Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and local SEO are both essential strategies for businesses looking to increase their online visibility, but they serve different purposes.
But what is the difference between SEO and local SEO?
While SEO is focused on optimizing a website to rank well in organic search results, local SEO marketing is specifically designed to help local businesses rank well in search results for their specific geographic location.
In this article, we will explore the key differences between SEO and local SEO, including the tactics used, the goals achieved, and the benefits gained from each strategy.
Whether you’re a small business owner or a digital marketer, understanding the distinctions between these two strategies is crucial for achieving your online marketing goals.
Types of SEO for Google Search Optimization.
When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), there are two main approaches: one that targets a broad audience and another that targets a specific location.
The first approach, known as National SEO, aims to improve a website’s ranking in search results for a national or international audience by focusing on high-volume, competitive keywords.
The second approach, known as local SEO, focuses on improving a website’s ranking in search results for a specific geographic location by targeting more specific keywords related to the local area.
Both types of SEO are important and have their own set of best practices, but the choice of which one to use depends on the business goals and target audience.
What Is National SEO?
National SEO is focused on optimizing a website to rank well in search results for a national or international audience.
National SEO can benefit a wide range of businesses that want to increase their online visibility and attract more customers to their websites.
Some examples of businesses that may benefit from National SEO include:
- Retail businesses with physical locations in multiple cities or states across the country.
- Service-based businesses that operate in multiple regions or serve customers across the country.
- E-commerce businesses that sell products or services to customers nationwide.
- Businesses that target a specific industry or niche and want to attract customers from all over the country.
- Businesses that have a strong national brand and want to maintain their online visibility and reputation.
What Is Local SEO?
On the other hand, local SEO is focused on optimizing a website to rank well in search results for a specific geographic location. This type of SEO involves targeting more specific keywords and phrases and building citations and reviews on local business directories.
Optimizing for Local Area.
Local SEO is particularly important for small businesses that want to attract customers from a specific area. Local SEO can benefit a wide range of businesses that want to increase their online visibility and attract more local customers to their website or physical location.
What Kinds of Businesses Need Local Search Optimization?
Some examples of businesses that need local SEO include:
- Local brick-and-mortar businesses such as restaurants, retail shops, service providers, etc
- Businesses that serve customers in specific geographic areas
- Businesses that have multiple locations in different cities or neighborhoods
- Businesses that want to target customers in specific regions or neighborhoods
- Businesses that want to establish their online presence in their local community.
Overall, any business that wants to attract more customers and increase its online visibility in a specific geographic area can benefit from local SEO.
The Difference Between SEO and Local SEO.
National SEO is focused on increasing a website’s visibility and ranking for search queries that are relevant to the business and its products or services on a national or broader level, whereas local SEO is focused on increasing a website’s visibility and ranking for search queries that are relevant to the business’s physical location, such as a city or neighborhood.
Another difference is the optimization approach. National SEO tends to focus on broad keywords and industry-specific terms, whereas local SEO tends to focus on more specific keywords that include the business’s location. Local SEO also includes optimization for local directories and map listings, which is not a focus in National SEO.
Finally, the tactics used in both SEO strategies also differ, National SEO tends to focus on building backlinks from reputable websites, whereas local SEO focuses on building citations and backlinks from local directories and map listings.
Overall, while National SEO and local SEO have similarities, they are different strategies used to reach different audiences and achieve different objectives.
Ranking Factors: National vs Local.
The ranking factors for local SEO and National SEO are different in some ways.
The main ranking factors for local SEO include:
- Presence of a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) across local directories and map listings.
- The relevance and quality of the business’s Google My Business listing.
- The relevance and quality of reviews for the business on local directories and review sites.
- The relevance and quality of backlinks from local directories and map listings.
- The proximity of the business’s location to the searcher’s location.
It’s important to note that both Local and National SEO also use some common ranking factors, such as the relevance and quality of the website’s content, relevance, and quality of backlinks, and technical optimization.
The Difference Between National and Local SEO Strategy.
Local SEO strategies are different from National SEO strategies in a few key ways.
One of the main differences is the focus on local keywords and phrases. Local SEO has a geographical component and is part of Google Maps, so it’s mainly focused on increasing a website’s visibility and ranking for search queries that include the business’s location, such as “pizza delivery in [city name]” or “best hair salon in [neighborhood name]”. National SEO, on the other hand, focuses on broader keywords and phrases that are relevant to the business and its products or services, regardless of location.
Another difference between local SEO and National SEO is the focus on local directories and map listings. Local SEO includes getting the business listed in local directories such as Google My Business, Yelp, and other business directories. These listings are essential for local SEO, as they help to establish the business’s presence in the local community and give customers important information such as hours of operation, contact information, and reviews.
In addition, local SEO also focuses on building citations, which are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on other websites. These citations help to establish the business’s NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency, which is important for both local SEO and Google Maps ranking.
Do SEO and Local SEO Affect Each Other?
SEO and local SEO can affect each other in a few ways. Local SEO can help to improve a website’s overall SEO by increasing its visibility and ranking for search queries that are relevant to the business’s location. When a website ranks well for local search queries, it can also rank well for broader, non-local queries. This is because search engines use location as one of the many factors that determine search rankings, and a website that has been optimized for local search is more likely to be considered relevant and trustworthy by search engines.
On the other hand, a well-optimized website with a strong SEO foundation can also help to improve a business’s local SEO. When a website has been optimized for SEO, it is more likely to be considered relevant and trustworthy by search engines, which can help to boost its visibility and ranking for local search queries.
Additionally, having a strong presence in local directories and map listings, which is a focus on local SEO, can also positively impact your website’s overall visibility and ranking in search results. This is because, by having a business name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistent across local directories and map listings, search engines can verify the business’s identity and location, which can lead to higher visibility and ranking in search results.
In summary, both SEO and local SEO can affect each other in a positive way. A well-optimized website with a strong SEO foundation can help to improve a business’s local SEO, and local SEO can help to improve a website’s overall SEO by increasing its visibility and ranking for search queries that are relevant to the business’s location.
Which Is More Important for Your Business?
Whether National SEO or local SEO is more important for your business depends on the type of business you have and your target audience.
If your business is a national or online business that targets customers across the country, or even worldwide, National SEO is more important. National SEO will help you to increase your online visibility and attract more customers to your website from all over the country or even the world.
In some cases, both National and local SEO can be important for your business, particularly if you have a physical location and also serve customers online. In this case, you should focus on both strategies to reach both a national and local audience.
In any case, it’s important to conduct a thorough analysis of your business, your target audience, and your competitors to determine which strategy is more important for your business, and then tailor your optimization accordingly.
If You Run a Local Business, Optimize for Local Search.
If you are a local business that targets customers within a specific geographic area, such as a city or neighborhood, local SEO is more important. Local SEO will help you to increase your online visibility and attract more local customers to your website or physical location.
Local SEO for Service Area Businesses.
Local SEO is important for service area businesses because it helps to increase visibility and attract more local customers to the website by optimizing the website for local keywords and phrases that include the business’s service area.
Final Words: National SEO vs Local SEO.
In summary, SEO and local SEO are both important strategies for increasing a business’s online visibility, but they have some key differences.
Both National and local SEO have their own specific tactics and approach to optimization, but both can positively impact each other.
In order to determine which strategy is more important for your business, it’s important to conduct a thorough analysis of your business, your target audience, and your competitors.