How the planner decides
- Dedicated page: you have an office or premises there, or enough real local jobs (your minimum) to write a page with genuine local proof.
- Combine into a regional page: some local work but not enough for its own page. Group nearby areas (for example, “Plumbing in Wakefield and Pontefract”) and mention each with specifics.
- Mention only: very little local work so far. List the area on your service-area or contact page, and revisit once you have more jobs there.
The planner also counts pages. If every service × every area combination would produce dozens of pages, it recommends one location page per area (covering all services) rather than a separate page per service per town, unless the area is one of your strongest.
What makes a location page worth having
- Projects or jobs completed in that area, with photos and specifics.
- Reviews or quotes from customers there.
- Local practicalities: response times, parking, coverage boundaries, local regulations or housing types.
- Your real address and map, if you have premises there.
- Unique writing. If you could swap the town name and the page still made sense, it is not local enough.
Service-area businesses and Google Maps
Map rankings depend mostly on your Google Business Profile and its address, not on location pages. Location pages help the organic results below the map and give people in those areas confidence you really work there. For the bigger picture, read our local SEO guide, and check for pages targeting the same searches with the Keyword Cannibalisation Checker.