How to setup a site that offers 4 services in 2 cities?

subdomains or separate pages or new domains?

[danv]

How do you setup a web site that offers 4 services, in 2 main cities.
If I had to choose there are really 2 major services and one major city.

Example:
How should I set up my home page? Just mention 2 main services in the most important city?
Is it a good idea to repeat information on multiple pages per city? That would be a nightmare to maintain wouldn't it?

E.g.:
Page1: heading1: "City1 widget maintanence services". With most of the same content as Page2.
Page2: heading1: "City2 widget maintenance services"

thanks,

[edited by: caveman at 5:08 pm (utc) on Nov. 7, 2005]
[edit reason] Removed specifics, per TOS [/edit]

[caveman]

Hey danv,

So, maybe I'm missing something, but why not just focus most of the site on the services being provided, and then on either an 'about us' or 'locations' page, list the areas in which you operate?

Or, maybe even note the areas in which you operate on every page, either as part of the header or footer, or both?

[danv]

I am learning a lot about SEO, but is it really that simple? I am hoping so!

I would like to do what you suggest, but can Google figure that out?

The tricky part I thought, or maybe I'm going about it wrong, is how to get my keyword phrase in there and making it look natural: "Web design city1" and "web design city2" just doesn't look good as a footer?

I thought about the footer idea before, but I can't figure out how I would do that with 2 cities and 2 sets of keyword phrases.

I think it would look best if I just say: "Serving city1 and city2 in StateX, CountryX" in a footer, but I thought the city would not be close enough to my keyword then?

If you tell me that a header and footer will do it like: "Serving city1 and city2 in StateX, CountryX" - I will be most happy!

[dfud]

I completely agree with CaveMan. Putting the locations in the footer has worked very well for me in a couple of incidences. I do think Google, Yahoo and MSN are pretty good about figuring addresses and locations out. I haven't had good luck in this regard with Ask Jeeves, but then who really cares. ;-)

[caveman]

My 2 cents: If the locations are important to the service provided, i.e., there's lots of face to face involved, then I'd put it in the header, for all to see, including the SE's. The SE's can certainly figure out that you're operatin in two cities if done that way. I'd also of course include the info in the about us page.

If the service provided is not that related to geo location, i.e. you provide most of your services over phone/Web/fax etc, then I'd limit the locations in the footer, and/or an about us page.

Like all things when we build pages, we start with the marketing strategy and then construct sites/pages/nav etc accordingly.

[danv]

I'm happy to hear that.

I will remove the city as part of my keyword phrase on my pages. It really limited me and the natural reading flow of the pages.

The cities are important part of the keyword phrase to me, as there is no way that I can compete for "web design, SEO and database programming" really. So I will put "Serving City1 , City2 and City3" in both the header and footer"

Do you think the commas matter if right next to the city?

Should I specify Province and Country at the end of the sentance?

Thanks a tonne!

[danv]

I read somewhere that MSN likes your address specifically in this format for a footer for location or mapping or something: # Street City, State, Zip, Country

So I wonder if I should have a footer like this then?

"Serving City1 , City2 , City3 and surrounding areas.<3 spaces># Street City, State, Zip, Country"

Or is that too cluttered and bad for SEO?

[dfud]

I've had great luck with City, State Abbreviation in the footer. I don't think they need the zip or country if it is in the US.