The Fastest Way to Rank Locally

One page per service: the fastest way to build local rankings (and get more enquiries)

If your website has a single page called “Services”, and everything you do is squeezed into a few paragraphs, you are making local SEO harder than it needs to be.

Not because Google is out to get you. But because Google needs clarity.

When someone searches for:

• “emergency plumber in Manchester”
• “hair extensions in Nottingham”
• “sports massage near me”
• “patio cleaning in Bristol”

Google tries to find the page that best matches that exact service and intent.

If you do not have a page that clearly matches the search, you usually do not show up. Or you show up once in a while, but never consistently.

This is why one page per service is such a reliable unfair advantage for small to medium local businesses. It gives you the depth and structure that bigger competitors often have, without needing a huge marketing team.

Quick reality check

If you rely on one generic services page, you are usually competing for a small set of broad keywords.

But local search is mostly made up of specific searches. People do not type “plumber”. They type “boiler repair in [town]” or “blocked drain [area]”.

The good news is that specific searches are often easier to win. You just need pages that match them.

What “one page per service” really means

It does not mean creating hundreds of thin pages with two paragraphs and a stock photo.

It means creating a proper page for each service that matters, so that:

• customers instantly know they are in the right place
• Google can understand exactly what the page is about
• your site can rank for more search terms across your area

If you want a simple definition:

One page equals one topic.
One topic equals one service that someone actually searches for.

The biggest mistake local businesses make with services pages

They organise services the way the business thinks, not how customers search.

For example:

• “Plumbing Services”
• “Beauty Treatments”
• “Therapies”
• “Our Solutions”

These categories might be true, but they are not what people type into Google.

A better approach is to build pages around real search intent:

• “Boiler repair”
• “Blocked drains”
• “Toilet repair”
• “Balayage”
• “Gel nails”
• “Deep tissue massage”
• “Back pain osteopath”

Then you can still group them in menus or collections, but each page has one clear purpose.

Why service pages win in local SEO

There are three simple reasons.

1) Better relevance for more searches

A dedicated page for “boiler repair” is far more relevant to a boiler repair search than a generic services page.

That is how you get visibility across lots of searches, not just one or two.

2) Better user experience

When someone clicks a result and lands on a page that exactly matches what they asked for, they feel confident.

That is more calls, more form fills, and fewer people bouncing back to Google.

3) Stronger internal linking and structure

Service pages let you build a website that is easy to navigate, and easy for Google to understand.

Your homepage can link to key services. Your blog posts can link to the relevant service page. Related service pages can link to each other. It all reinforces the same topics.

This is how you build topical authority, which is one of the real “unfair advantages” in competitive local markets.

How many service pages should a local business have?

There is no magic number, but most small to medium local service businesses are aiming for:

• 8 to 20 core service pages to start
• then expand with supporting pages over time

If you only have 5 pages in total, you are nearly always leaving opportunities on the table.

If you have 200 pages, but they are all thin and repetitive, that can cause problems too.

The goal is not volume for the sake of volume. The goal is useful depth.

What should be on a high-performing service page?

Here’s a simple structure you can reuse.

1) Clear headline with service and location

Example:
“Boiler Repair in Leeds”
or
“Balayage in Brighton”

2) A short “who this is for” section

This helps people self-identify quickly.

Example:
“This is ideal if your boiler has stopped heating, is leaking, or keeps losing pressure.”

3) What is included

Be specific. People want to know what they are paying for.

4) Proof

Add what reassures buyers for that service:

• reviews that mention the service
• photos of your work
• credentials and insurance
• brands you work with
• guarantees

5) FAQs

This is a strong local SEO and conversion win because it answers the exact questions people search.

6) A clear next step

Call, quote request, booking button, or a simple enquiry form.

If you want to keep it clean, repeat the CTA near the top and again at the end.

The location question: do you need a location page for every town?

Not always.

A common worry is: “Do we need a page for every area we serve?”

For most businesses, the better order is:

1. Build solid service pages first
2. Add location pages only when they are genuinely useful and unique
3. Make sure each location page has real content, not just swapped town names

A service page can still rank across nearby areas if the business has strong local signals, good content, and good authority.

We will cover location pages properly in a later post, because it is easy to get wrong and end up with thin pages.

How to choose which services deserve their own page

Start with services that hit at least one of these:

• they are your best sellers
• they are high margin
• they are searched frequently
• they are a common “urgent” need (great for calls)
• they are a strong gateway to upsells

Then sanity check it with what your customers actually say:

• What do people ask for on the phone?
• What do people request in enquiries?
• What do people mention in reviews?

Those are often your best page ideas.

How this links back to the 5-second test

In Post #1 we talked about clarity: what you do, where you are, and the next step.

Service pages make that clarity scalable.

Instead of one page trying to explain everything, each service gets its own focused page, with its own proof, FAQs, and call to action.

That is better for customers, and better for Google.

If you missed it, start here:
The 5-second test: why your local website isn’t turning visits into enquiries

See here

A quick example of internal linking that works

A simple structure might look like this:

• Homepage links to: “Boiler repair”, “Boiler servicing”, “Blocked drains”
• Blog post: “Boiler losing pressure” links to the “Boiler repair” page
• “Boiler repair” page links to “Boiler servicing” and “Landlord certificates”
• Every service page links to the contact or booking action

This creates a site that feels joined up. Google understands it, and customers move through it smoothly.

Next in the series

• Post #3: Tracking actions that matter, calls, forms, and booking clicks
• Later: Location pages, FAQs, speed wins, and conversion tests