What are location pages?
Location pages are website pages, one for each city or area a business serves, written with facts specific to that area: the services offered there, local work and how to book. Pages that differ only by city name can break Google's spam policy on doorways.
Cited from the66th.com/glossary/location-pages
How location pages work
A plumber based in Calgary who also works in Airdrie and Cochrane builds one page for each place at its own address, such as example.com/airdrie-plumber/. Each page answers what a buyer there wants to know: which services are offered, how soon the plumber can arrive, jobs done nearby, reviews from local customers, and how to book.
A buyer who searches "plumber airdrie" wants a plumber who works in Airdrie. A page built for Airdrie answers that search directly, where the Calgary homepage answers it only in passing.
| Part of the page | Thin location page | Useful location page |
|---|---|---|
| Text | The Calgary page with "Calgary" swapped for "Airdrie" | Services offered in Airdrie and the drive time from the shop |
| Proof | No local jobs or reviews | Photos and notes from jobs in Airdrie, reviews from Airdrie customers |
| Next step | Sends visitors to the homepage to book | Lets the visitor book from the page |
Why Google cares
Google's spam policies define doorway abuse as pages created to rank for specific, similar searches that lead people to pages less useful than the final destination. Two of Google's examples fit thin location pages: pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page, and substantially similar pages that are closer to search results than a clearly defined, browseable hierarchy.
Google's guidance on helpful, reliable, people-first content asks whether a page provides original information and adds substantial value beyond other sources. A location page passes that test when it carries facts a buyer in that area can use.
What it means for your business
Location pages matter for a business that serves several cities or neighborhoods and whose buyers include the place in their search. A business with one location serving one city can cover it on its homepage and service pages. A business that sells online across the country gains little from city pages.
Each page takes real work: local proof, photos and details. Our local SEO work decides which areas earn a page from search demand and the places the business serves.
Common mistakes
- Copying one city page and swapping the name. Google's spam policies list city pages that funnel users to one page as doorway abuse, so give each page facts about its area.
- Building pages for areas the business does not serve. A page for a city the business never visits misleads buyers, and Google's Business Profile guidelines say a service area should stay within about two hours of driving from the business's base, with exceptions for some businesses.
- Leaving location pages without links. Link each page from the matching service pages and from a list of areas served, so visitors and search engines can reach it.
Related terms
Sources: Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search, 28 August 2026; Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content, 5 October 2026; Google Business Profile Help, Guidelines for representing your business on Google.