Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a technique used to increase the number of visitors to a website by ranking top in the search engine; this is what we know about SEO. Did you know SEO is generalized into two types, i.e., Local SEO and National SEO?

Both the SEO types share similar principles to rank higher and gain maximum traffic but are different in various ways. The significant differences are identified with their names themselves. Local SEO is about bringing top visitors to your business from a specific area; on the other hand, National SEO is for a company that craves to reach customers on a national or a global level.

Before implementing them in the business, you have to be very clear about the importance, similarities, and differences.

Similarities Between Local SEO & National SEO

SEO and marketing strategy for small businesses

The principles of both Local SEO and National SEO are the same as they have the same objective, to reach the top in search engine result pages and, in turn, increase your website’s traffic.

Although there are significant differences in techniques used to improve your organic search rankings either locally or nationally, few strategies are applied to both.

The main strategies that both have in common are link building, content marketing, guest posting and acquiring more and more backlinks.

Guest Posting can be effective for both local and national Businesses as they are considered a ranking factor.

Acquiring backlinks from resource pages is another strategy that benefits both local and national search engine optimization. Some sites will have a resource page and list relevant resources, which becomes an opportunity to acquire valuable backlinks.

Differences Between Local SEO & National SEO

Though both the SEO approaches work towards the same goal, a few differences separate them.

Local SEO

local customers. This practical way of marketing the business online uses a variety of strategies for getting their site shine on search engines. Millions of people use local search every day and national SEO approach of getting these potential customers. For instance, if you’re a Chinese restaurant owner and want it to pop up for the local people, local SEO strategies can benefit the business.

Small businesses, clubs, recreation businesses with a brick-and-mortar store that serve an audience in a specific area are more likely to be benefited from SEO. So, local SEO can promise you stable growth when your business focuses 100% on particular geographic locations like a small restaurant, a bookstall, a coffee shop or a spa salon.

Small businesses, clubs, and recreation businesses with brick-and-mortar stores that serve an audience in a specific area are more likely to benefit from SEO. So, local SEO can promise you stable growth when your business focuses 100% on particular geographic locations like a small restaurant, a bookstall, a coffee shop or a spa salon.

 

driving times to a local business

 

For Local SEO, you can target a specific keyword with lower competition and geographically target the right audience. For example

Let’s say that company X is interested in obtaining clients in Houston, TX and surrounding suburbs. In this scenario, the company is not looking to grow Business in New York, Los Angeles, Orange County or any other city or state in the US. The company has an office in Houston, Texas. The search terms that will produce customers for a company might look like terms

– Houston travel agency
– Houston Agency travel
– Travel agency in Houston
– Travel AgenciesHouston

A targeted local SEO campaign can cultivate the right audience.

The primary motive of a Local SEO campaign is to target the local people appealing the business growth. Local SEO can turn into your best companion for small businesses. The aggressiveness of the approach you use to rank higher in the search engines depends on your target focus area. By that, I mean you need to implement more strategies to target an audience in a mid-sized city than a business that targets customers in a small town.

By that, I mean you need to implement more strategies to target an audience in a mid-sized city than a business that targets customers in a small town.

Local SEO comes with the best benefits; it is less expensive than national campaigns, which stand a strong point for every business. All you need to keep in mind is that adding simple SEO strategies and local SEO tactics can kick your business to incredible growth.

Marketing Strategies to keep in mind are:

– Assimilate the city name as a keyword (a city where your business is located).
– Your content must consist of business city names.
– Each location of your business should have different pages on your website.
– Social media or Digital Marketing is not a new strategy that businesses are adopting. To boost your presence and increase brand awareness, you have to be socially active with your business. Create a social media marketing plan and stick to it.

After looking at every aspect of SEO, when your local businesses grow unexpectedly, speedily and gain a lot of traffic, it is very sure most companies would like to take their local business to a national level. Reaching there requires having the patience to establish national SEO strategies. To target a national audience, you can create a different SEO strategy as it will be a different set of audiences that you will be targeting.

Content marketing is one of the crucial strategies you should focus a lot of time on. It is believed that the age of a site plays a vital role in SEO success.

You can use your current site to leverage that site’s established history and trust. Add blogs to those sites that take a generic approach and don’t just use local keywords in blog posts. You can update the block three times a week for best results. It is an easy and better option to drive national visitors over time.

National SEO

For a business that ultimately survives online, for that case, the location doesn’t matter. When your business doesn’t have a specific location, National SEO will be a crucial strategy to win globally.

Though its complexity has a few back points, it isn’t easy to match the top rankings level and is more expensive than a local SEO. It can outburst your business growth to an unexpected level once you succeed in national SEO campaigns.

Local SEO cannot do wonders for your national SEO; however, with National SEO, you are in people’s eyes globally. National SEO campaigns have larger budgets and more workforce targeting generic keywords and success.

It is always better to take professionals’ help to implant National SEO campaigns as it is a little harder to tackle and search for generic keywords for your business.

In the national SEO approach, you will target and compete for highly competitive keywords and may or may not be geographically targeted. For example

Let’s say that company Y has offices all around the country and targets people in all the major cities. In this case, the search terms are broader. And there are free keyword research tools like Google Keywords Planner Tool that will give you many keywords ideas based on your seed keyword.

The search that will produce customers across the country might look something like this:

– Brand Agencies
– Branding Companies
– Best Brand Agencies
– Brand Strategy Companies

There are so many companies that tend to compete on the national level, and it can be very challenging to rank nationally than locally. It is experienced by many businesses that the kind of marketing strategies that work locally may not work nationally; it is imperative to know what your business goals are and what it is looking to achieve.

Factors to decide your business will make the most sense in Local search:

  1. Less authority: To be noticed in a local market is easier for newer companies because they don’t need much domain authority. If your business is unique, it makes sense to focus on your local area.
  2. Less Competition: You are only trying to compete with companies with similar products or services, so it’s best to choose Local SEO.
  3. Your Business Type: Search result close to the user is more relevant. Your business wants to attract users who can easily reach your location; then, undoubtedly, you can opt for Local SEO.
  4. Your Business Type: Search result close to the user is more relevant. Your business wants to attract users who can easily reach your location; then, undoubtedly, you can opt for Local SEO.

Factors to decide if your Business needs National SEO:

These are some significant factors every business should consider before selecting the SEO they emphasize.

1. Target Audience: Is your Business serving geographically constrained customers?

2. More Competition: Your business goal is to reach globally, so, indeed, you are going to face tough competition. So you have to prove your presence globally there you will need National SEO.

3. National Brands: Your Business can compete with national brands that can spend extravagantly, then go for national SEO.

Small to medium-sized businesses that mainly operate online and to whom locations don’t matter much are the ones that should go with this approach. Businesses like eCommerce stores, lawyers, etc., are the ones that should go with national SEO.

National SEO is more difficult to tackle and more expensive than local SEO. The reason is you are competing with similar businesses nationally or globally.

SEO mistakes that have to be avoided:

Whether you pick the local SEO or the national SEO efforts, a lot of times, it happens that the strategies you use may not work; it is all because of the most common SEO mistakes that have to be avoided.

SEO mistakes that have to be avoided

1. Consistency in addressing

The essential point to be noted is to remain consistent with NAP listings, i.e. (Name, address and phone number) while performing SEO strategies. NAP is the information you cannot skip about your business. You have to be stable with listing the info because instability will decrease SEO value.

2. Using the wrong keywords

The common mistake made by companies is using the wrong keywords. They often use keywords that are too broad or too general. You have to be very specific with the keywords for a local business. Geo-specific words will quickly reach a local audience.

3. Stuffing Keywords

Another mistake people make with keywords is they overstuff the keywords, use too many links or fill the content with too many exact match anchor texts. It will result in penalties from Google. It is wise to use a keyword in limit and a small number of the precise match anchors

4. Producing poor content

The most common mistake done by leading companies is when trying to implement SEO strategies; they produce dull and poor content. Content marketing needs high-quality content and information to share with their friends, resulting in SEO growth.

5. Underestimating Social Media

Companies do everything to reach SEO top ranking, neglecting social media. Many companies will create their page on social media and leave it untouched. Simply making the page is not enough; you have to maintain it and maintain interaction and connection with people. Social media will undoubtedly be a powerful tool for SEO. Social media is the easiest way to connect with customers personally, encourage SEO Content sharing and generate brand awareness.

Conclusion

It is always better to start from A than from Z; if you start your SEO campaign locally, you will get better results and answers to questions in search engine result pages and become globally popular. However, the higher your website ranks locally, the higher it can rank nationally more time the site is visited; the more time people stay on your website, the more clicks you get, and the higher you will rank on search engines. Therefore, it is highly recommended by many SEO experts.