Common SEO Mistakes Franchisors Make (And How to Fix Them)

At SEO Design Chicago, we’ve had the privilege of working with dozens of franchises across the country in every vertical imaginable. From fast-food chains and fitness centers to home services and retail establishments, our team has partnered with franchise groups of all sizes for both SEO and comprehensive marketing strategies. Through this extensive experience, we’ve identified a troubling pattern: many franchisors are making critical SEO mistakes that significantly limit their visibility, hurt their local rankings, and cost them valuable customers.

The franchise model presents unique digital marketing challenges. Unlike single-location businesses, franchises must balance brand consistency with local relevance, manage multiple Google Business Profiles, and create content that serves both corporate goals and individual franchisee needs. When these elements aren’t properly coordinated, the result is often a fragmented online presence that confuses both search engines and potential customers.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. According to BrightLocal’s local SEO research, 80% of U.S. consumers search online for local businesses on a weekly basis, and 32% search daily. For franchises with multiple locations, capturing this local search traffic requires a deliberate, well-coordinated strategy that many franchisors simply haven’t implemented effectively.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine the most damaging SEO mistakes we see franchisors make and provide actionable solutions you can implement to improve your franchise’s search visibility and drive more customers to your locations.

Mistake #1: Neglecting Individual Location Pages

One of the most common and costly mistakes franchisors make is failing to create unique, optimized pages for each franchise location. Instead, many rely on a simple store locator tool or a basic directory that provides minimal information about each location.

Why is this problematic? Search engines like Google want to deliver the most relevant results to users. When someone searches for “pizza delivery near me” or “auto repair in [city name],” Google looks for pages that specifically address that local intent. A generic store locator doesn’t provide the depth of content or local signals that search engines need to confidently rank your locations.

The Fix

Create dedicated landing pages for each franchise location with unique, locally-relevant content. Each page should include the complete NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information, location-specific descriptions of services, local testimonials and reviews, embedded Google Maps, location-specific imagery, local business hours and special offerings, and schema markup for local businesses. The key is ensuring each page provides genuine value to local searchers while maintaining brand consistency across your franchise network.

Mistake #2: Inconsistent NAP Information Across the Web

NAP consistency might seem like a minor detail, but it’s one of the most critical factors in local SEO success. When your franchise locations have inconsistent business names, addresses, or phone numbers across different online directories and platforms, it creates confusion for both search engines and potential customers.

Research from BrightEdge found that NAP consistency can impact a site’s local search performance by as much as 16 percent. For franchises with dozens or hundreds of locations, even small inconsistencies multiply into significant ranking problems.

Common NAP inconsistencies we encounter include variations in business names (such as using “LLC” in some listings but not others), abbreviated versus spelled-out street names (like “St.” versus “Street”), different phone numbers for the same location across platforms, and outdated addresses that weren’t updated after a location move.

The Fix

Conduct a comprehensive audit of all your franchise locations’ online listings. This includes Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing Places, industry-specific directories, and local chamber of commerce listings. Create a master document with the exact NAP format for each location and ensure every online mention matches this format precisely. Consider using citation management tools to monitor and maintain consistency across the web, and establish clear protocols for franchisees when it comes to creating new listings or updating existing ones.

Mistake #3: Poor Google Business Profile Management

Google Business Profile (GBP) is arguably the most important local SEO asset for any franchise, yet many franchisors treat it as an afterthought. Whether it’s incomplete profiles, unclaimed listings, or poor review management, GBP mistakes can severely limit your local visibility.

According to Birdeye’s State of Google Business Profile 2025 report, 86% of all Google Business Profile views come from discovery searches—meaning potential customers who don’t yet know your brand name. If your profiles aren’t fully optimized, you’re missing the vast majority of potential local customers. Additionally, Google reviews now account for 81% of all online review volume, making review management on GBP absolutely essential.

Common GBP mistakes include incomplete business descriptions, missing or outdated photos, selecting wrong or suboptimal business categories, failing to respond to customer reviews, not utilizing Google Posts for promotions and updates, and having duplicate or conflicting listings for the same location.

The Fix

Develop a comprehensive GBP management strategy that covers all your franchise locations. Start by claiming and verifying every location’s profile. Complete every available field in each profile with accurate, keyword-rich information. Choose the most relevant primary category and add appropriate secondary categories. Upload high-quality photos regularly—businesses with 15 or more photos per location see stronger engagement across all customer actions. Implement a review response protocol that ensures all reviews receive timely, professional responses. Use Google Posts to share promotions, events, and updates. Finally, regularly audit your profiles to catch and correct any issues before they impact your rankings.

Mistake #4: Duplicate Content Across Location Pages

When franchisors do create individual location pages, many make the mistake of simply copying and pasting the same content across all pages, changing only the city name and address. While this approach is efficient, it creates a significant duplicate content problem that can hurt your SEO performance.

Search engines are designed to provide diverse, valuable results to users. When they encounter multiple pages with nearly identical content, they must choose which version to rank—and often, none of them rank particularly well. For franchises with many locations, this issue compounds quickly, resulting in weak rankings across the board.

The Fix

Invest in creating genuinely unique content for each location page. This doesn’t mean writing completely different content for every location—rather, it means incorporating local elements that differentiate each page. Include locally-relevant information such as nearby landmarks, neighborhoods served, community involvement, and local team members. Feature location-specific customer testimonials and case studies. Highlight any services or offerings unique to that location. Incorporate local keywords naturally throughout the content. When well-executed, this approach not only improves your SEO but also creates a better user experience for potential customers researching your locations.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Mobile Optimization

Local searches happen predominantly on mobile devices. When potential customers are searching for nearby businesses, they’re usually doing so from their smartphones. Yet many franchise websites still deliver subpar mobile experiences that frustrate users and hurt conversions.

The data supports prioritizing mobile: 88% of consumers who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit or call a store within a day, and 78% of location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase. If your franchise website doesn’t provide a seamless mobile experience, you’re losing customers to competitors who do.

The Fix

Ensure your franchise website is fully responsive and optimized for mobile users. This means fast loading times (aim for under 3 seconds), easily clickable phone numbers and addresses, simple navigation that works on smaller screens, appropriately-sized text and buttons, and forms that are easy to complete on mobile devices. Consider investing in professional website optimization services to ensure your site meets current mobile standards. Test your location pages regularly on various mobile devices to identify and fix any usability issues.

Mistake #6: Failing to Build Local Backlinks

Many franchisors focus exclusively on building domain authority for their main corporate website while ignoring the importance of local backlinks for individual franchise locations. While corporate SEO efforts are valuable, they don’t provide the local relevance signals that help individual locations rank in their specific markets.

Local backlinks—links from businesses, organizations, and media outlets in a specific geographic area—signal to search engines that a location is relevant and authoritative within its community. Without these signals, franchise locations struggle to compete against locally-focused competitors who have stronger community ties.

The Fix

Develop a local link building strategy for each franchise market. Encourage franchisees to participate in local sponsorships, community events, and charitable initiatives that generate local press and links. Build relationships with local bloggers, news outlets, and industry publications. Join local chambers of commerce and business associations. Create locally-focused content that local websites will want to link to. Partner with complementary local businesses for cross-promotion opportunities. While this requires more effort than generic corporate link building, the local relevance signals are invaluable for franchise SEO.

Mistake #7: No Centralized SEO Strategy or Governance

Perhaps the most fundamental mistake franchisors make is failing to establish a centralized SEO strategy with clear governance. Without direction from corporate, individual franchisees often take SEO into their own hands, resulting in inconsistent implementations, conflicting strategies, and a fragmented online presence.

This lack of coordination manifests in various ways: franchisees hiring their own SEO providers with different approaches, inconsistent website updates and content quality, competing listings that cannibalize each other’s rankings, and brand messaging that varies wildly across locations. The result is a weakened overall presence that benefits no one.

The Fix

Establish a comprehensive franchise SEO program at the corporate level. This should include brand guidelines for online presence and local marketing, centralized management of key digital assets like Google Business Profiles, approved vendors and tools for SEO-related activities, training and resources for franchisees, regular audits and quality control measures, and clear communication channels for SEO updates and best practices. A well-governed SEO program doesn’t restrict franchisee autonomy—it empowers franchisees with the tools and guidance they need to succeed while maintaining the brand consistency that benefits everyone in the franchise system.

Mistake #8: Neglecting Review Management

 

Online reviews have become one of the most influential factors in local SEO and consumer decision-making. Yet many franchisors lack a systematic approach to generating, monitoring, and responding to reviews across their franchise network.

The numbers are compelling: 83% of consumers use Google to find local business reviews, and only 48% would consider using a business with fewer than 4 stars. Reviews directly impact both search rankings and conversion rates, making them doubly important for franchise success.

The Fix

Implement a franchise-wide review management strategy. Create standardized processes for requesting reviews from satisfied customers. Establish response templates that maintain brand voice while allowing for personalization. Monitor reviews across all locations using reputation management software. Train franchisees and their staff on the importance of reviews and best practices for generating them. Address negative reviews promptly and professionally, using them as opportunities to demonstrate customer service excellence. Set review goals and track performance across locations to identify both top performers and locations that need additional support.

Taking Action: Your Franchise SEO Roadmap

Fixing these common SEO mistakes isn’t an overnight project—it requires a strategic, sustained effort. Here’s a practical roadmap for getting started:

First, conduct a comprehensive audit of your current franchise SEO situation. Evaluate your location pages, NAP consistency, Google Business Profiles, review profiles, and technical SEO factors. This audit will reveal your most pressing issues and help prioritize your improvement efforts.

Next, develop your franchise SEO governance framework. Establish clear ownership, guidelines, and processes that will guide all future SEO activities across your franchise network.

Then, tackle your quick wins first. Claiming and optimizing Google Business Profiles, fixing major NAP inconsistencies, and addressing obvious technical issues can deliver relatively fast improvements.

Finally, build your long-term local SEO foundation with unique location content, local link building, and systematic review management.

Partner with Franchise SEO Experts

The SEO challenges facing franchise organizations are complex, but they’re not insurmountable. With the right strategy, tools, and execution, your franchise can dominate local search results and drive significant growth across all your locations.

At SEO Design Chicago, we specialize in helping franchise groups navigate these challenges. Our team has worked with franchises in virtually every industry, developing customized SEO strategies that balance corporate brand requirements with local market optimization. We understand the unique dynamics of franchise organizations and have the experience to deliver results at scale.

Ready to optimize your franchise’s local SEO and stop leaving customers on the table? Contact SEO Design Chicago today for a comprehensive franchise SEO audit and discover how our proven strategies can help your franchise locations rank higher, attract more customers, and grow your business.