A service area page (SAP) is a page that helps users find a specific website, and its services, for a specific location. An example being; “Moving Services in Boston,MA” for someone searching for a moving company in the Boston area. That page is specifically for that region and has information about the company available for that location. In order to have a successful page that will help boost rankings, there needs to be useful information on the page itself. If not, the service area page will be considered a doorway page, which search engines will recognize as a page with little purpose.
Here are some ways to make sure you have a service area page that is rich in content and will be a sure fire way to help boost your rankings:
- Unique Content: Content is king! With every page on your website, there should be great content, and a SAP is no different. Since you are dealing with specific locations, do some research to find information about the region. This can include population, the county that it is located in, and even some background about the area. Using the moving company as an example, they offer services in a town that hosts a university. On their SAP, they can talk about how they have helped students move into dorms and apartments. This helps the new user see that the company is well-trusted within that community. If you have reviews from customers in the area, those will help with credibility as well. Little information about a town can go a long way, and it keeps it unique from the other pages on a website.
- Links: Including internal links with anchor text to other pages on your site is essential. Not only is it a requirement, it also helps the user navigate your site while helping them learn more about your company. Writing about some of the services provided in the SAP is a perfect place to add links to pages on the site that go into further detail of what the company is offering to the user.
- Map: Including a map of the location you are referring to is a good way to diversify service area pages. It acts as an image for the page, which is a boost in and of itself, and helps the user see how close that business is to them. Since the map is an image, there needs to be alt text to tell Google that this image is a map of said location. In addition, including a caption to the map helps clarify that the company can perform services in the area the SAP is directed towards. For example; the moving company adds a map of Bridgewater with a caption “Providing expert moving services in and around Bridgewater, MA”
- Contact Info: This content is the goal of the page and site overall; to get business. At the bottom of the page, mention how to contact the business, include a link to a form to make an estimate, or even an email the user can reach for more information or questions about the services.
Remember that the purpose of a service area page is to have your site be found for a specific location. Make sure that the keywords you use within the page are relevant to the location, the content is unique to that area, any projects or services done in that region are mentioned/linked to, and that the user understands some of the services the company provides.