The key to getting your business found online is a solid search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. Websites that offer an excellent user experience and are optimized with quality content and relevant keywords rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs) which brings more traffic to the website, resulting in more leads and sales.
There are two main types of SEO strategies that businesses may use to increase online visibility, organic SEO and local SEO. Each strategy serves a slightly different purpose as the goal of organic SEO is to rank in the main organic search results while the main goal of local SEO is to appear in Google’s local 3-pack to target local customers. Both strategies can be used together to help strengthen online visibility, build credibility, and attract customers within a specific service area.
In this guide, we will explain the difference between organic SEO and local SEO as well as the best practices and benefits of each strategy. It is wise for businesses to invest in both strategies as organic and local SEO work together to help improve visibility, generating more traffic which results in an increase in leads and conversions.
What is Organic SEO?
Organic SEO is a strategy that aims to improve your rankings on unpaid SERPs for searches that are relevant to your business or keywords. More than 50% of all web traffic can be attributed to organic search and websites that are listed in the first 10 positions receive around 99% of the clicks, making it important to rank within these positions for your main keywords and phrases. A good organic SEO strategy should focus on optimizing the content, structure, and technical elements of your website to improve online visibility and increase brand awareness.
Google ranks organic search results based on the level of expertise, authority, and trust (EAT) it gives to your website. Following these best practices for organic SEO can help boost your EAT and rank higher in the SERPs:
- Identify target audience: Determine the audience you want to target by identifying who could benefit the most from your products or services. Understanding the needs of your target audience helps you create better content that can appeal to them.
- Keyword research: Create a list of relevant keywords and phrases related to your business and research the keywords to determine their search volume. Make sure you choose keywords that have a high search volume but also ones with a lower volume that are more attainable.
- Content creation: High quality content is extremely important for improving your EAT. Create quality content based on your main keywords that provides real value for your target audience and establishes your authority and expertise on the subject. You should also update your existing content and add new content regularly.
- Link building: All of the pages of your website should be interlinked so that users can easily navigate the site. Building quality external links can help boost your authority with search engines.
- Page structure: Make sure your web pages are optimized and well structured with defined headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) so that users can easily scan the pages for information.
- Page speed and performance: The loading speed and performance of your website is an important SEO ranking factor for Google. Make sure all the pages of your website load quickly or you may lose ranking, and users may become frustrated with your site.
Running an effective organic SEO strategy will have the following benefits for your business:
- Sustained visibility: Effective organic SEO helps you rank higher in the SERPs which can lead to sustained visibility without spending money on ads.
- Credibility: Websites that are ranked higher in the SERPs are seen as more credible and trustworthy because Google deems them worthy of the top spots.
- Cost-effective: Implementing an organic SEO campaign requires an initial investment but is quite cost-effective in the long run as organic traffic is not charged per click.
- Improved user experience: For websites to rank well, they must have fast page loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and excellent structure and navigation which greatly improves the user experience.
- Targeted traffic: Organic SEO generates targeted traffic that is more likely to convert.
- Measurement: Performance metrics make it easy to measure the effectiveness of your organic SEO campaign and identify areas for improvement.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is similar to organic SEO in that it aims to increase visibility in the search results, but it differs in that it specifically targets a local audience. An estimated 46% of searches have local intent and many who make local searches are more likely to make an immediate purchase as 28% of these searches end with a purchase.
The goal of Local SEO is to rank in Google’s local 3-pack for local search queries. Local search queries are searches that include geographic modifiers like city names and phrases such as “near me.” When Google recognizes a search query with local intent, it provides relevant, nearby locations in the local 3-pack in addition to the organic search results. Google considers the following when ranking businesses in the local 3-pack:
- Relevance: The relevance of the business to the user’s search
- Distance: The physical distance of the possible results from the location of the user
- Prominence: Popularity of the business based on reviews and other factors
You can help improve your rankings in the local 3-pack by following these local SEO best practices:
- Claim Google Business Profile: The results in the local 3-pack are Google Business Profiles which are free profiles offered to businesses by Google. Make sure you claim your Google Business Profile for every physical location and optimize the profile with business information, location, pictures, and relevant links. Well optimized Google Business Profiles are more likely to rank higher in local search results.
- Create other business profiles: Create profiles for your business on general directories like Yelp, industry specific vertical directories, and mapping platforms like Google and Apple Maps.
- Provide accurate NAP information: The name, address, and phone number (NAP) of your business must be accurate and up to date across all online business profiles. You should also provide your hours of operation and make immediate updates when the hours change.
- Use pictures: Your business listings and social media profiles should include good, high-resolution pictures that represent your business, physical location, and products or services. Listings with good pictures are more likely to generate clicks.
- Optimize website for mobile: Many local searches are done on mobile devices when users are out and about. This makes it very important to optimize your website and business listings for mobile devices.
- Use local keywords: Research local keywords for your area, including region, city name, neighborhood, and local landmarks to see which keywords rank the best. Include these keywords in your content to attract more local search traffic.
- Manage your reputation: Reputation management is crucial for local SEO because it helps build trust. Make sure to maintain a positive image online on your business listings and social media profiles and always respond to negative feedback and reviews to show that you care about the experience of your customers.
- Create local landing pages: Add local landing pages to your website that are optimized for your geographic location and include relevant information such as contact info and hours of operation. Add the links for your local landing pages to your business listings.
- Use social media: You can leverage your social media profiles as local business listings by including business information such as location, contact info, and pictures. Make sure the information on your social media profiles is up to date and stay active by making regular posts and engaging with comments and messages.
The following are the main benefits of a successful local SEO strategy:
- Increased local visibility: Effective local SEO improves your online visibility within your service area which makes it easier for local customers to find your business.
- Targeted customers: You can target customers in your local area who are looking to make a purchase and are more likely to convert.
- Generate foot traffic: Businesses that rank well in the local search results can generate more foot traffic to their physical locations.
- Increased conversions: Those making local searches are often closer to making a purchasing decision and are more likely to convert than traffic from organic searches.
- Trust and credibility: A strong local online presence and positive ratings and reviews increase the trust and credibility of your business. This can lead to more sales and long-term relationships with customers.
- Cost-effective: Local SEO is generally less expensive than paying for ads and an effective local SEO campaign can result in sustained visibility within your service area.
Is Organic SEO or Local SEO Better for My Business?
It is important to understand that organic SEO and local SEO are not competing strategies. In fact, these strategies complement each other and help maximize online visibility while increasing traffic.
All businesses should engage in organic SEO strategies as ranking well in the SERPs helps improve online visibility while establishing credibility that helps build trust with customers. Businesses that serve a specific region or want to attract more foot traffic to their physical locations should also engage in local SEO. Local SEO is a perfect complement to a solid organic SEO strategy as ranking in the local search results and 3-pack improves visibility and trust among your local community.
By implementing a multi-faceted SEO campaign that consists of organic and local SEO strategies, you can maximize your online visibility and credibility while generating targeted traffic that is much more likely to convert into sales.
Professional SEO Marketing from Proceed Innovative
To run a successful SEO campaign, businesses must devote time and resources to developing and implementing the strategies as well as measuring the results and making adjustments to ensure that their strategies are effective. It can be difficult for businesses that do not have the resources or expertise to implement and manage a successful SEO campaign. Our digital marketing professionals at Proceed Innovative provide expert SEO marketing services to help businesses with their digital marketing.
Proceed Innovative is a digital marketing agency with expertise in organic SEO and local SEO. Our professionals will conduct thorough keyword research and optimize your website to improve your organic rankings in the SERPs, and we can boost your local online presence with local SEO strategies that include optimizing your website for local searches and managing your Google Business Profile.
Contact Proceed Innovative or call us at (800) 933-2402 to learn more about how our experts can help boost your online presence with effective SEO marketing.
