Are you searching for ways to increase your business’s visibility online? You may be getting acquainted with search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to ensure that your site is one of the top-ranking search options when people search for your product or services online.
You may have come across terms such as “national SEO” and “local SEO” and are confused about what they mean.
National SEO is a technique that targets a broad audience at the national or local level, while local SEO targets a specific area.
While both can drive traffic into your site and help move your business forward, it is essential to determine which one is best applied to your business so that you don’t waste your time, energy, and resources.
This article will run you through everything you need to know about local and national SEO and which one is best applied to your business.
Targeting
Local and national SEO differ on the audience they target. For national SEO, you are trying to reach anyone regardless of whether they are likely to walk into your physical business location anytime soon. This is optimal for businesses that ship nationwide or worldwide.
On the other hand, local SEO focuses on people within a specific region or city where your business is located. This is ideal for driving traffic into small local businesses that don’t sell their products online.
Content
The content of the keywords used in local and national SEO also differs given that they have different targets.
National SEO keywords include content related to the industry, product, service, and area of expertise of your business.
Local SEO keywords are similar, but they have geographically relevant keywords added, such as the city, state, or region the business is located in. These geographic keywords will indicate to the search engine such as Google that your business is located in a specific area and will help them identify which visitors they should send to it.
Competition
Your competitors will also vary depending on whether you focus on national or local SEO.
National SEO tends to have a lot more competition as you compete with businesses all over the country.
Local SEO has less competition as you work within a smaller target location. You will only have to compete with local businesses with the same products or services if there are any. The difficulty of competition will vary depending on your location.
It may still be difficult to compete if you are in a location with several established businesses of the same type. However, many local business owners are unaware of local SEO services, so you may still have a great chance of beating the competition if you adopt digital marketing tactics.
Conclusion
The choice between national and local SEO will depend on your type of business and the scope of your services. If you are a local business reliant on a physical store, it would not be worth the effort trying to compete in national SEO as you could not cater to a nationwide audience.
Are you in need of local SEO services in Seattle to help you reach your target audience? At Puget Sound Marketing Solutions, we can help you bring your business to the next level. Get your free SEO audit today!