Why templated city pages fail, and what genuinely local content contains.
The templated city page, where only the place name changes, is one of the oldest tactics in local SEO and one of the least effective now.
Why templates fail
Forty pages that differ by one word are near-duplicates. They compete with each other, dilute internal linking, and give a searcher no reason to stay. Search engines have been filtering this pattern for years, so the effort produces pages that exist but do not rank.
What a real local page contains
Something that could only have been written about that place: work you have actually done there with specifics, the local considerations that change how the service is delivered, named areas you cover, directions and parking if people visit, and staff or partners based there.
Fewer, better pages
Five substantial pages for the areas where you genuinely operate will outperform forty thin ones covering places you have never worked. If you cannot write something distinctive about a location, that is a signal not to publish a page for it.
Link each location page from the main service page and from your profile, and keep them updated as you complete more work in that area.
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