Franchise SEO that supports your whole network

Experience working inside franchise networks

I’m Shahzad Akram. My experience includes leading SEO and website performance across World Options, Mail Boxes Etc. UK and PACK & SEND UK.

That responsibility spans six websites, approximately 191 physical store pages and 335 virtual service office pages, alongside website launches and migrations across the UK, US and Australia.

I work with marketing teams, franchisees, developers and external agencies. I understand the practical challenge of improving search performance when one website serves a national brand, multiple local businesses and different commercial objectives.

Does this sound familiar?

Your network may have a strong brand and established locations, yet still face problems such as:

• Some branches generate enquiries consistently while others struggle to appear locally.
• Location pages contain little useful information beyond an address and phone number.
• National service pages and local pages compete for the same searches.
• Google Business Profiles have inconsistent information or unclear management responsibilities.
• Prospective customers reach the website but contact the wrong branch.
• Head office receives SEO reports without a clear view of which locations benefit.
• Agencies provide recommendations, but implementation stalls between teams.
• Franchise recruitment content attracts visitors without answering their key questions.

The starting point is understanding which problems affect your network and where improvements would make the greatest difference.

Two audiences. Two clear journeys.

Attract customers to your franchise locations

Customers need to understand whether you provide the service they want, cover their area and offer a straightforward way to get in touch.

I help connect national service content with useful location pages and accurate local business information. The aim is to make the journey from search to the appropriate branch clearer.

Explore local and multi-location SEO

Attract prospective franchisees

Someone considering franchise ownership needs different information: the business model, investment, available opportunities, training and ongoing support.

I help structure recruitment content around those questions, with a clear route from initial research to an informed enquiry.

Discuss franchise recruitment SEO

What franchise SEO support can include

Search strategy across the network

Establish the role of each website and page type, understand your audiences and identify opportunities across services, locations and recruitment.

You receive a prioritised plan that connects search opportunities with your business objectives and available resources.

Location pages and service-area content

Improve the pages that connect your services with individual locations.

This can include clearer service information, local evidence, contact details, internal links and enquiry options. Physical branches and virtual service areas need to be represented accurately, with content that helps customers understand where and how you operate.

Google Business Profile coordination

Review how eligible locations are represented and managed on Google.

Support can cover business information, categories, website links, profile ownership and processes for keeping details up to date across the network.

Technical SEO and website structure

Identify technical issues affecting how search engines discover and understand your content.

Areas of work may include crawling, indexing, duplicate pages, internal linking, page templates and website performance. I translate findings into clear tasks for the people implementing them.

Content planning

Build a content plan around the services you offer and the questions your customers or prospective franchisees need answered.

That includes deciding what belongs on national pages, what needs local detail and where supporting guides can help someone make a decision.

Website rebuilds and migrations

Bring SEO into the planning of a new website, platform change or domain move.

My experience covers website architecture, URL planning, redirects, content retention, analytics and launch coordination, followed by checks once the website is live.

Discuss technical SEO and migrations

Measurement and reporting

Agree how progress will be measured before delivery begins.

Depending on the available tracking, reporting can cover organic visibility, engaged visits, enquiries and performance by location or service. Where enquiry quality or sales outcomes are available, these provide additional commercial context.

Delivery that works with your team

A franchise SEO plan needs clear ownership.

Head office may control the website, franchisees may supply local information, an agency may manage content and developers may handle technical changes. Progress depends on those responsibilities being understood.

I can help by:

• Setting priorities and preparing implementation briefs.
• Working with franchisees to obtain useful local information.
• Coordinating agreed tasks with developers and agencies.
• Reviewing completed changes.
• Explaining progress and outstanding decisions to senior stakeholders.

The scope can focus on advice, a defined project or ongoing support, depending on what your business needs.

Relevant experience

World Options franchise website

During my responsibility for SEO, annual organic sessions increased from 2,792 in 2023 to 5,996 in 2024—a 115% increase.

This work sits within my broader experience supporting both customer acquisition and franchise recruitment websites.

Mail Boxes Etc. UK

After I took responsibility in March 2025, organic sessions increased 30% year on year across the first four months, from 122,923 to 159,968.

My responsibilities include national website performance, local search and franchise location visibility.

International website delivery

I have led nine major website launches and migrations across the UK, US and Australia, coordinating technical, content, analytics and launch requirements.

These examples relate to work undertaken in my employed roles.

Explore my work

How we would get started

1. Discuss your network

We establish your business objectives, website setup, location structure and current concerns.

2. Review the relevant evidence

I assess the agreed areas using website checks, search data and your team’s knowledge of the business.

3. Agree a practical plan

You receive priorities with clear actions, responsibilities and dependencies.

4. Deliver and review

We work through the agreed scope, check implementation and review performance to decide what comes next.

Frequently asked questions

Who do you work with?

My main focus is franchisors, head-office marketing teams and multi-location businesses that need coordinated SEO support. I can also discuss individual franchisee projects where the work fits within the brand’s website and marketing arrangements.

Can you work alongside our existing agency?

Yes. My experience includes setting SEO priorities, consulting external agencies and coordinating implementation with developers. We would agree responsibilities at the outset so everyone understands the role I’m filling.

Can you help with both customer enquiries and franchise recruitment?

Yes. I have experience across both. They serve different audiences, so I would review their objectives, content and measurement separately while considering how the websites connect.

Does every location need its own website?

That decision depends on your existing setup, brand requirements and how the locations operate. I would review the structure before recommending separate websites or changes to your current approach.

Can you implement the recommendations?

Depending on the platform and scope, I can make changes directly or work with your developers and content team. We would establish implementation responsibilities before starting.

How long does franchise SEO take?

The timing depends on the starting position, competition, scope and speed of implementation. Some website issues can be addressed quickly; broader search growth takes sustained work. I would set project milestones and review points once the initial assessment is complete.

How do you measure success?

We agree measures that reflect the objective. These may include local visibility, relevant organic visits, customer enquiries or franchise recruitment enquiries. Where tracking is incomplete, identifying those gaps is part of the work.

Let’s discuss your franchise network

Tell me about your website, the locations you support and the challenge you want to solve.

Whether you need a focused review, help with a rebuild or ongoing SEO direction, we can establish the right scope for your business.

Discuss your franchise SEO needs

Or email contact@shahzadakram.com.