West Town and the Near West Side are two neighboring community areas on the City of Chicago’s list, numbers 24 and 28. The West Loop, a name many customers search for, is a neighborhood inside the Near West Side rather than a community area of its own. Businesses here often serve customers on both sides of the line, and in the areas around them. This page covers how to market a business whose customers come from several community areas at once.
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Two community areas and their neighbors
By the City’s community-area boundaries, West Town borders the Near West Side, Humboldt Park, Logan Square, the Near North Side and Lincoln Park. The Near West Side borders West Town, the Loop, the Lower West Side, East Garfield Park, North Lawndale, the Near South Side and the Near North Side. A business near the line between them may draw customers from half a dozen community areas.
| Community area | City number | Borders |
|---|---|---|
| West Town | 24 | Near West Side, Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Near North Side, Lincoln Park |
| Near West Side | 28 | West Town, Loop, Lower West Side, East Garfield Park, North Lawndale, Near South Side, Near North Side |
Service areas on your Google profile
If you serve customers at your address and also travel to them, Google lets you enter both your address and your service area. A caterer, a contractor or a cleaning company based in West Town can keep its real address and list the neighboring areas it travels to. Do not remove the address to look as though you cover more ground; keep it and add the areas.
If you have two locations, one in each community area, each gets its own profile. Google says not to create more than one page for each location of your business.
Ads across borders
Google Ads can target cities or a radius around a point. For a business that draws from several community areas, a radius around the business, or a set of areas chosen by hand, usually fits better than the whole city. The broad Presence or Interest option also reaches people showing interest in those areas, which suits a restaurant hoping to reach people planning a night out, and suits a plumber much less. Ask the agency which it will use and why.
One honest page, or several
A business that serves West Town and the Near West Side does not need a page for every community area it touches. Google’s spam policies call pages targeted at specific regions that funnel users to one page doorway abuse. One page that honestly covers both areas, naming the West Loop where it applies and the neighboring areas you travel to, is usually stronger than seven pages with the names swapped. Add a separate page only when you have something specific to say about an area.
Social media for a neighborhood business
Social media works well for businesses that are part of a neighborhood’s daily life. Show the place, the people and the work, and tag the neighborhood where it fits. If you work with local creators, the FTC’s Endorsement Guides require paid or free-product connections to be disclosed clearly and conspicuously. A disclosure hidden in the comments is not enough.
What to ask a marketing agency about a West Town or West Loop business
- Which community areas will my profile list as service areas?
- How will my ads be targeted across neighboring areas?
- Will my site have one page for the area or several, and why?
- How will you handle creator disclosures on social?
- What is your experience with businesses west of the Loop?
Serving West Town, the West Loop or the areas around them? Tell us what you need and an independent marketing agency sends a proposal.
For the map side, see local SEO Chicago. For restaurants in particular, see restaurant marketing in Chicago. Next door are the Loop and the Near North Side.
Questions people ask
Is the West Loop a Chicago community area?
No. The West Loop is a neighborhood name inside the Near West Side, which is community area 28.
Can I list several community areas as my service area?
Yes, if you travel to customers there. Google lets a business enter both its address and its service area.
Do I need a separate page for every area I serve?
No. Make a page only where you have something specific to say. Near-identical area pages are what Google calls doorway pages.
Which community areas border West Town?
By the City’s boundaries, the Near West Side, Humboldt Park, Logan Square, the Near North Side and Lincoln Park.