Why It’s Smart to Target Areas Outside Your City
When it comes to building local SEO outside your core location, most businesses begin by focusing on their main city or headquarters. But once you’ve achieved strong local visibility, it’s time to look outward—toward nearby suburbs, neighborhoods, and surrounding cities.
If you’re already ranking well in your home base and serving customers in neighboring areas, you’re likely missing out on valuable traffic and leads. The opportunity? You can still gain visibility in those places even without having a physical address there.
Here’s how you can expand your reach while staying aligned with Google’s local SEO guidelines.
What Google Says About Location-Based Rankings
According to Google, its local algorithm prioritizes businesses that have a physical presence in the searched area. But that doesn’t mean you can’t compete elsewhere. By optimizing for proximity, relevance, and trust, you can start building local SEO outside your core location and gain traction in surrounding markets.
Take a business based in San Jose—it can still rank in Palo Alto or Fremont by publishing tailored content, acquiring regional links, and aligning with the local search intent in each city.
Success depends on consistency and geo-targeted SEO strategies—but the return is worth it.
How to Know It’s Time to Expand Your SEO Reach
If your current local SEO strategy delivers consistent top 3 rankings, frequent positive reviews, and solid local traffic—you’re ready to go wider.
Here’s when to take that next step:
- Your service area already includes nearby regions
- You offer mobile, virtual, or delivery-based services
- You’re near a large metro hub with multiple suburbs
- You’re planning to open satellite locations soon
Outranking your competitors early in those nearby areas sets you up for long-term visibility and success.
Build Unique Pages for Each Location
To successfully start building local SEO outside your core location, create separate landing pages tailored for each city you want to target. These pages should contain:
- The city name in the page title, headers, and body
- Location-specific services, topics, and keywords
- Local testimonials or work examples
- Nearby landmarks, directions, or city photos if possible
Don’t duplicate content by simply swapping out city names. Instead, make each page meaningful and relevant. For example: “Bathroom Renovation in Glendale: A Guide for Phoenix-Area Residents.”
Google rewards quality and penalizes cookie-cutter pages.
Use Schema Markup for Local Signals
Use Local Business schema to help Google understand your geographic targeting—especially if you don’t have an office in that city. If your business operates from one central location but serves several cities, consider using service Area Business schema. This works well for mobile-based businesses such as consultants, home services, and event vendors. Schema markup increases your content’s relevance and can improve your visibility in local search results.
Earn Regional Links and Local Citations
To strengthen your local authority in new target areas, earn backlinks and citations from that region. Here’s how:
- Get listed in city-specific directories
- Collaborate with local bloggers and community sites
- Sponsor local events or charities
- Publish guest posts on local media websites
- Partner with other nearby businesses
Also, make sure your business info (name, number, and address if applicable) is consistent across platforms like Apple Maps, Yelp, and Angi to help with local citations.
Post Blog Content Geared to Local Audiences
Your blog is a perfect place to focus on building local SEO outside your core location. Post content that speaks to your target areas, such as:
- “How to Navigate Construction Laws in Glendale”
- “How We Helped a Nonprofit in Downtown San Diego”
- “Marketing Ideas for Dentists in Addison, Texas”
Mention local trends, concerns, and landmarks to build relevance in Google’s eyes and connect with readers in specific locations.
Expand Your Service Area in Google Business Profile
You can still show up in local search even if you don’t have a verified address in a city. Use your Google Business Profile to include those cities in your service area settings.
Although you can’t create a separate GBP without a physical location, adding additional cities as service areas—combined with local landing pages and backlinks—can improve your visibility in search results.
This is key for service providers that travel to customers.
Encourage Clients to Mention Their City in Reviews
When customers outside your main area leave reviews, ask them to include their city name. These reviews build trust and help associate your business with the new location.
Use prompts in post-service emails or receipts like:
“We’d love your feedback on your [Service] in [City]!”
This strengthens your relevance for that area and helps with ranking.
Track SEO Results by Region
To measure your progress while building local SEO outside your core location, use heat map tools like BrightLocal, Local Falcon, or GeoGrid. They show how you’re ranking street by street across a region.
Monitor local page performance in Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Look at impressions, engagement, and keyword traffic to fine-tune your strategy.
Track local long-tail search terms such as:
- “Pest control in Bakersfield CA”
- “Online trainer in Gilbert AZ”
- “Roof repair company in Huntington Beach”
These insights are key to refining your targeting.
Partner With Experts for Multi-City SEO
Scaling your local SEO beyond your core location isn’t just about writing content. It takes planning, technical implementation, and continuous monitoring.
With an expert team on your side, you can roll out city-specific pages, earn high-quality backlinks, and create a scalable SEO strategy that delivers real results across multiple regions.
Ready to Start Expanding Your Reach?
There’s no better time than now to start building local SEO outside your core location. With the right combination of city-targeted landing pages, location-relevant content, reputation-building, and strategic outreach, your business can dominate search results—even in areas where you don’t have a physical storefront.
Let BPCustom help you scale your visibility and impact—one city at a time
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