Sub-domain or new domain for new location

[seozac]

I have a small law firm in Dallas, TX.  I will be moving to Austin, TX in the next 2 years.  My website is doing great here in Dallas, but I have focused on keyword phrases that include the word "Dallas."  I would like to leave my current website as is and maintain a Dallas office to keep the business flowing from this website.

I am trying to determine the best way to get Austin business from a 2nd website.  I know I will need new content that includes the use of the word "Austin".  My question is:

Should I put the new content on (1) a subdomain (i.e. austin.copplaw.com) or (2) a new domain (i.e. copplawfirm.com).  I really want to be a player for the google local search results in both cities.  I can use a different name for my law firm in Austin, if necessary.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Zac

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Zac,

As you are a single company, I would recommend going with a single website with unique pages for your different offices. Google completely understands that law firms and other local businesses have more than one office and as you are presumably offering the same services in both Austin and Dallas, I don't really see the need for a different website.

What will be important is that you have a unique local phone number as well as a unique physical street address for the new location so that you can full participate in the creation of local listings for your new office and not let the Austin location detract from the Dallas one or get 'confused' with it.

From all I have read, there is no difference (rankingwise) between this approach:

austin.copplaw.com

and

copplaw.com/austin

I prefer the latter, personally, but you can go either way without trouble. I think you will need to do some minor re-optimization of core pages of your website to cover that you have 2 locations and then will need to work on city landing pages. Let me link to a piece I recently wrote on this topic, for situations just like yours:

The Nitty Gritty Of City Landing Pages For Local Businesses

http://www.solaswebdesign.net/wordpress/?p=1403

Can you go with a new website instead of building out your current site? Certainly, but I prefer the latter because it is:

1. Easier to manage

2. You don't have to rebuild the wheel - you've already built it

3. You need have no worries about publishing duplicate content on a second site

4. By presenting CoppLaw.com as a single entity with multiple offices, you will be presenting your business authentically as an impressive, growing law firm with the clout to operate 2 locations.

Hope this helps!

[TommyTan]

I don't have much knowledge in Local Search (that should be my next plan. Thank you) but I believe you simply have to fill out all the information on each of your local listings.  Furthermore, like getting backlinks for website is important, it is also important for local search.  When people link to your website, it is important for them to include a location within the anchor text or around the link for co-citation.  Witht that, it should help with local search.

Well, I believe having subdomains or folders will be better because you will probably have more backlinks than creating 2 separate site.  As i mentioned above, backlinks also plays a role in Local Search.

[seozac]

I am not opposed the additional work (I actually like it).  Is one alternative better for local results than the other?

[TommyTan]

Hi Zac,

Since your initial website has mainly content on Dallas, i find it hard to incorporate Austin in there unless you change up all your content.  If you have  a generic website, I would recommend either using subdomain or folders to sepearte each location.  Such as dallas.copplaw.com austin.copplaw.com or copplaw.com/dalls and etc.  But that doesn't seems to work.

Since you are moving and having another location, I might create a 2nd website.  This option is definitely not the best approach since you will have to spend more time optimizing both websites and build links for both website.  Basically more website = more work.

If possible, you can rework the content on the main website to make it more generic instead of simply targetting one location.  Then use location subdomain or folder.  I find this to be the best approach.