Have you ever wondered why creating hundreds of city-specific landing pages for your insurance brokerage is no longer an effective SEO strategy?

Across the insurance industry, we still see a tactic being used that once seemed clever but is now a red flag in the eyes of Google: creating dozens or even hundreds of landing pages that follow the exact same pattern: [Insurance Product] + [City].

The goal is to rank locally in every city or town you serve, even if the service or content is nearly identical on each page. While this tactic may have worked in the past, it is now widely considered outdated and, in some cases, spammy. If your brokerage is still leaning heavily on this approach, it is time to rethink your local SEO strategy. Modern search engines are far more sophisticated and prioritize value, authenticity, and user experience over sheer volume.

Why the Old Tactic No Longer Works

The logic behind the old approach was simple: by building keyword-rich pages like [Insurance Product] + [City], you increased the chance of showing up in local search results. The problem is how those pages are built and how little unique value they tend to offer.

Here’s a deeper look into why it is no longer effective:

  • Thin, Duplicate Content: Most of these pages contain boilerplate text, with only the city or product name changed. Google is now very good at spotting this. If multiple pages on your site say the same thing, just with “Toronto,” “Hamilton,” or “Oshawa” swapped out, they are seen as low-value or duplicative.
  • Violates Google’s Spam Policies: Google has clear documentation around what it calls “doorway pages,” which are sites or pages created solely to rank for narrow search terms and funnel traffic elsewhere. When your website contains a large number of similar city-based insurance pages, Google may view this as an attempt to manipulate rankings rather than serve users. Google’s Search Central Guidelines explicitly state that “Doorways are sites or pages created to rank for specific, similar search queries. They lead users to intermediate pages that are not as useful as the final destination.”
  • Dilutes Your Domain Authority: Instead of consolidating your SEO strength into a few well-structured, valuable pages, this approach spreads your authority thin. Many weak pages with little content, few backlinks, and no internal support rarely perform well and may actually drag down your overall site credibility.

How Google Recognizes These Tactics

Google uses both algorithmic detection and manual review to identify location-page spam and doorway behaviour. Here is how:

  • Substantially Similar Pages: If your “Construction Insurance Barrie” page is 95% identical to your “Construction Insurance London” page, Google sees this as duplicative content and may ignore both.
  • Lack of Local Proof: If your pages do not include truly local information, such as regional regulations, city-specific risks, or team members in that area, Google assumes you do not have a meaningful presence there.
  • Orphaned Pages: Pages that are not linked from anywhere in your site’s navigation or content structure are treated as “low trust” or hidden from users.
  • User Behaviour Signals: If users land on these pages and immediately bounce, it signals to Google that the content does not satisfy the searcher’s intent—and lowers its rankings accordingly.

We have seen clients penalized or ignored for large volumes of city-based service pages that offer little value to the user.

What Brokers Should Do Instead

Rather than trying to rank with shallow pages for every city, the modern SEO playbook for brokers is all about consolidation, authenticity, and value. Here is what to prioritize:

  • Build Fewer, Better Landing Pages Consolidate your content into high-quality service pages that describe your offering across a broader service area.
    For example:

    • Create a single “Construction Insurance in Ontario” page that discusses regional trends, regulations, and common risks, with examples from various cities or project types.
    • Build a “Commercial Insurance Solutions Across Alberta” page that highlights industry types and use cases across the province.
    • Include subsections or expandable content for specific cities if you have a meaningful presence or story in each.
  • Make Local Content Truly Local If you are going to include city-specific landing pages, make sure they include:
    • Local client testimonials.
    • Examples of claims or projects in that region.
    • Local brokers or contact info.
    • Regional regulations, weather/climate concerns, or zoning info.

Google rewards depth and specificity, not keyword stuffing.

Use Google Business Profiles (GBPs) Effectively If you have actual offices in multiple cities, your GBP listings are your best bet for local visibility. Make sure they are accurate, complete, and linked back to your website, ideally to pages with strong, relevant local content.

Leverage Authority Content Instead Blogs, guides, and tools are great alternatives to landing page spam. Consider publishing content like:

  • “What Ontario Contractors Need to Know About Risk Transfer”
  • “Top Factors Driving Home Insurance Costs in the GTA”
  • “Why Business Interruption Coverage Is Critical for Retailers in Edmonton”

These types of pages will naturally rank for location-based searches while offering real user value.

The Goose Digital Advantage

The “product + city” approach to SEO is a relic of the past; modern SEO favours value, not volume. Search engines want to serve users the best, most relevant content, and if your pages are not unique, helpful, or rooted in a real local presence, they likely will not rank.

At Goose Digital, we understand that a successful digital marketing strategy for insurance providers hinges on authenticity, authority, and providing genuine value to your audience. We specialize in creating cohesive content and SEO strategies that build trust and drive organic growth. By shifting to a strategy rooted in relevance, consolidation, and authenticity, insurance brokers can future-proof their digital marketing and create meaningful visibility where it matters most. Contact Goose Digital today to discuss your marketing strategy.