Local SEO vs. National SEO

When it comes to SEO, there are two main types: local SEO and national SEO. But what’s the difference between them? And do you need one or the other for your business? In this article, we’ll explain the differences between local and national SEO, and help you decide which type of SEO is best for your business.

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What are local SEO and national SEO?

Local SEO is a type of SEO that focuses on optimising your website for specific geographical areas. National SEO, on the other hand, is a type of SEO that focuses on optimising your website for the entire country.

Both types of SEO involve targeting certain keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business, services, or products, but optimising your site for the required search engine results pages (SERPs).

Which type of SEO is right for you?

So which type of SEO is right for you? The answer largely depends on your business’ needs. If you’re a local business with a physical location, then local SEO is probably the best option. However, if you’re a national business with customers all over the country, then national SEO is likely the better choice.

Which businesses need local SEO?

Types of businesses that benefit from local SEO include:

Local restaurants
Local accommodation
Local tradesmen
Local retailers
Local transportation businesses
Local service businesses

Which businesses need national SEO?

Types of businesses that benefit from national SEO include:

Online shops
Corporations
Franchises
Software as a Service (SaaS) companies
Web publishers

Are you looking to grow your business but unsure which type of SEO you need? We’ve helped businesses all over the country to boost their rankings, leads, and sales. Contact us today to see how we can help your business.

What are the benefits of local and national SEO?

Local and national share a number of the same benefits, such as:

Increased website traffic: Both local and national SEO can help to increase website traffic through increased visibility in SERPs.
Increased leads and sales: By ranking higher in SERPs, you’ll be more likely to generate leads and sales from potential customers who are searching for your products or services.
Improved brand awareness: Increased website traffic and visibility often leads to improved brand awareness.
Higher conversion rates: With the right SEO strategy, you can see a significant increase in conversion rates from website visitors to customers.
Increased foot traffic for local businesses with a physical location: Local SEO can help to drive more foot traffic to your business by ranking you higher in SERPs for relevant keywords and phrases.

Which option is more affordable?

Both local and national SEO can be affordable, depending on the approach and strategies you take.

Which option is more time-consuming?

National SEO generally takes longer to achieve results than local SEO. This is because you need to target keywords and phrases that are relevant to a much wider audience and with a bigger audience comes a bigger profit, so national SEO tends to be more competitive. Local SEO is narrower in focus, making it easier to rank well for relevant keywords and phrases.

What are the pros and cons of local and national SEO?

Here are the pros and cons of local and national SEO:

Local SEO Pros:

Focuses on a specific geographical area, making it easier to rank well for relevant keywords and phrases.
Can generate more foot traffic for businesses with a physical location.
More affordable than national SEO.
Easier to achieve results than national SEO.

Local SEO Cons:

Limited to a geographic area which can hold back growth if you need national SEO.

National SEO Pros:

Targets a wider audience than local SEO, making it potentially more profitable.
Generally takes longer to achieve results than local SEO.

National SEO Cons:

More expensive than local SEO.
More competitive than local SEO
Results may take longer to achieve than with local SEO.

What should you look for when choosing an SEO company?

It’s no secret that in order to be successful in today’s digital age, your business needs a strong online presence. One of the most effective ways to build and grow your online presence is through hiring an SEO company.

But with so many SEO companies out there, how do you choose the right one for your business? Here are some tips to help you make the right decision.

Do your research: Before you even start looking for an SEO company, it’s important to do your research and understand what type of SEO services they offer. Not all SEO companies offer the same services, so it’s important to find one that offers the services that you need.
Check out reviews: Once you’ve gathered a few referrals, it’s time to start checking out reviews. Look for reviews on Google, Yelp, and other review sites. This will give you a good idea of what to expect from the SEO company and what type of results they can deliver.
Get a free consultation: Don’t be afraid to reach out to the SEO companies you’re considering and ask for a free consultation. This will give you the opportunity to ask them any questions you have and get a better understanding of what they can offer your business.
Compare pricing: Don’t forget to compare pricing when choosing an SEO company. Make sure you’re getting a good value for the services you’re paying for.

What are the benefits of using an SEO company?

There are a number of benefits to using an SEO company, including:

More traffic: One of the main benefits of using an SEO company is that they can help to increase your website traffic. This happens through improving your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and by targeting relevant keywords and phrases.
Increased leads and sales: By ranking higher in SERPs, you’ll be more likely to generate leads and sales from potential customers who are searching for your products or services.
Improved brand awareness: Increased website traffic and visibility often leads to improved brand awareness.
Higher conversion rates: With the right SEO strategy, you can see a significant increase in conversion rates from website visitors to customers.
Reduced marketing costs: SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to market your business online.
Greater ROI: When done correctly, SEO can provide a greater return on investment (ROI) than other digital marketing strategies.

How we can help your local and national SEO

We offer a variety of SEO services that can help your business achieve its online marketing goals. We have years of experience helping businesses with both local and national SEO campaigns and can help you create a strategy that’s right for you.

Local SEO Ranking Tips

Make sure all of your business information is up to date: Make sure all of your business information is up to date and accurate on the most important directories, including Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places for Business, and many others (We keep an updated database of the best location listing and directory listings to have).
Claim Your Google My Business Listing: Claim Your Google My Business Listing and fill out all of the information as completely as possible. Include keywords in your business name, address, and phone number whenever possible. Add photos, videos, and posts to show potential customers what you’re all about and respond to reviews.
Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly: Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly so that people can easily find and contact you from their smartphones or tablets.
Use local keywords throughout multiple online platforms: Including blog posts, social media profiles, etc. – to increase your chances of being found by those searching for businesses near them.
Create location-specific landing pages for the areas you target: Creating the landing allows you to rank in other geographical areas.
Accurate title tags and meta descriptions: Make sure your website’s title tags and meta descriptions are accurately reflecting what you do as a business. Include keywords wherever possible, but make sure they still sound natural.
Use social media platforms: Utilise social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to interact with your current customers while also attracting potential ones. A strong presence on these sites can go a long way when it comes to driving traffic back to your website.
Optimise your videos: Optimise your videos for local SEO campaigns by including relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags.
Get involved in the local community: Get involved in the local community and attend events whenever possible. This is a great way to network with other businesses, as well as get your name out there.
Get and respond to reviews: Last but not least, don’t be afraid to ask for reviews from your customers. This is a great way of showing potential customers that you’re an industry leader and it can give you a significant boost in rankings if done properly.

National SEO Ranking Tips

Identify the keywords you want to rank for: The first step in any national SEO campaign is to identify the keywords you want to rank for. This can be done by using a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner.
Use keywords in your meta description and tags: Make sure to use your target keywords in your meta description and tags, but make sure they still sound natural.
Optimise your website content and structure around those keywords: Once you’ve identified your target keywords, it’s important to start optimising your website content and structure around them.
Create high-quality backlinks: Create high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in order to increase your website’s authority.
Engage in social media: Engage with potential and current customers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A strong presence on these sites can help you attract more visitors to your website.
Produce high-quality content: Produce high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. This will help you attract more visitors to your website, as well as increase your rankings in SERPs.
Monitor your results: Always monitor your results and make changes when necessary. National SEO campaigns require constant tweaking in order to achieve the best possible results.
Optimise your images: Optimise your images for national SEO campaigns by including keywords in the filename and alt tags.
Improve your page load time and Core Web Vitals: Improve your page load time and Core Web Vitals so that you offer the best possible user experience and be rewarded by the algorithm.

Local SEO vs. National SEO FAQ

What’s the difference between local SEO and national SEO?

Is local SEO or national SEO better?

There isn’t a definitive answer as to which is better – local SEO or national SEO. It depends on your business’ needs and goals. Local SEO may be a better choice if you’re targeting a specific geographical area, while national SEO may be a better choice if you want to reach a larger audience.

How do I know if I need local SEO or national SEO?

The best way to determine whether you need local SEO or national SEO is to analyse your business’ needs and goals. If you’re looking to target a specific geographical area, then local SEO is the right choice. If you want to reach a larger audience, then national SEO is the right choice.

What’s the difference between local SEO and global SEO?

Local SEO is a type of SEO that focuses on optimising your website for specific geographical areas, while global SEO is a type of SEO that focuses on optimising your website for multiple countries.

Can you do both local and national SEO?

Yes, we can help you with both local and national SEO campaigns. Sometimes a mix of both in a campaign. We have years of experience in both areas and can create a strategy that’s right for your business.

Conclusion

SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, so it’s important to partner with an experienced SEO company who can help you achieve your online marketing goals. At our company, we offer a variety of SEO services that can help businesses with both local and national SEO campaigns. If you’re not sure which type of SEO is right for you, contact us for a free consultation and we’ll be happy to advise you.

So there you have it – the basics of local SEO vs. national SEO. Hopefully this article has helped clear some things up for you and given you a better understanding of the difference between these two types of SEO. If you have any questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us!