How Local SEO Is Different from National SEO
You’ve employed all the strategies you can find about SEO. You’ve done plenty of keyword research, and you’ve got engaging content that brings in the right amount of traffic. You’ve even got links from websites with high domain authority. It may seem like everything is perfect, but you need to ask yourself whether everything is…
You’ve employed all the strategies you can find about SEO. You’ve done plenty of keyword research, and you’ve got engaging content that brings in the right amount of traffic. You’ve even got links from websites with high domain authority.
It may seem like everything is perfect, but you need to ask yourself whether everything is right. This is especially the case when it comes to local and national SEO.
The truth is, not all SEO is created equal. National SEO is useful for big corporations. Since these big corporates operate in large geographical areas, national SEO focuses on non-location based keywords. Small businesses, on the other hand, rely on local SEO to appeal to their target audiences.
So, what are the differences? And if you’re a local business, how do you make the most of local SEO? Let’s start with the similarities.
The Big Picture Similarities
Local and national SEO have plenty of similarities. For example, both types of SEO aim to improve a website’s ranking on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). The highest-ranked pages get the majority of the traffic, which translates to more conversions and more sales.
Some of the techniques that apply to both types of SEO include:
- Link building with authority sites
- Using keywords in titles, tags, and meta descriptions
- Guest blogging
- Optimizing content with keywords
These techniques are critical because they help search engines “crawl” your website for proper indexing.
National Keywords vs. Local Keywords
The most significant difference between local and national SEO is the keywords used. Large corporations or stores use general keywords because they are big enough to benefit from doing so. They don’t need to focus on location-based keywords because customers can find their businesses at the local mall or make purchases online.
Local businesses need to focus on local keywords. They point customers in the area who are most likely to visit your store in the right direction.
Depending on your business, you may choose to use keyword phrases that incorporate the name of your neighborhood, city, or state. Let’s consider a hypothetical business to see how such a strategy might play out.
The business is an Italian restaurant located in the Belmont neighborhood of East Dallas. Some of the local keywords that might be helpful include:
- Belmont Italian restaurant
- Italian restaurant Belmont
- Belmont restaurant
- East Dallas restaurant
The idea is to develop various phrases using specific locations that will most likely help customers find you. Choosing the right local keywords also helps you with search engines. When someone in the area searches “best Belmont bakery,” Google will return results based on the GPS location of the searcher’s phone or device.
Simply put, local keywords help search engines include your business in local searches, increasing the chances that people in your area looking for products or services you offer will find you.
The Benefits of Local SEO
Local SEO offers many advantages to small and medium-sized enterprises. Small companies are unlikely to compete at the same level as larger national or international brands; they don’t have the financial muscle or reach to do so.
Key benefits of local SEO include:
- Local SEO is more targeted than national SEO. It’s more likely to reach prospective customers who are the most likely to become regular customers.
- In several ways, local SEO is easier to execute than national SEO. Making a significant impact in your local market doesn’t require a huge marketing team.
- Local SEO targets a smaller audience than national SEO, making it less expensive because there’s less competition for local keywords.
- Most small and medium-sized businesses find local SEO to be the most logical approach. Why would you throw money down the drain chasing national and general keywords when you can spend less money and get better results?
Tips to Perfect Local SEO
Fortunately, it’s not hard to perfect your local SEO. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Create or update your Google My Business profile. Because the largest search engine owns it, this is one listing you shouldn’t ignore. Make sure you use local keywords in your descriptions and that you’ve got a link to your website.
- Claim your business listing. Search online directories, whether Yelp, a city directory, or a website for your local Chamber of Commerce, and claim your listings. When you have control over your listing, it’s easy to rectify any errors and ensure people have an easy time finding your business.
- Standardize your NAP (name, address, phone number) listings. Search Engines check if your NAP listings are identical across various sites and forums to give users the best results when they’re searching for information. That means your NAP information should be the same across the board.
- Encourage your customers to write reviews. Most potential customers check out reviews before choosing a particular vendor. Positive reviews also help to improve your local search rankings. You should also spare time to respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.
- Create useful and engaging content that will increase traffic to your site. Make sure to link to authority sites and use keywords in your tags. You should also include a system of internal links.
- Take advantage of social media to market your brand and reach out to a broader network of potential clients. Use local keywords on social media platforms, add maps, and leverage mobile options that allow users to click to call you and leave customer reviews.
- Local link building is another critical part of the process. Reach out to local businesses and directories in your area and get them to link back to your site.
- Research local keywords and incorporate them in your content. Bear in mind that potential customers searching for local businesses will likely use local keywords, so choose your keywords accordingly.
Local SEO isn’t difficult, but you’ll need a solid SEO strategy to reap the rewards.
Do National and Local SEO Affect Each Other?
There’s an overlap between these strategies, but both approaches will end up helping each other if done correctly. If you already have an SEO strategy in place, it may require a few tweaks here and there to start driving more targeted, local traffic.
With the local SEO strategies mentioned above, you’ll have a better chance to rank in relevant search results.
When navigating the waters of national and local SEO, it helps to consult the experts. Have more questions about local vs. national SEO? We have you covered. We’ll help you answer all your questions so you can get the best results for your business.
Bottom Line
It’s simple: You need local SEO to attract local customers. Your mission, therefore, as a small or medium-sized business, is to focus on strategies that will bring local customers to your storefront. That’s why it’s crucial to seek professional Dallas SEO services. The right SEO company will understand what strategies will convert new clients for your specific business.
At theSOULwithin LLC, we offer the best local SEO Dallas has to offer. We will create the right SEO strategy for your business to stand out among the competition and earn more conversions. Contact us today to watch your Dallas, TX business scale new heights to market leadership.
