Specialism · Technical SEO
Technical SEO: one foundation for every location.
Search engines need to be able to find, read and understand your site. For a franchise with many locations, that counts twice: a flaw in the foundation sits on every location page. So does an improvement.
When
Time for technical SEO if…
- location pages aren’t in Google, or only partly
- your site loads slowly, especially on mobile
- location pages have almost identical copy
- Search Console is full of warnings nobody deals with
What we do
From audit to fix, and then monitoring.
- 01
Audit
We check the technical aspects of your site and set out in a document what needs doing and why.
- 02
Prioritise
We start with what affects the most pages, so every change works for the whole franchise.
- 03
Monitor
Every month we check indexing, errors and speed, and adjust where needed.
Why franchising is different
Technical SEO at scale.
A franchise site is often the same layout repeated for every location. That makes technical SEO powerful: improve the template and you improve dozens of pages at once.
It also makes the pitfalls bigger. Google sees location pages that differ only in the town name as duplicate content. Missing or incorrect structured data per location costs visibility in local results. And a slow page is slow for every location.
So we look at the structure first: which pages should be in Google and which shouldn’t, and how to make each location page unique enough to rank in its own right.
What technical SEO is
What technical SEO covers.
Technical SEO is optimising the technical side of your website so search engines can crawl and index everything properly. There’s often a lot to gain, and the whole site benefits. The main topics:
- Speed: fast pages give a better experience, and Google takes speed into account
- Mobile: your site has to work well on a phone, because that’s where most searches happen
- Indexing: an XML sitemap and a clear structure, so Google finds all the important pages
- Crawl errors: finding and fixing non-existent pages, inaccessible content or server errors
- Structured data: extra information in the code, such as the address and opening hours of each location
- Security: a secure HTTPS connection, which is now easy and often free to set up
Part of
Every specialism works for the whole franchise brand.
This specialism is part of Hybrid and On-demand, used for the brand and for every location. Not a franchise, but still have a question? You can also hire us for this on its own.
Other specialisms
Frequently asked questions
About technical SEO.
What is structured data and what does it deliver?
Structured data, or schema markup, gives search engines extra information about a page’s content. Visitors don’t see it, but Google understands the page better. That can lead to richer search results. For a franchise it’s especially useful: for each location you include the address, opening hours and contact details.
What is canonicalisation and do I need it?
A canonical tells Google which version of a page is preferred when there are duplicates. It’s a tricky technique, and Google is free to ignore a canonical. If your site has no duplicate content, we advise against it. On large sites with many similar pages, we set canonicals based on fixed rules.
How important is the URL structure?
A clear, readable URL helps search engines and visitors understand what a page is about. For a franchise, a fixed structure works well, for example a locations folder with the town name beneath it.
Can I still be found without HTTPS?
Sometimes, in a small niche where visitors don’t leave any details. But Google prefers secure sites, and in some sectors you’ll barely show up without HTTPS. Because it’s easy to set up, we recommend it to everyone.
What are crawl errors?
Errors search engines run into when crawling your site, such as pages that don’t exist, content that can’t be reached or a server that doesn’t respond. Fixing them ensures good indexing and shows Google that you maintain your site.
A good conversation first, then a plan.
In one hour we discuss where you stand and which opportunities we see. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you.