth tracking, map every location to the correct GBP, and triage issues by impact.
- Build & Launch: Ship regional landers, stand up city pages, and publish initial Posts and photos across priority markets.
- Optimize & Scale: Roll out winning patterns network‑wide, enforce schema and linking standards, and expand content depth.
- Govern & Refresh: Lock in routines for photo updates, Q&A, and seasonal content without disrupting operations.
- Core Artifacts: Regional page templates, GBP checklist, content blocks, and a photo intake guide.
- Cadence: Weekly progress checkpoints, monthly KPI reviews, and quarterly playbook updates.
- Quality Gates: Brand compliance review before publishing and automated checks for data consistency.
Why This Worked
- Focus on High‑Leverage Work: Audits pinpointed the few changes that mattered most across 120+ locations.
- Local Relevance at Scale: Regional pages and hyper‑local content aligned with how real customers search and decide.
- Authenticity Drives Engagement: The photo‑acquisition program lifted listing quality and credibility without heavy production overhead.
- Operational Discipline: Governance, SOPs, and clean data ensured wins were repeatable and attributable.
- Simple, Durable System: The playbook is easy to maintain and extend as the footprint evolves.
The net effect is a compound‑growth engine in local search. It improves visibility today and sets the foundation for sustainable performance tomorrow.