As the founder of DataPins – a Local SEO software designed to boost rankings in specific cities, towns, and zip codes, I’ve tested every Local SEO tactic in the book, including inserting zip codes into SEO titles.
Zip codes in SEO titles were used relatively often, starting around 2013 and gradually becoming less common.
However, the tactic is still used occasionally, especially by contractors who work in expanded service areas.
What The Data Says About Using Zip Codes in SEO Titles
At DataPins, we took five popular industries (plumbing, roofing, painting, pest control, and electrical) along with ten of the most popular zip codes in the United States to test the impact of this tactic on SEO success.
Keyword Volume
We first measured the estimated search volume of keywords, including zip codes, to see if these terms were worth targeting from a traditional SEO standpoint.
Here are the results:
| Zip Code | Plumber | Roofer | Painter | Pest Control | Electrician |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79936 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 90011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 60629 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 90650 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 90201 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 77084 | 23 | 27 | 0 | 130 | 0 |
| 92335 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 78521 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 77449 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 78572 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Out of 50 tested keywords, 11 registered search volumes. Of the 11 with search volume, only five had a search volume above 3.
What this tells us is that users searching for zip code queries is a rare occurrence but does happen from time to time.
At DataPins, we also understand that search volume is an imperfect metric as it is estimated and does not account for nearly 50% of “hidden queries” on Google Search Console.
However, DataPins’ internal data confirms that zip code queries are relatively rare, even in those “hidden terms.”
Keyword Rankings
It’s one thing for users to include zip codes within their search queries, but how Google interprets those queries is another matter.
We know that Google uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand the intent of keywords. As a result, Google may interpret a zip code as the equivalent of a city name since that’s what the user intends to find.
We tested this by measuring the amount of top-10 rankings for these queries that include the zip code within their SEO title.
Here’s what the data says:
| Query | Top 10 Rankings with Zip Code in SEO Title |
|---|---|
| plumber 79936 | 0 |
| plumber 90011 | 0 |
| plumber 60629 | 10 |
| plumber 90650 | 1 |
| plumber 90201 | 3 |
| plumber 77084 | 1 |
| plumber 92335 | 0 |
| plumber 78521 | 1 |
| plumber 77449 | 0 |
| plumber 78572 | 0 |
| roofing 79936 | 0 |
| roofing 90011 | 0 |
| roofing 60629 | 1 |
| roofing 90650 | 1 |
| roofing 90201 | 7 |
| roofing 77084 | 1 |
| roofing 92335 | 0 |
| roofing 78521 | 0 |
| roofing 77449 | 1 |
| roofing 78572 | 1 |
| painter 79936 | 0 |
| painter 90011 | 0 |
| painter 60629 | 5 |
| painter 90650 | 4 |
| painter 90201 | 7 |
| painter 77084 | 0 |
| painter 92335 | 3 |
| painter 78521 | 0 |
| painter 77449 | 0 |
| painter 78572 | 2 |
| pest control 79936 | 0 |
| pest control 90011 | 0 |
| pest control 60629 | 3 |
| pest control 90650 | 1 |
| pest control 90201 | 3 |
| pest control 77084 | 1 |
| pest control 92335 | 0 |
| pest control 78521 | 0 |
| pest control 77449 | 0 |
| pest control 78572 | 0 |
| electrician 79936 | 0 |
| electrician 90011 | 1 |
| electrician 60629 | 5 |
| electrician 90650 | 2 |
| electrician 90201 | 5 |
| electrician 77084 | 0 |
| electrician 92335 | 2 |
| electrician 78521 | 0 |
| electrician 77449 | 0 |
| electrician 78572 | 0 |
Of the 50 test queries, precisely half (25) featured at least one top-10 ranking with a zip code in the title tag. Of those 25 queries, 14 featured more than one ranking with the corresponding zip code.
Yelp results accounted for many of the rankings, leading to inconclusive analysis because of the platform’s premium domain authority, which allows it to rank despite zip code insertions rather than because of them.
Volume and Ranking Correlation
Next, we looked at the correlation between top-10 rankings and search volume for each query.
Here’s what the data says:
| Query | Volume | Top 10 Rankings with Zip Code in SEO Title |
|---|---|---|
| plumber 79936 | 0 | 0 |
| plumber 90011 | 0 | 0 |
| plumber 60629 | 1 | 10 |
| plumber 90650 | 0 | 1 |
| plumber 90201 | 0 | 3 |
| plumber 77084 | 23 | 1 |
| plumber 92335 | 0 | 0 |
| plumber 78521 | 0 | 1 |
| plumber 77449 | 1 | 0 |
| plumber 78572 | 0 | 0 |
| roofing 79936 | 2 | 0 |
| roofing 90011 | 0 | 0 |
| roofing 60629 | 0 | 1 |
| roofing 90650 | 8 | 1 |
| roofing 90201 | 1 | 7 |
| roofing 77084 | 27 | 1 |
| roofing 92335 | 0 | 0 |
| roofing 78521 | 0 | 0 |
| roofing 77449 | 0 | 1 |
| roofing 78572 | 0 | 1 |
| painter 79936 | 0 | 0 |
| painter 90011 | 0 | 0 |
| painter 60629 | 0 | 5 |
| painter 90650 | 0 | 4 |
| painter 90201 | 0 | 7 |
| painter 77084 | 0 | 0 |
| painter 92335 | 0 | 3 |
| painter 78521 | 0 | 0 |
| painter 77449 | 0 | 0 |
| painter 78572 | 0 | 2 |
| pest control 79936 | 0 | 0 |
| pest control 90011 | 0 | 0 |
| pest control 60629 | 0 | 3 |
| pest control 90650 | 1 | 1 |
| pest control 90201 | 0 | 3 |
| pest control 77084 | 130 | 1 |
| pest control 92335 | 0 | 0 |
| pest control 78521 | 0 | 0 |
| pest control 77449 | 3 | 0 |
| pest control 78572 | 0 | 0 |
| electrician 79936 | 0 | 0 |
| electrician 90011 | 0 | 1 |
| electrician 60629 | 0 | 5 |
| electrician 90650 | 0 | 2 |
| electrician 90201 | 0 | 5 |
| electrician 77084 | 0 | 0 |
| electrician 92335 | 0 | 2 |
| electrician 78521 | 24 | 0 |
| electrician 77449 | 0 | 0 |
| electrician 78572 | 0 | 0 |
No clear correlation emerged within the data regarding a zip code’s search volume and top 10 rankings.
For example, the highest volume query, “pest control 77084,” only produced one top-10 ranking with the zip code in the title tag, while the one search volume, “plumber 60629,” had the most top-10 rankings (10).
Multiple queries with zero registered search volume had numerous top-10 rankings. Conversely, several queries with registered search volume lacked any top-10 rankings.
Other Considerations
Google is a powerful machine with complicated AI-driven algorithms that are much more intelligent than any human test. As a result, each query is unique in Google’s ecosystem, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all answer to an open-ended question.
With this in mind, it’s essential to consider other factors that influence the impact of zip codes on an SEO title tag.
User Intent
Despite a lack of correlation between registered search volume and top rankings, user intent is a factor in all search queries. This is true not only of zip codes but also of county names, township names, and other local identifiers that may be unique to a region or location.
That’s why contractors looking to succeed with Local SEO should learn the nuances of their service area, the clientele, the culture, and the dialect. Reflecting this knowledge within your web content is the best way to demonstrate a unique local expertise.
Spam and Algorithmic Violation
The greatest potential danger of implementing a wide-ranging zip code SEO strategy is producing spam content and violating Google’s Helpful Content Update algorithm.
Mass-producing location pages for every zip code in your service area violates Google’s Helpful Content guidance, as these pages are produced exclusively for search engines rather than offering unique value to users.
Because cities can have multiple zip codes, producing pages on a zip code basis creates more unhelpful content, increasing the likelihood of your content being filtered as spam.
SEO-Friendly Alternatives
Aside from the negligible benefits of inserting zip codes in a title tag, there are better alternatives for Local SEO. One example is DataPins, which populates location identifiers, including schema markup and geo-coordinates to your site’s most relevant pages.
These local signals come from your real-life jobs, demonstrating social proof of your company’s work in the field. DataPins adds local relevance to existing pages, so they continue gaining unique content based on your performance.
Final Verdict
Like most things in SEO, the answer is “it depends.” However, using zip codes within the SEO title is not a viable strategy at scale. In some cases, zip code insertions in the title can benefit rankings, but they are anecdotal circumstances requiring granular analysis and execution.
The dangers of using a large-scale zip code insertion strategy are clear, as this tactic violates Google’s guidelines and dilutes the value of your site’s content. A better alternative is using DataPins to populate valid location signals onto your pages, using schema markup and geo-coordinates.
