GeoDirectory SEO: Should You Prioritize Location Pages or CPT Archive Pages?

Introduction

When I first started building my GeoDirectory site, I ran into a question that probably crosses every directory owner’s mind at some point: What happens when location pages and custom post type (CPT) archive pages overlap?

In other words: which should I focus on for SEO, and how do I avoid duplicate content issues?

I reached out to GeoDirectory support, and here’s what I learned.

The Problem

GeoDirectory automatically creates both:

• Location pages → Pages dedicated to a city, state, or region.
• Archive pages → Pages dedicated to a post type (like “Skateparks”) or a taxonomy (like “Concrete Parks”).

But here’s the catch: both types of pages can sometimes feel like they’re competing for the same keywords. For example, your “San Francisco” location page and your “Skateparks” CPT archive could overlap. So which one should you prioritize for SEO?

The Solution

According to GeoDirectory support, here’s the key difference:

1. Location pages are the entry point
   1. They link to all listings in a given city or region.
   2. Example: https://skateboardparknearme.com/location/california/san-francisco/ 
   3. These are the pages people are most likely to search for because users usually care more about what’s near them than just a broad category.
2. Archive pages are limited in scope
   1. They only cover one post type or one category.
   2. Example: https://skateboardparknearme.com/skateparks/california/san-francisco/
   3. They don’t link back to locations, so they’re less useful as an SEO “hub.”
3. Best practice for SEO
   1. Focus on building out your location pages.
   2. Use location settings and category settings to add unique, page-specific content.
   3. This prevents duplicate content while giving Google clear signals about what each page is for.

Extra Notes & Analogy

Support compared the setup to TripAdvisor:

• Location Page Example → TripAdvisor Brisbane Tourism
• Archive Page Example → TripAdvisor Hotels

Notice how the location page is much more helpful for someone searching “things to do in Brisbane,” while the archive page is just a list.

That’s the mindset you should adopt with your own site.

Conclusion

If you’re worried about duplicate content between GeoDirectory’s location and archive pages, don’t be. Just remember:

• Prioritize location pages — they’re more valuable for SEO and user intent.
• Add unique content to each location (and category if needed).
• Think like your users — they usually search by city or region first.

This approach keeps your site organized, prevents SEO overlap, and gives visitors exactly what they’re looking for.