It probably comes as no shock that more than 90% of online experiences start with search engines. Furthermore, less than 1% of users make it to the second page of Google search results.
What does this mean for your marketing? That SEO and Local SEO are key components of your digital marketing strategy.
Let’s dive into the nuances between Local SEO and traditional SEO is crucial. Both are effective strategies to boost your online visibility, but they target different audiences and utilize distinct techniques.
What is SEO?
Building credibility is the main benefit of SEO.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Search intent is the basis for SEO. Search engines aim to provide the most relevant results to user queries. Therefore, by understanding user intent you can optimize content to match and rank higher in search results.
For example, say someone is searching for “leg workout at home no equipment.” Their intent is to find workouts they can do at home, without any gym equipment. SEO answers their query with fitness websites and blogs that provide bodyweight workouts with squats, lunges, calf raises, and wall sits.
What is Local SEO?
“Near me” searches have increased by more than 500% in the past few years.
Local SEO is a specialized form of SEO that targets local customers. It involves optimizing your online presence to rank higher in local search results, such as Google Maps and local search engine results pages.
For example, “gym near me” is a common search for those looking for a new place to work out. The intent is to find a gym in a specific location. Local SEO Responds with Google Maps displaying a list of nearby gyms, prioritizing those closest to the user’s current location. The key factors considered are proximity, Google My Business listing quality, and user reviews.
What is the Difference Between Local SEO and SEO?
SEO and Local SEO both aim to improve your online visibility and help people find and connect with your business. So how are they different?
SEO aims to rank a website higher in search engine results for national or global keywords, while Local SEO targets a specific geographic area. Local SEO helps businesses rank higher in local search results for keywords like “body shop near me” or “best tacos in [city name]”.
Local SEO relies heavily on Google My Business optimization, local citations, and building online reviews to attract customers within a defined radius.
While both strategies can complement each other, Local SEO is crucial for businesses that serve specific geographic areas and want to attract local customers.
Why Local SEO Matters
Now that you have a better understanding of what Local SEO is, let’s talk further about why it is so important.
Nearly half (46%) of all Google searches are local, and 18% of these searches lead to a purchase within 24 hours.
Local SEO helps you connect with potential customers actively searching for your services or products in your local market.
When you optimize your website for local keywords and citations, you increase your visibility in search engine results. Because the customers you’re able to get in front of are actionable, you have a better chance of ultimately increasing foot traffic to your physical location.
A strong local SEO presence can help build brand awareness and trust within your community, fostering long-term customer relationships. It can give you a competitive edge over businesses that aren’t optimizing for local search.
Key Strategies for Local SEO
When optimizing for local SEO, focus on your website and Google Business Profile listing.
Here are some best practices:
Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing: Google also owns almost 94% of market share for mobile search. Ensure your business information is accurate and up to date.
Build Local Citations: Businesses that had citations on more than 30 sites saw consumer action increase by a whopping 136%. Local citations are online mentions of a business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on directories, websites, and social media platforms. They serve to verify the existence and legitimacy of your business.
Optimize Your Website for Local Keywords: 4 in 5 consumers conduct searches with local intent on search engines. Make sure you use location-based keywords in your website content, title tags, and meta descriptions. For example, “near me” or “in my area.”
Encourage Local Backlinks: Bring organic traffic to your site by acquiring links from local news sites, community organizations, local blogs, and other local businesses. This will enhance your credibility and relevance in the area you serve.
Utilize Geo-Targeting: Target specific geographic areas with your marketing campaigns. This can be done through various methods, including IP address, GPS coordinates, or zip code. The goal is to increase relevance and engagement within your target audience. For example, you might use geotargeting to display a special offer to customers within a certain radius.
Key Strategies for SEO
Key strategies for SEO involve a multifaceted approach to improve website visibility and attract organic traffic:
Keyword Research: There are more than 19,000 keywords with over 100,000 monthly search volume in the United States. It is up to you to identify relevant search terms to target.
On-page Optimization: Ensure your content is well-structured, uses keywords effectively, and loads quickly. To do this you must refine your title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content within your webpage to improve its search engine ranking and user experience. Internal linking, having an easy to remember URL, and image optimization are also crucial to ensure that you have the best possible SEO performance.
Technical SEO: This refers to your website structure, mobile-friendliness, and site speed. It is the foundation of a strong online presence, ensuring your website is easily crawlable by search engine bots. You will want to optimize your page load speed, implement secure connections (HTTPS), and to create mobile-friendly designs.Technical SEO dives into your site’s structured data to help search engines better understand your content, optimizing for voice search, and ensuring a seamless user experience.
Backlink Building: You must establish valuable connections to other websites, signaling authority and relevance, sending a signal to search engines that your website is valuable and trustworthy. Having other websites link to yours is comparable to receiving a vote of confidence, demonstrating that your content is pertinent and informative.
Content Creation: Your website should deliver high-quality, informative content that engages users and encourages sharing. For example, blogs, white papers, and podcast transcriptions can all be part of an SEO-driven content strategy.
Conclusion
While both SEO and Local SEO are crucial for online visibility, they cater to distinctly different audiences and goals. SEO focuses on broader online reach, aiming to attract a global audience. Local SEO prioritizes attracting customers within a specific geographic area, making it essential for businesses with physical locations or serving local communities. In understanding the ways that they differentiate from one another, you can use both to effectively optimize your online presence and drive targeted traffic to your website. When you regularly monitor and analyze website performance, you can gain insights that help you with ongoing optimization. If you follow our suggested practices for using SEO in your marketing – you have the best possible chance of increasing brand awareness and revenue.
Marketing Solutions
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