The Edward Show How to Expand Local SEO Into New Cities (Without Getting Penalized by Google)
E930: Expanding local SEO into new cities is harder than most businesses expect, and doing it the wrong way can get you suspended or quietly ignored by Google altogether.
Darren Shaw joins the show to explain what actually works when you want to rank in cities where you are not physically located. Darren is the founder of Whitespark and one of the most experienced voices in local SEO, and this is a tactical conversation based on what he has seen work in the real world.
We break down the limits of service area businesses, the reality of Google's local algorithm, and why so many expansion strategies fail even when the business is legitimate.
Topics covered: - Why service areas in Google Business Profiles do not impact rankings - When it is impossible to rank in another city without opening a real location - How far local SEO can realistically reach from a single address - The difference between ranking in the local pack vs organic results - How service area pages actually help, and where they fall short - How to structure location pages and city-based service pages correctly - Pillar pages and internal linking for multi-city SEO - Building topical authority in a new city from scratch - The role of localized links, citations, and sponsorships - How reviews from customers in other cities can help expansion - What Google actually associates your business with geographically - Why doorway pages fail and how to avoid them - Editing Google Business Profiles safely without triggering re-verification - Which profile fields are risky to touch and which ones are not - Keyword stuffing in business names and the legal risks most SEOs ignore - Why many agencies have stopped spam fighting competitor listings - Schema, geotagging photos, and where the evidence actually stands - How local SEO signals differ from organic and AI-driven search results
Darren also explains: - How to open a legitimate second location without overspending - What Google looks for in subleases and shared office spaces - Why authority in your original city does not automatically transfer - How to think about geographic expansion from Google's perspective
If you serve multiple cities, plan to expand into new markets, or are trying to understand why your local SEO strategy has stalled, this episode will help you avoid common mistakes and wasted effort.
⭐️ Darren Shaw's first time on this podcast - https://youtu.be/1awWMG1e5kY?si=6ORaQf2GkMKEhBmp
⭐️ Whitespark's local SEO software and services: https://whitespark.ca/ ⭐️ The Whitespark Local Update Podcast: https://whitespark.ca/the-whitespark-local-update-podcast/ ⭐️ Darren's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/whitesparkca ⭐️ Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenshawseo/ ⭐️ Darren's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenshawwhitespark/ ⭐️ Darren's Threads: https://www.threads.com/@darrenshawseo ⭐️ Darren's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darrenshawseo/ ⭐️ Darren's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@darrenshawseo
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 00:25 Expanding Local Service Area Pages 00:51 Ranking in Distant Locations 03:08 Creating Effective Service Area Pages 06:16 Affordable Office Locations for SEO 09:26 Building Topical Authority and Link Building 16:57 Importance of Reviews and Local Search Myths 18:48 Optimizing Local Citations and Reviews 19:13 Updating Your Google Business Profile 21:08 The Impact of Keywords in Business Names 22:47 Legal Implications of Keyword Stuffing 26:50 Debating the Value of Schema Markup 30:11 Whitespark's Local Ranking Grid Software 32:41 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#localseo #searchengineoptimization #googlebusinessprofileoptimization #localmarketing