Local SEO Configuration Guide For WordPress

Local SEO helps local businesses rank higher on Google & other search engines for local customer searches.

If you own a local business, local SEO is essential for attracting nearby customers.

The Local SEO For Divi & Gutenberg Blocks plugin simplifies setting up local search engine optimization for your website.

Pre-Requisites

Pre-Requisites

• A WordPress Website
• Divi Theme or Gutenberg Block Editor
• Local SEO For Divi & Gutenberg Blocks Plugin

Go to “Locations & SEO” Page

1. • Install and activate all required prerequisites.
   • Go to WordPress Admin > Settings > Locations & SEO
   • The settings page contains the following main sections:
     • Default
     • Google Maps
     • Post Type & Category

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Default Section Settings

1. This section configures fundamental search engine data for your business:

   • Load Schema In?
     • Choose where structured search engine data (Schema markup) is inserted into your website’s code:
       • Header : Embeds search engine metadata in the page header section (Recommended).
       • Footer : Embeds search engine metadata in the page footer section.
   • Business Type
     • Select the business category that best represents your company to help search engines accurately classify your services.
   • Opening Hours
     • Set standard operating hours for your business, which apply across single or multiple location pages.

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Google Maps Section Settings

1. This section configures Google Maps integration settings:

   • Google Maps API Key (Browser - Javascript)
     • Required by the Store Locator and Location Map modules to display interactive maps to website visitors.
     • To generate an API key, follow the official guide at https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key.
     • Google requires a valid API key for interactive map displays: https://developers.google.com/maps/pricing-and-plans/standard-plan-2016-update.
     • The Store Locator feature uses the Google Places API. Enable the Google Places API for this key.
     • For security, it is highly recommended to restrict your public API key to your website domain: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key#restrict_key.
   • Google Maps API Key (Geocoding - Address Coordinates Lookup)
     • Create a second Google Maps API key dedicated to Geocoding.
     • Geocoding automatically converts street addresses into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
     • The plugin uses background geocoding when:
       • Importing multiple business locations via a CSV spreadsheet.
       • Saving address details on an individual location entry.
     • This key is used securely on the server and is never exposed to website visitors. Do not restrict this key to web domains.
     • Enable the Geocoding API for this key: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/overview.
   • Custom Marker Icon
     • Upload a custom image icon to personalize map pin markers on your Google Maps displays.
     • Recommended icon dimensions: 100px x 100px.

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Locations Post Type & Category Section Settings

1. A location custom post type lets you store and manage individual business addresses conveniently inside the WordPress admin dashboard.

2. Location categories help group your business branches by region or business type.
   This section controls settings for location entries and categories:

   • Make Locations “Post Type” Private
     • Location entries are public by default, creating dedicated web pages for each location.
     • To hide individual location pages and manage locations internally, check Make Locations “Post Type” Private.
     • Making locations private is recommended if your business has only a single physical location.
     • When enabled, the Default Location field becomes visible:
       • Select your primary location.
       • Local SEO structured data for this default location will display on your homepage.
   • Locations Slug
     • The URL structure (slug) used for individual location pages on your website.
     • Learn more about custom post type URL structures: https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/post-types/registering-custom-post-types/#urls.
     • Customize the URL slug to fit your industry and SEO strategy.
     • For example, a university directory site could set the URL slug to universities or university.
   • Locations Label - Singular
     • The singular display label for location items (e.g., University or Branch).
   • Locations Label - Plural
     • The plural display label for location items (e.g., Universities or Branches).
   • Location Categories Slug
     • The URL structure (slug) used for location category archive pages.
   • Locations Category Label - Singular
     • The singular label for location categories (e.g., University Category).
   • Locations Category Label - Plural
     • The plural label for location categories (e.g., Universities Category).

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