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Strategic Use of Location in Blog Content for Local SEO

By Bob Cates
Hero Marketing Agency
bob@marketlikeahero.com | 830-388-9749

 

Executive Summary

Local businesses often ask, “Should my blogs include the cities I serve?” At Hero Marketing Agency, we hear this question regularly, and we understand the confusion. During audits and onboarding, we often find location-based blogging being used improperly, resulting in little to no SEO benefit and sometimes even harm.

This white paper outlines a proven strategy for integrating geographic targeting into blog content in a way that supports long-term SEO growth and business objectives. The key takeaway? Location-specific blogs can be powerful, but only when used strategically, in conjunction with a strong foundation of optimized local service pages and a thoughtful content plan.

The Foundation: Local Service Area Pages First

Before writing city-based blog posts, businesses must establish a solid structure of Local Service Area Pages—dedicated landing pages optimized for conversions and local keyword visibility.

These pages serve as the primary vehicles for location-based SEO and should include:
– Targeted Keywords: e.g., “AC repair in Allen, TX” or “Furnace installation in Trenton, NJ.”
– Conversion Elements: Strong calls-to-action (CTAs), contact forms, and trust signals.
– On-Page SEO Best Practices: Meta tags, heading structure, internal linking.
– LocalBusiness Schema Markup
– Google Maps Embeds & NAP Info
– Testimonials or Local Reviews

How Blog Content Supports Local SEO

Once foundational local landing pages are in place, your blog becomes a powerful tool to support—not duplicate—your location-based SEO strategy. There are two effective blog content categories:

1. Reinforce Location Relevance with Targeted Blogs

Occasional blogs that combine service topics with specific locations help:
– Build geo-relevance for your domain.
– Capture long-tail keyword traffic.
– Provide internal links to your primary location pages.
– Add freshness and topical depth to your site.

Examples:
– “How to Prepare Your AC for Summer in Allen, TX”
– “What Causes Uneven Heating in East Windsor Homes?”
– “Is AC Maintenance Worth It in Palatka, FL?”

Best Practices:
– Use sparingly and strategically.
– Ensure each blog adds unique value.
– Avoid repetitive “AC Repair in [City]” posts.

2. Build Topical Authority with Non-Location Blogs

Most of your blog content should answer common service-related questions that apply broadly. These blogs:
– Improve topical authority.
– Target informational queries.
– Are easier to rank.
– Attract natural backlinks.

Examples:
– “How Often Should You Change Your HVAC Filter?”
– “Signs Your AC Might Need More Freon”
– “What SEER Rating Do You Need in Texas?”

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Poor implementation of city-based blogging can lead to:
– Thin Content Penalties
– Keyword Cannibalization
– Diluted Brand Authority

Recommended Content Strategy Framework

Content Type                      | Purpose                                              | Frequency
—————————————————————————————————————————————
Local Service Area Pages | Core ranking pages for local SEO and conversions | One per key service per city
Location-Specific Blogs | Reinforce local relevance and answer geo-based FAQs | 1–2 per quarter
Informational Service Blogs | Build authority and answer broader user questions | 2–4 per month

Conclusion

Yes, your blogs can and should include references to the cities you serve—but in moderation and only as part of a broader, well-structured content strategy.

Start with service area pages that are fully optimized for local search and user conversion. Then support them with a mix of:
– A few location-specific posts
– A larger share of informative, keyword-driven content.

With smart planning and the right execution, your blog can become a powerful asset in driving organic growth and local visibility.

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Meet the Author

Bob Cates

Bob Cates

Co-Founding Principal and Chief Financial Officer

Bob Cates is the Co-Founding Principal and Chief Financial Officer of Hero Marketing Agency, where he brings over four decades of entrepreneurial leadership and financial expertise. With a degree in Accounting from the University of North Texas and experience as a CPA and Audit Supervisor for the State of Texas, Bob has built and led successful businesses across industries, including oil and gas, healthcare, publishing, e-commerce, and digital marketing.

At Hero, Bob provides strategic oversight on financial planning, business development, and digital strategy, combining analytical precision with marketing insight to help clients grow with confidence. His deep background in auditing and operations enables him to make data-driven decisions that align with clients’ long-term goals.

In addition to his role at Hero, Bob serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission in Boerne, Texas, where he and his wife of 51 years live part-time. When he’s not advising clients or crunching data, Bob enjoys working on his small Texas Hill Country ranch, hunting, hiking, and exploring the outdoors – but his greatest joy comes from spending quality time with his two amazing granddaughters, who inspire him daily.

Kurt Cannarella

Director of Paid Media

As veteran of the NYC & Dallas Advertising Agencies, Kurt has managed paid media for many of the top brands within the country including DIRECTV, Charles Schwab, Ralph Lauren, and the NBA.

His focus involves designing a fully integrated paid media strategy tailored to each business’s goals and objectives. After moving on from the larger Ad Agencies, Kurt shifted his focus on aiding small and mid-sized brands craft their integrated paid media strategy. Outside of his paid media interests, Kurt spends his time rooting for his beloved NY Mets as well as traveling with his wife Lauren and two daughters Chloe & Camille.

Our clients at Hero Marketing Agency consistently praise Kurt for his high-touch communication style, thoroughness, integrated media knowledge, and his strategic approach.

Josh Cates

Chief Executive Officer & Founding Principal

Throughout my 25-year career as a multifaceted and data-driven entrepreneur and senior marketing executive, I have amassed a wealth of business knowledge by starting up five companies, three of which were successfully acquired. In addition, I have consulted in over 70 industries, giving me a unique and multidimensional perspective on business growth and development.

In my current role as Founder and CEO of Hero Marketing Agency, I understand the importance of strong relationships—our agency exists to help companies achieve transformational long-term success. I have a deep passion for working directly with organizations to realize real marketing returns and provide the best and most strategic services available.

I carry a DoD Top Secret Clearance, effective 17 April 2020, received a nomination for the Colorado Springs Advertising ICON award, recipient of multiple ADDY awards, and was honored to be nominated for Businessman of the Year by the Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce.

Joanna Brown

Creative Director

Joanna is a creative director, an art director, and a designer with 20+ years of experience delivering world-class creative content. Her career has taken her from London (UK) to New York City, then down to the heart of Texas with her family.

She is a creative leader with proven strategic thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, and management knowledge who forges meaningful connections with internal and client teams. In her role with Hero Marketing Agency, Joanna collaborates with brands, content makers, and storytellers to formulate and bring to life the creative vision through compelling human-centered, results-driven user experiences.

Joanna has worked with various startups to global giants, including J.P. Morgan Chase, Google, Unilever, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Heather Short-Davis

Client Strategist

Imagine it’s 2001, and you have a new, yet heavy, phone in your hand with the latest technology— get ready to be in awe — it has a single-color display! Instead of black text on a gray background, you get to look at black text on a blue background.

Yes, it sounds underwhelming, but that’s what level of tech we were excited about. It’s the same year wireless phone providers began to connect networks for text messaging. And it’s the same year Heather entered the marketing workforce.

She has had the benefit of experiencing first-hand the evolution and digitization of marketing tactics. From oil & gas to technology transfer, no industry has been left untouched from the vast increase in data now available at our business fingertips. As a data-driven marketer, Heather has not only an appreciation for, but also a solid understanding of tracking and analyzing data to devise strategies and evaluate performance.

At Hero Marketing Agency Heather collaborates with clients to help them achieve a sound strategy for marketing. First to define and distill their goals. Then to develop strategies for goal achievement, articulating objectives, tactics, and success metrics. Great strategists are dynamic storytellers who have the ability to make the incredibly complex feel simple.

A native Texan, Heather has recently moved back to Texas after 14 years in Northern Indiana. She graduated with a double major in marketing and advertising from Indiana University South Bend with scholarship awards. Her collegiate career began at the University of Texas at Austin, but life and her husband took their adventure north.

She is happy to be back in central Texas where they are close to family and do not need a snow blower in the garage. She enjoys emerging technologies and new consumer electronics. An avid runner, some of her best creative ideas have happened mid-run.

Bob Cates

Chief Financial Officer & Co-Founding Principal

Bob has always been an entrepreneur. He will tell you he has lived the American dream, starting and running his own businesses, which have included oil and natural gas exploration, healthcare, publishing, consumer electronics, e-commerce, franchise operations and marketing agency.

Graduating from the University of North Texas with an accounting degree, Bob received his CPA while an Audit Supervisor for the State of Texas. In 1983 Bob started his first business, an independent oil and gas exploration company, which he operated until 2007.

As the Co-Founder of Hero Marketing Agency, Bob is an invaluable part of the brand, and his talents expand beyond his dynamic abilities with projections and figures. Bob sits on the board and counsels on all matters relating to the brand’s financial well-being, in addition to consulting and handling the business management side for clients of Hero Marketing Agency.

In 2018 Bob added the title Director of Digital Strategy to his name, where his background in auditing and time as a CPA migrate perfectly to crunching data and making clear sense of the ever-changing world of digital strategy for Hero Marketing Agency clients.

Splitting time between Colorado and the Texas Hill Country, Bob is married to his high-school sweetheart of 51 years and loves volunteering in his hometown, where he serves on Boerne’s Planning and Zoning Commission. He also loves exploring the outdoors, bow hunting, cycling, and hiking.

Bob Cates

CFO & Vision Behind Hero Marketing Agency

Bob has always been an entrepreneur. He will tell you he has lived the American dream, starting and running his own businesses, which have included oil and natural gas exploration, healthcare, publishing, consumer electronics, e-commerce, franchise operations and marketing agency.

Graduating from the University of North Texas with an accounting degree, Bob received his CPA while an Audit Supervisor for the State of Texas. In 1983 Bob started his first business, an independent oil and gas exploration company, which he operated until 2007.

As the Co-Founder of Hero Marketing Agency, Bob is an invaluable part of the brand, and his talents expand beyond his dynamic abilities with projections and figures. Bob sits on the board and counsels on all matters relating to the brand’s financial well-being, in addition to consulting and handling the business management side for clients of Hero Marketing Agency.

In 2018 Bob added the title Director of Digital Strategy to his name, where his background in auditing and time as a CPA migrate perfectly to crunching data and making clear sense of the ever-changing world of digital strategy for Hero Marketing Agency clients.

Splitting time between Colorado and the Texas Hill Country, Bob is married to his high-school sweetheart of 51 years and loves volunteering in his hometown, where he serves on Boerne’s Planning and Zoning Commission. He also loves exploring the outdoors, bow hunting, cycling, and hiking.