The Power of Service Pages: Local SEO Gold with Darren Shaw (Best of 2025 Highlight)

In this “Best of 2025” highlight from the Simple and Smart SEO Show, we revisit one of our top-performing episodes featuring local SEO expert Darren Shaw. 

Darren breaks down the critical mistake many local businesses make with their websites—and how to fix it using individual service pages. 

If you're relying on a single "Services" page or even worse—a one-page website—this episode is a must-listen. Learn how your website becomes the database that powers your Google Business Profile, and how to fully optimize it for maximum local search visibility.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• One page isn’t enough: A single “Services” page with bullet points won't cut it for local SEO.
• Each service deserves a page: Every primary service your business offers should have its own dedicated, optimized page.
• Your website feeds Google: Google uses your website as the main data source for your Google Business Profile.
• Avoid one-page websites: They limit SEO potential with a single title tag and minimal schema markup.
• Add rich content: Include videos, FAQs, and context to enhance each service page's value.

💬 Episode Highlights from Darren Shaw:

• "People haven't made that mental connection... your website is the database for your Google Business Profile." 
• "A one-page website? You only get one title tag... Can I please have multiple pages to optimize?"
• "The more information you have on your website, the better your local SEO visibility."

✅ Listener Action Items:

1. Audit your website: Check if each of your services has its own page. If not, plan to build them out.
2. Optimize content: Add title tags, schema markup, FAQs, and videos to each se

Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

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 Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)

Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?

If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.

I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.

No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Initial Questions
• 0:46 Common Mistakes in Service Pages
• 1:10 The Importance of Detailed Service Pages
• 1:30 Google Business Profile and Citations
• 2:02 Optimizing Your Website for Google
• 2:50 The Case Against One-Page Websites
• 3:23 Transition to Advanced Topics

Transcript

The Power of Service Pages and Website Optimization for Local SEO

[00:00:00] 

Introduction and Initial Questions

Crystal Waddell: What the, what are you talking about there? Like specific, like landing pages? 

And you have to have a website page for every single service. 

And is there a link to that from that specific option? 

Or it just has to align? 

Darren Shaw: Yeah. 

Common Mistakes in Service Pages

Darren Shaw: So a real common mistake.

Let's imagine it's a handyman company. So we're a handyman company. These are the services we provide. 

And they have one page on their website says services. And then they'd be like, we provide all these services. 

Like a bullet point, one bullet point for each of the services. So they do roof repair, they do, window installation. 

They do window cleaning, they do odd jobs.

Like they list all these, right? 

The Importance of Detailed Service Pages

Darren Shaw: And have you given Google enough context? 

Because you mentioned it in one bullet point on your webpage? No, you really haven't. And so this the, that's a real common mistake with local businesses. 

So the solution is to have a services section, and under the section there's a dropdown, with all of your primary services. 

And every one of those services gets a page.

Google Business Profile and Citations

Darren Shaw: And so the reason that you do that is because a Google business [00:01:00] profile. Is one set of data that Google has. 

And then they also are looking, so for information about that business. 

So as the business owner, you can claim your profile, you can make changes, you can give Google information. 

That is one small source of data that Google uses.

Google's also using what are called citations. So around the internet. Oh, you're listed on Yelp? All right, what's on your Yelp page? How many reviews do you have? What's the description? How many photos are in there? 

So Google's gathering information about businesses from all over the internet. 

Optimizing Your Website for Google

Darren Shaw: But the number one data source for your Google business profile is your website.

People haven't made that mental connection. 

And so the more information you have on your website, it's just it's like your database for your Google business profile. 

So you have to think of it in those terms. So if you haven't built those pages out and you haven't really optimized them. 

And given this is why we're the best and these are the frequently asked questions. 

And here's a video of me talking about this specific service, like really building out those pages.

Google is connecting your Google business profile to your website, and [00:02:00] so that's why it's super important and valuable to do that. 

Because the services section in your Google business profile only has I dunno, 500 characters or something you type in. It's not enough. 

Like you, you need to give it the more context to about your services and it, that's just a really valuable optimization strategy.

The Case Against One-Page Websites

Crystal Waddell: That really is, and it makes a case against, like the one page websites. 

Like I've seen a lot of people pitching like one page websites. And I'm thinking, oh wow, that is a major negative against that particular strategy. 

Darren Shaw: One page website, you only get one title tag. It's can I please have multiple pages where I can optimize the title tag, add schema markup, possibly. Add more context.

You really need a multi-page website. If you don't currently have a multi-page website. 

And you're a local business. 

Then you might want to consider. Getting a new website. 

Crystal Waddell: Okay. 

Transition to Advanced Topics

Crystal Waddell: So let's get into a couple of like weedy type things, more weedy type things. I'd love to play in the weeds. I don't know what the deal is, but I'm like all about some.

Okay, 

Darren Shaw: great. Let's