SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a set of rules and practices for online business to achieve better rankings on a given Search Engine Results Page (SERP). It helps users find their way to products and services offered by companies and builds brand awareness on the Internet.
For companies that target international audiences, both global and local SEO services can bring tremendous benefits – what’s the difference between the two?
How important is local SEO?
Local SEO is a marketing strategy that focuses on creating optimized content and running a well-performing website for a domestic market, with customers usually found somewhere in their business area. It’s no secret that Google’s algorithms prefer businesses that are closer to the user’s location at the moment – Google even confirmed it themselves in 2018, as more and more “near me” searches appear with every year.
Taking care of the local SEO can help businesses tap into customer bases located in their business vicinity – and such customers, on average, have much higher conversion rates than potential customers from afar. It’s not only about having your brand be recognized all around the world – it’s also about those closest to you knowing they can trust your services. To prepare high-quality content for local audiences, many companies use local SEO services provided by various online SEO agencies.
Local SEO vs Global SEO
Both international SEO and local SEO are important for online businesses – but what is the difference between the two?
This difference is crucial to understand when planning a marketing campaign – if you employ the wrong strategy, the results may be catastrophic. When preparing a global SEO campaign, marketers have to target the local audiences in a variety of ways to make sure the content will be effective, and the same goes for global SEO as well.
While the principles are the same, the actual ways to perform global and local SEO are different. For example, in local SEO, you can use the localization of your business as a way to boost your visibility by making Google’s algorithms prioritize your website for searches made in the local area. Global SEO, on the other hand, will focus on the bigger picture and large-scale keywords to guide online traffic to your page.
Who can benefit from local SEO services?
Local SEO services can benefit a range of industries, not only the most obvious ones like hotels and restaurants. Medical services, for example, can benefit highly from an increase in internet traffic from local users, since most of the patients will look for service providers in their area. Retail chains, in addition to boosting their global online presence through global SEO, can also promote their physical locations by creating a local SEO strategy that targets each individual one.
When dealing with a professional SEO agency, you invest in your company’s future – having experienced SEO specialists take care of both your global and local SEO strategies can provide you with solutions tailored to your needs. Don’t neglect your SEO – it’s the key to growth for online businesses, which only becomes more and more important with time.
