Free tool
Service area planner
List the towns or districts you cover, tick the four questions for each, and the planner suggests which areas could carry their own page and which belong on a single regional page. Download the result as a spreadsheet.
Written by Christopher Lee, last revised
Service area planner
Your list stays in this browser tab and is not sent anywhere.
Suggested pages
| Area | Yes answers | Suggestion |
|---|
What the planner does
It applies the four-question test from our service area guide to every area you list. For each, you tick whether you have finished jobs there, whether you know local conditions there, whether you work differently there and whether a team member is based there. An area with two or more ticks is suggested for its own page. The rest are suggested for a regional page that lists them together.
Why these four questions
A page about an area is only useful if it says something true and specific about working there. Google's starter guide asks for content that is helpful, reliable and original. Each of the four questions is a source of that kind of content:
- Finished jobs give you real projects to show.
- Local conditions, such as coastal exposure or steep sections, give you something useful to explain.
- Working differently, such as set days or minimum job sizes, is information a client in that area needs.
- A local team member is a fact worth stating.
An area with none of these would end up with a page that repeats the others with the name changed, which helps nobody.
How to use the result
The result table lists each area, how many questions it passed and the suggestion. The downloadable spreadsheet includes the individual answers so you can see why.
Use it when planning your site or before asking someone to write area pages. Areas marked "Own page" are candidates, not obligations; if you cannot think of enough to say, list them on the regional page for now. Areas marked "List on the regional page" can be promoted later when you finish jobs there.
Keep the list consistent with your Google Business Profile. Google's guidelines say a service area should generally not extend farther than about two hours' drive from where the business is based.
Keyboard use
Each row has an area name and four checkboxes, all reachable with the Tab key, and a Remove button. The "Add another area" button adds a row and moves focus to its name field. When you sort your areas, focus moves to the result heading.
Limits
The planner counts ticks; it does not know how much there is to say about each area or how many people search for it. A two-tick area with thin detail may still not justify a page, and a one-tick area with rich detail might. Use your judgement.
Privacy
Your list stays in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored. The "where you are based" field is only added to your downloaded spreadsheet for your own reference.
Why two questions rather than one?
One fact on its own rarely fills a useful page. Two give you enough to write something specific. It is a rule of thumb, not a law.
Can I use the planner for commercial work across regions?
Yes. The same test applies. Replace towns with regions or cities as suits your work.
What should the regional page say?
List the areas you cover, link to projects nearby and explain any travel arrangements. The service area guide has a fuller outline.
Sources for this page
- Google's SEO Starter Guide, Google Search Central. Primary source
- Business Profile guidelines, Google Business Profile Help. Primary source
How we choose and label sources is set out in the editorial policy.
Want the suggested area pages written?
Tell us your region. We answer free, by email, and say whether we could help.