If you are new to the world of SEO, you may be unsure which strategy is most suited to your business. SEO stands for search engine optimisation and is the process of helping search engines understand your content while making it easier for users to find your site through search engine queries. The goal of SEO is to improve your website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to increased website traffic and greater visibility for your business.
In this article, we are going to talk about two SEO strategies: local and national. Both SEO strategies are great for attracting new business, yet one can be more effective than the other depending on how your business operates.
For example, if your business serves a specific geographic area or relies on local customers, a local SEO strategy will help you target users in that area by optimising for location-based searches and local directories. On the other hand, if your business has a broader reach and caters to customers nationwide or even globally, a national SEO strategy will be more beneficial.
Contents:
- What is Local SEO?
- The Benefits of Local SEO
- What is National SEO?
- The Benefits of National SEO
- The Difference Between Local SEO vs National SEO
What is Local SEO?
So what is local SEO? Local SEO is the process of enhancing a business’s visibility in local search results on Google, helping it to stand out in its specific geographic area. A local SEO strategy is suitable for any business within a physical location or that serves a defined local area, such as restaurants, retail stores, or service providers.
Implementing an effective local SEO strategy ensures that businesses appear prominently in local searches and on maps, attracting nearby customers. There are some excellent website platforms that we recommend, such as WordPress, Wix, and various SEO plugins and tools. We also recommend setting up a Google My Business Profile to enhance local visibility, manage customer reviews, and ensure accurate information appears in search results and Google Maps. For help with this, check out our article on how to get listed on Google.
Here is a great example of local SEO. This shows how Lewis Marquees have implemented a local SEO strategy to target potential customers looking for marquee hire in Surrey.
You will also notice their Google My Business Profile is visible in the local map section.
The Benefits of Local SEO
There are many benefits to local SEO for businesses looking to increase visibility and more foot traffic. Here are just a few benefits that are more favourable compared to a national SEO strategy:
- Local SEO helps businesses reach customers actively searching for nearby services or products.
- It leads to higher conversion rates by targeting a more relevant, specific audience.
- Local SEO is more cost-effective, focusing the budget on a smaller geographic area for better results.
- It enhances online visibility by improving rankings in local search results, including Google Maps.
- Appearing in local searches boosts customer trust and credibility for the business.
- Local SEO gives small and medium-sized businesses a competitive edge against larger companies in their area.
What is National SEO?
National SEO focuses on optimising a website to rank highly in search engine results across a broad geographic region, rather than targeting a specific local area. This strategy is ideal for businesses that operate on a national or global scale such as e-commerce platforms like ‘asos’ for example. Whereas local hairdressers would be better suited to a local SEO strategy.
Unlike local SEO, which targets users searching for services or products in a specific location, national SEO aims to attract a wider audience by emphasising general keywords and topics relevant to the businesses industry.
Here is a great example of national SEO. Green Oak Carpentry has implemented a national SEO strategy by targeting generic keywords related to their business offerings, rather than focusing on a specific geographical area and using keywords like “oak frame houses in Hampshire.”
The Benefits of National SEO
National SEO is ideal for service and product providers looking to expand their reach across the entire country, without limiting themselves to a specific area. Here are some key benefits of national SEO that you won’t find with local SEO.
- National SEO helps target potential customers nationwide, enhancing visibility and brand recognition across the country.
- Optimising for national keywords improves your site’s rankings for broad terms with high traffic volume.
- Ranking for competitive national keywords boosts your brand’s credibility and trust as an industry leader.
- National SEO strategies support business growth and market expansion across the country.
- A larger target market leads to higher returns through increased organic traffic, leads, and sales.
- A strong national SEO approach provides an advantage over competitors focusing solely on local markets.
- Reaching various regions diversifies your customer base, reducing market dependency and increasing resilience.
The Difference Between Local SEO vs National SEO
The difference between local SEO and national SEO lies in the target audience based on their geographical area. Local SEO targets a specific geographical area, whereas national SEO targets audiences across the entire country without limitations to a particular town, village, city, or region. You will also notice a difference between keywords, content and search intent.
Ultimately, If you are a business serving a specific area, we recommend implementing a local SEO strategy. If you are a nationwide business with a broader target audience, we recommend choosing a national SEO strategy.
Contact our team today to find out more information or guidance on choosing the right SEO strategy for your business.
