In the ever-shifting sands of the digital desert, your franchise website’s structure determines whether you thrive as an oasis of search visibility or disappear like a mirage. But who decides whether or not your website is worth visiting?
Just beneath the electric sands of the digital desert lurks a hungry Search Recluse searching for deliciously structured franchise websites that are rich with multi-location SEO – search crawlers.
This creepy crawler can either contribute to your thriving ecosystem by bringing real life visitors to your site, or leave your business buried in the sand of page 6 of the search results.
So how do you structure your site to encourage these friendly little crawlers to keep bringing the tourists?
Our answer? – Individual Location Websites.
Subdomains vs Subdirectories
Okay, maybe you already knew that part. But how are you structuring your location sites? Are they easy to crawl for the friendly Search Recluse? Or are they difficult to find and navigate?
How you structure your franchisee websites determines whether search engines recognize your locations as part of a thriving ecosystem—or as disconnected, disorganized pages.
Subdomains
A Scattered Trail Through the Sand
Subdomains (carlsbad.yourfranchise.com) operate as independent sites, creating distance between franchise locations.
This seems like a neat way to organize locations, but it weakens multi-location SEO and forces each site to compete separately in local search rankings.
- Google treats subdomains as separate websites.
- Your corporate site doesn’t automatically lend its authority to subdomains
- Each location must build its own SEO foundation
- Franchise sites often compete against each other
- It prevents users from easily navigating between locations.
Subdirectories
A Strong, Rooted Oasis
By keeping all franchise locations under one domain as subdirectories (yourfranchise.com/carlsbad-ca/), you create a stronger, more structured online presence.
It empowers your multi-location SEO and improves user experience.
- Google sees one strong, interconnected brand.
- All locations benefit from the domain’s authority.
- Subdirectories naturally share SEO value across the site.
- Local schema markup helps crawlers index each location properly.
- Customers can seamlessly navigate between locations.
Winner? Subdirectories. They create a clear path to your website for little creepy crawlers and users alike. This enhances your multi-location SEO, leading to stronger rankings and better local visibility.
Google’s Take on Subdomains vs. Subdirectories
Creepy crawlers don’t play favorites—but they do play by strict rules. And Google has made one thing clear: subdomains and separate domains don’t automatically inherit SEO benefits from the main website.
That means if your franchise locations live on subdomains, each one must:
- Compete separately for rankings.
- Build its own backlinks and local SEO authority.
- Be individually optimized to stand out in search results.
On the other hand, multi-location websites using dedicated subdirectories share SEO strength, ensuring every franchisee benefits from the brand’s established domain power.
Still convinced subdomains are the way to go? Even Google’s own SEO experts suggest keeping everything under one domain whenever possible—especially for brands with multiple locations.
Why Subdirectories Work Best for Multi-Location SEO
At CyberMark, we build multi-location websites that are franchise-friendly, SEO-optimized, and structured for growth—without the ranking setbacks of subdomains. Here’s how:
- Localized Shortcodes: We use localized shortcodes to give the user specific location information for the closest franchise location.
- Strong Internal Linking: Our platform interconnects locations, passing SEO value and helping customers navigate with ease.
- Google-Friendly Structure: Franchise location pages are optimized for local search, making it easier for Google to recognize and rank each location.
- Customizable Content (With Limits!): Need some flexibility? Franchisees can edit select sections, such as services or team profiles, while staying within brand guidelines.
- Structured Data Implementation: We use schema markup to help search engines categorize and prioritize location pages effectively.
- Dedicated Multi-Page Location Sites: Each location isn’t just a single landing page—it’s a fully developed mini-site under the main domain, featuring individual location pages to prioritize user experience and keep local users on their closest location site.
Subdomains fragment SEO efforts. Subdirectories strengthen them. That’s why multi-location businesses that use subdirectories rank better in local search.
Final Verdict
The best franchise websites avoid subdomains. Every SEO effort has to be duplicated or customized leading to inefficient management and inconsistent user experience.
Subdirectories allow your franchise to keep everything under one domain ensuring each location benefits from the brand’s authority.
This structure doesn’t just strengthen your multi-location SEO either. It makes managing locations easier and is built for scalability – just like our website platform. It’s the smart, easy to crawl, decision for growing franchises across the digital desert.
And with a trusted partner like CyberMark by your side, you can continue to optimize, scale, and customize your franchise site as you go. From localized short codes to fully customizable content sections, our services are built with your growth in mind.
For those still wandering the digital desert, remember this: The Search Recluse is always hunting for its next meal. Attract more crawlers with a well-structured franchise site that’s rich with multi-location SEO.
If your site attracts the right crawler—with clear navigation, strong content, and optimized location pages—it will lead real visitors to your digital oasis.
If not? It will crawl away, leaving your business lost in the sands.
