Multiple location SEO fr? competitor ranks in 1000+ cities with auto-generated doorway pages

Just need to vent and maybe get some advice. I run an appliance repair business, been grinding for 4 years doing everything "right" according to SEO guides:

• Unique content for each service page

• Proper schema markup

• Google Business Profile fully optimized

• Building real local backlinks

• Getting tons of genuine 5-star reviews

• NAP consistency everywhere

Then I discover this competitor who's straight up DOMINATING every city in our state with clearly auto-generated pages. Like literally 1000+ pages following the same template:

/service-city-state  
/appliance-repair-[city]-[state]  
/emergency-repair-[city]-[state]

The worst part? Their content is basically identical for every city, just swapping city names. No unique info, no real value, just mass-produced BS. And Google LOVES it! They're ranking top 3 for every damn city.

Meanwhile, I'm here spending weeks writing unique content for each location, doing proper competitor and demographic research, adding actual local information... for what?

I checked in ahrefs - they built these pages 6 months ago and have been crushing it since. Same DA as me, similar backlink profile.

Am I missing something? Should I just give up and do what they're doing? Seems like Google rewards this crap while punishing those who follow their guidelines.

What would you do in my position? Keep grinding the "right" way or switch to mass location pages?

Don't beat yourself up too much. You're going about this the wrong way - better to focus energy on outranking your competitors than obsessing over their tactics.

I used to stress about this stuff too. Then I realized something after 10+ years in the game: sites doing mass location pages either:

1. Eventually get hit hard when Google catches up

2. Have enough authority to make it work regardless

3. Are using PBNs you can't see in ahrefs

Focus on your existing pages and make them convert better. A page that converts at 10% will beat 100 pages converting at 0.1% any day.

Hate to say it but... it works. I've seen this across multiple niches. Key is their domain authority though - what's their DR? Without serious authority Google usually slaps these down fast.

If they're new-ish and pulling this off, they probably have hidden link juice we can't see in ahrefs. Worth digging deeper.

Have you checked if they're actually getting traffic to those pages though? Ranking ≠ traffic.

Pull their top pages in SEMrush - bet 90% of those city pages get zero visits. They might be "ranking" but probably only for no-volume keywords.

Happy to take a look if you want to DM the URL.

@digitaldave01 - That's the thing, though - they've been doing this multiple-location SEO strategy for 2+ years. Not a blip in rankings. Their doorway pages just keep performing better.

@marketingtyson - Their DR is actually lower than mine (28 vs my 32). That's what's killing me. And yeah, definitely something fishy with their backlinks. Shows only 50 in ahrefs but they rank everywhere.

@lawseopro - I actually did check traffic... that's the most frustrating part. Used Semrush - they're pulling serious numbers on those auto-generated pages. Like 300-500 visitors per city page monthly. Even their smallest city pages (populations < 10k) get 50+ visitors.

My questions keeping me up at night:

1. Is this actually "doorway pages" if they're providing a real service in those areas? They do have legit GMB profiles in 5 main cities.

2. For multiple location SEO, what's the real line between scale and spam? Like if I service an area, why shouldn't I have pages for each city?

3. Their pages all follow exact same template:

• City name in title/h1

• Same content but city swapped

• Generic city info pulled from Wikipedia

• Same images across all pages

• Same service content word for word

HOW is this working in 2025? I have unique content, real location info, actual customer testimonials from each city... and I'm getting crushed.

My traffic in January is down 40% while they keep climbing. At what point do I just say screw it and copy their approach? Because right now my "white hat" strategy is killing my business.

Let me break this "multiple location SEO" thing down wholly based on my 10+ years managing local service businesses. Your situation is more common than you think.

Reality Check: Understanding Local Search

Your competitor isn't winning because of doorway pages - they're winning despite them. Here's what's actually happening:

1. Google's Local Intent

   • If someone searches "broken pipe repair" + city name, Google WANTS to show a dedicated page for that city

   • A direct match still carries weight in local queries

   • Their pages match user intent perfectly, even if spammy

2. The Authority Game

   • Your DR comparison is irrelevant for local

   • Focus on your top 5 city pages where you have GMB listings

   • These carry the authority for all location pages

Multiple Location SEO Strategy for 2024

Based on managing 50+ service businesses, here's the proven approach:

1. Hub & Spoke Model

• Main service page as hub

• City pages as spokes

• Internal linking between related services

• Each city page MUST link to main service

2. Winning City Page Structure

[Expertise Section]
• Service overview
• Unique city statistics/data
• Emergency response time for area
• Local team member highlight

[Proof Section]
• Reviews from that city
• Recent jobs (with photos)
• Local partnerships/certifications

[Trust Section]
• Service area map
• Response time guarantees
• Local phone number
• GMB embed for nearest location

3. The 80/20 Implementation

• Focus 80% effort on top 20% population cities

• Create super detailed pages for main service areas

• Use template for smaller cities BUT with:

  • Unique intro paragraph

  • Real job photos from area

  • Actual customer testimonial

  • Local emergency response time

Technical Implementation Guide

1. URL Structure Best Practices

/locations/[state]/[city]/[service]
Example: /locations/minnesota/minneapolis/broken-pipe-repair

2. Internal Linking Strategy

• Every city page links to 2-3 nearby city pages

• All pages link to main service hub

• Use proper anchor text variation

3. Essential Schema Markup

{
  "@type": "Service",
  "areaServed": {
    "@type": "City",
    "name": "City Name"
  },
  "provider": {
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    "name": "Business Name",
    "location": {
      "@type": "Place",
      "address": {
        "addressLocality": "City Name"
      }
    }
  }
}

Strategic Growth Plan

1. Start with Your Core Cities

• Build detailed, unique pages

• Get real reviews

• Add actual job photos

• Create local resource content

2. Methodical Expansion

• Add 5 new cities monthly

• Focus on areas with actual jobs

• Document real work in each area

• Build local citations naturally

3. Content Enhancement Schedule

• Update top 20% pages monthly

• Add new job photos

• Fresh customer reviews

• Local news/events mentions

Why This Approach Wins Long-Term

1. Sustainability

• Google updates target thin content

• Quality signals compound over time

• Real engagement metrics improve

2. Conversion Optimization

• Detailed pages convert better

• Local proof builds trust

• Emergency calls go to right team

3. Business Growth

• Forces you to document real work

• Builds actual local presence

• Creates defensible positions

Conclusion

Don't chase their strategy. Build something that:

• Helps actual customers

• Documents real work

• Scales with your business

• Survives algorithm updates

Remember: It's not about ranking everywhere. It's about dominating where you actually want to work.

@heroappliances Let me add some real talk about appliance repair SEO since that's your world:

Look, I've seen dozens like your competitor. Here's what's really happening:

Their 1000+ doorway pages work because:

• Super consistent NAP everywhere

• Those 5 legit GMB profiles do the heavy lifting

• Each auto page points to the nearest real location

Their basic template:

• "Emergency service!"

• "All brands!"

• [City] coverage area

• Generic service list

• Wikipedia city info

• Contact form

Here's your move - instead of that garbage, do this:

• Real response times for specific neighborhoods

• Actual recent job photos (Google loves this)

• Customer reviews from that zone

• Local parts suppliers you work with

• Common problems in that area

Trust me, their conversion rate is trash. Sure they rank, but good luck getting calls from auto-generated BS.

I've helped 3 appliance businesses fix this exact mess in the past 6 months. DM if you want me to take a look at your site.

Remember: Rankings are cool, but calls pay bills. Build pages that actually help people find you when their fridge dies at 2am.