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While most brands are familiar with the term search engine optimization (SEO), not all fully understand the concept. There is a common misconception that refining SEO will lead to quick results, but the reality is that boosting organic traffic can take time&ndash;generally between four and six months&ndash;for businesses to see change.

1851 Magazine connected with SEO consultant <a href="https://www.jimmilan.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-5-seo-tips-for-franchise-brands-2706548" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Jim Milan</a> to get the scoop on the steps that franchise brands should take to best optimize their online presence.

1. Keyword Research

First and foremost, it is essential for brands to start with the basics. If little to nothing has been done to the website, it may seem overwhelming trying to determine where to start. For brands beginning their SEO processes, Milan recommends keyword research as an ideal first step because it lays the foundation for how pages on the site will be optimized. 

&ldquo;Tools like<a href="https://adwords.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-5-seo-tips-for-franchise-brands-2706548" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> Google Keyword Planner</a> and<a href="https://keywordtool.io/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-5-seo-tips-for-franchise-brands-2706548" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"> KeywordTool.io</a> are great for keyword research because they produce long lists of keywords that are related to a set of seed keywords that the user inputs. These tools also provide the average number of searches per month that each keyword receives from search engines. With this data, webmasters can optimize their websites with the appropriate keywords,&rdquo; he said.

2. Optimize Location Landing Pages

Franchise brands should also leverage the number of locations that they have to increase SEO visibility. Milan recommends linking all locations from a single page that lists out all of the locations. 

&ldquo;Properly optimizing the location landing pages is crucial to success,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Each location landing page should include the primary &lsquo;purchase intent&rsquo; keyword in the title tag, meta description, H1 heading and at least once or twice in the body content. They should also include the address, phone number and hours of the franchise location and this information should be marked up in the HTML with LocalBusiness Schema markup. Whenever possible, it&rsquo;s best to have at least 300 words of unique written content on each of these pages.&rdquo;

3. Keep Google My Business listings under Corporate

&ldquo;Each franchise location should have a separate Google My Business listing, managed within one account. In order to maintain brand consistency across listings, the corporate office should own the Google My Business account and manage all of the locations, rather than having each franchise owner manage their particular listing,&rdquo; said Milan.

These listings should be filled out as thoroughly as possible, including the business category, a 100-200 word description of the business, photos and available hours. 

4. Be Present in Online Directories

Milan recommends that businesses obtain citations in online directories. He said that there is also real value in having each franchised location listed in general directories such as <a href="https://www.yellowpages.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=top-5-seo-tips-for-franchise-brands-2706548" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">yellowpages.com</a>, as well as local directories such as the Chamber of Commerce website for a city. This step can go a long way in ensuring a business ranks higher, especially in terms of local search queries. 

Milan cautions businesses to make sure the name, address and phone number of each location is consistent across all of these directories. Inaccuracies from one source to the next have the power to hurt local search rankings. 

5. Encourage Consumer Reviews 
Not only do consumer reviews build third-party credibility with potential customers, they also serve to build credibility with Google. They have the power to help one&rsquo;s business achieve a higher ranking in local search results. This can be particularly effective when the reviews are left via the Google My Business listing.

Milan said, &ldquo; One of the simplest ways to do this is with a follow up email to your satisfied customers that includes a direct link to your Google My Business page along with a brief message that encourages them to leave a review.&rdquo;

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