Local SEO vs National SEO
Searching for products or services on a search engine is a common, everyday task for us. What we don’t take into consideration is all the hard work that went into showing us the best results for that burrito we were looking for. We might already know what search engine optimization (SEO) is, but just to clarify, it’s the combination of online marketing strategies that are used to increase the amount of visitors to a business. SEO is becoming increasingly popular with companies that are looking to drive traffic to their site and increase conversions. Depending on what type of business you have, you may need to adopt a local and/or a nationwide SEO strategy. So which one is better, Local SEO vs National SEO?
What is local SEO?
Local SEO is when a company uses Google and business directories, such as Yelp or Superpages, to promote to local customers. Local SEO is associated with brick and mortar companies that have locations in concentrated cities or regions. For example, a bike repair shop in Beverly Hills or a chain of Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles would use a local SEO strategy. Any business with a physical location can benefit from a local SEO strategy. Local SEO has gained popularity over the last few years due to the rise in cell phones. When people search for goods or services, search engines factor in our location and give a listing of top local results.
How do I rank better on Google?
“So how do I rank better on Google?” Google likes when a website provides accurate, consistent information to its users. The simplest ways to increase your ranking are to “Google My Business” and make sure that your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are correct and consistent throughout your website. Local reviews on business directories such as Yelp are another avenue of local SEO. Not only can you connect with potential customers on Yelp, but local reviews provide you with consistent content that lets Google know the quality of your work. Geo-specific keywords are also important in a local SEO campaign. They are far less competitive and easier to rank for because they are more likely to relate to your customers’ search query.
Citations and link building are the backbone of local SEO. Citations are online references to your business, so when Citysearch lists your address and phone number, that’s a citation. Your NAP needs to be correct and consistent on your citations in order to receive credit. When Google’s spiders crawl through the web, they index your citations as well. If your business has consistently correct information on your citations, Google determines that your business is reliable. Google Panda made it clear that the number of links to your site would only help your page ranking if those links were from relevant local businesses. It means that these websites need to be relevant to what you do and talk about.
What is national SEO?
You are now competing against everybody in the country or world. National SEO is for companies with national locations or for companies that can ship their products around the world. It can also be for e-businesses or digital products too. National SEO can also comprise of local SEO. It has a greater potential to bring in a larger amount of traffic to your site. However, it’s far more complex than a local SEO strategy and can cost more too. National SEO strategies can have a content strategy, paid advertising, and a variety of local SEO tactics as well. Additionally, the keywords tend to be broader, therefore costing more.