Is it a must to add Location in title or url to rank locally?

[ColoradoChris]

Hi so a quick question.

I got some bids from some seo's in my state, and I was told that my keywords are to national.

So I am curious if I am using the Google keyword tools, and I have Colorado as my filter, and I use those results within pages of my site, wouldn't I be trying to rank for local search based on my Colorado filter?

Like I put in Pole Barns, and Steel buildings.

I also put in Steel Buildings Colorado and Pole Barns Colorado

The single terms kill the phrases with Colorado.

So again since I am using the filter of Colorado, would Google know which searchers are from Colorado, thus I may be found?

I am just trying to figure out if it is best to add the word Colorado in my title tags, or url, like maybe instead of site.com/services/steel-buildings

go with:

Site.com/Colorado/steel-buildings

Thank you for your thoughts

 

[Phil Rozek]

I wouldn't include "Colorado" in the URL unless you have locations outside of CO or do a lot of jobs out-of-state.

The advice you were given is spot-on, based on what I know of your situation. Most people who are searching for "steel buildings" probably don't care where you're located, as long as you can get your crew to their jobsite. I'd focus on AdWords.

 

[ColoradoChris]

Thank you Phil so much. I truly appreciate your time.

I had a company in Indiana do an evaluation on my site .

The concern is that I may be targeting a national level with my keywords.
Just because as it was mentioned, if they search for steel building contractors, and they are in Indiana , but I only service Colorado, I am wasting there time and mine if they do not tell me there state?

I am just trying to counter this. This company did a garage door site. Everything is like

Site.com/Indiana-garage-doors/Indianapolis- residential- garage-doors

This seems very long, but this is what they wanted to do for me.

But for 2500 a month no Adwords

So I am trying to study the google seo guide and use great tips from experts like yourself.

I just did not want to waste title tag real estate on keywords like location or make urls too long.

I see many posts here that suggest doing like this for title tags

Colorado barn builders | pole barns services in Colorado

So start with location end with location

But just not sure if times have changed and this is no longer necessary


Thank you again Phil you are a wonderful person and an awesome expert

Chris

 

[Margaret Ornsby]

I agree Phil is amazing

I got a bit confused with keywords and adwords - maybe I just need another cup of coffee. Are you talking keywords in the URL for organic search? or are you talking keywords with adwords?

If your adwords are using location targeting, https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6317, then you're only showing ads to people in in that location. If it's set to Colorado, you shouldn't be paying for people in chicago to click on your ads.

If you rank highly enough that your business shows for steel buildings in organic and someone in chicago finds you, it hasn't cost you anything.

Treat your title tags like you would a newspaper headline. What headline do you think is most relevant to the searcher and catches the eye of your best customers?

If I'm in Colorado and I want a steel building, then yes, your location important to me. But is saying it twice for my benefit (as a searcher) or because you're trying to convince Google of something. Instead use that precious real-estate you described to convey something valuable to a human - "free delivery" "installed in a day", phone number, something that makes them want to click on that lovely blue link OR something that makes them call you right now!

It's important to know that it takes far more than a single title tag to rank locally. Does your contact page make that clear? Do other parts of your website such as images, text, blogposts, etc make that clear?