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Negosentro | How Local SEO Is Different Than Its Classic Counterpart | You’ve heard of SEO.
That constant striving against every other business, website, and blog on the internet to get to the top of the search engine results page using whatever techniques, strategies, and approaches the experts of the world suggest at the time.
However, while we talk about SEO as this big, all-encompassing element of online business, there is actually a range of nuanced industries within the SEO world. For example, general SEO and Local SEO.
Do you have to market your business differently depending on whether you’re trying to get to the top of the result’s page in a general category, search term, or your local area? Are there any differences you should be aware of?
Does this kind of SEO require a new level of knowledge and skill?
Read on to find out more.
What is Local SEO?
At its core, general SEO is the act of a search engine crawling through its index of websites to provide a user who’s searching for something with the content they’re looking for.
Want to know about local SEO and how it differs?
Search engines like Google pull content from their index to show you the most relevant blog post that it thinks you’re going to love based on a massive number of variables (about 200+, at the time of writing). It’s how you’re able to find what you’re looking for.
Quite simply, Local SEO adds a geographical variable to this. That’s pretty much all there is to it.
If you search for ‘Best trainers for running on a treadmill,’ you might find websites from all over the world pulled up because the search engine wants to show you the best of the best. You can also order these trainers from anywhere worldwide and have them shipped to your door.
However, if you search for a term like ‘local coffee shops near me,’ then there’s a considerable restriction on the results that can be shown. If you’re in London, showing coffee shops in New York will not be helpful.
There are all kinds of businesses that can benefit by focusing on local SEO. A local butcher shop or restaurant would clearly benefit, as would a one-off summer fair or festival since people could travel, but a large portion of commuters will be local people, depending on the scale of the event.
On that note, local SEO could refer to a small village or town, a city, a county, a state, or even an entire country, because on the grand scale of things, this is still local for the people who are willing to travel to this area.
How Are Local SEO Strategies Differ?
As a business, if you think focusing on Local SEO is going to be important for your success, then you need to understand how it works. At its core, the basics remain the same.
You need both on and off-page SEO tactics, such as using keywords and having backlinks to other websites. However, you will need to look into dedicated Local SEO strategies, such as;
- Building backlinks through dedicated directories and local listings
- Creating and maintaining a Google My Business listing
- Creating local-based content via social media
- Having a mobile-friendly website (responsive)
- Investing in local search engine optimization services
- Having location-specific content on your website or blog
Summary
As you can see, Local SEO isn’t much different from general SEO, but there are simply a few more steps you’ll need to think about. As a rule of thumb, you won’t be trying to grow millions of followers on social media because it wouldn’t serve your local restaurant to do so.
However, coming first when consumers are looking for a take-out or want to book a birthday meal is important, and it’s these kinds of ideas you’ll want to focus on for the best results and the most potential success for your business.
