If you’re a business owner or marketing professional, you’ve probably heard the terms “local SEO” and “SEO” used interchangeably. While they may seem similar, there are actually some key differences between local SEO and SEO. In this post, we’ll break down what local SEO and SEO are, the differences between local SEO and SEO, and explain why it’s important to understand the distinction.

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO refers to the practice of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for local search queries. Local search queries are searches that include a specific location or geographic area, such as “best Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.”

Local SEO is important for businesses that serve a specific local area or region, such as brick-and-mortar stores or service-based businesses that only operate in certain areas. By optimizing your website for local search queries, you can improve your visibility and attract more qualified traffic from local customers.

There are a number of factors that can impact your local SEO ranking, including the relevance, quality, and consistency of your business information on local directories and citation sources, such as Google My Business and Yelp. It’s important to ensure that your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online directories and that your business information is up-to-date.

In addition to optimizing your presence in local directories and citation sources, local SEO also involves optimizing your website’s on-page elements, such as title tags and meta descriptions, to include local keywords and phrases. For example, if you own an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, you might include local keywords such as “Los Angeles Italian restaurant” in your title tags and meta descriptions.

Local SEO can also involve optimizing for Google’s “snack pack,” which is the list of local businesses that appears at the top of the search results for local search queries. To improve your chances of appearing in the snack pack, it’s important to have a Google My Business listing and to optimize your website for local keywords and phrases.

Overall, local SEO is an important strategy for businesses that serve a specific local area or region. By optimizing your website and online presence for local search queries, you can improve your visibility and attract more qualified traffic from local customers.

What is SEO?

SEO, on the other hand, refers to the practice of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords and phrases. Unlike local SEO, which is focused on a specific geographic area, SEO is focused on improving your website’s visibility and ranking in search results for a wide range of keywords and phrases.

SEO is important for businesses of all sizes and industries, as it can help improve your website’s visibility and attract more qualified traffic from a wider audience. There are many factors that can impact your SEO ranking, including the quality and relevance of your website’s content, the structure and organization of your website, and the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your website.

To optimize your website for SEO, it’s important to conduct keyword research to identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. Then, incorporate those keywords naturally into your website’s content and meta tags. It’s also important to ensure that your website is well-organized, easy to navigate, and free from technical errors, as these can all impact your SEO ranking.

In addition to optimizing your website’s on-page elements, SEO also involves earning backlinks from other high-quality websites. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website, and they can help improve your website’s visibility and authority in the eyes of search engines. There are a number of tactics you can use to earn backlinks, such as creating shareable content, participating in online communities related to your industry, and guest blogging on other websites.

Overall, SEO is a critical component of a successful online marketing strategy. By optimizing your website and earning high-quality backlinks, you can improve your website’s visibility and attract more qualified traffic.

Key Differences Between Local SEO and SEO

While local SEO and SEO may seem similar, there are some key differences to be aware of:

Geographical focus

Local SEO is focused on optimizing for local search queries, while SEO is focused on a wider range of keywords and phrases. This means that local SEO is primarily concerned with improving your visibility and ranking in search results for searches that include a specific location or geographic area, while SEO is focused on a wider range of keywords and phrases that may not necessarily include a location.

Keywords

Local SEO often involves targeting specific local keywords, such as the name of the city or region you serve, while SEO involves targeting a wider range of keywords and phrases that may not necessarily be location-specific. For example, a business that provides pest control services in Los Angeles might target local keywords such as “Los Angeles pest control” in their local SEO efforts, while their SEO efforts might focus on more general keywords such as “pest control services.”

Citations and directories

Local SEO involves optimizing your presence in local business directories and citation sources, such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Yellow Pages. These directories and citation sources provide information about your business, including your business name, address, phone number, and other details. Ensuring that this information is accurate and consistent across all local directories and citation sources is important for local SEO. SEO, on the other hand, involves earning backlinks from high-quality websites to improve your website’s visibility and authority. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website, and they can help improve your website’s ranking in search results.

On-page optimization

Local SEO involves optimizing your website’s on-page elements, such as title tags and meta descriptions, to include local keywords and phrases. SEO also involves optimizing your website’s on-page elements, but the focus is on a wider range of keywords and phrases that may not necessarily be location-specific.

While local SEO and SEO share some similarities, it’s important to understand the key differences between the two to effectively optimize your online presence and attract more qualified traffic. Depending on your business and target audience, you may need to focus on both local SEO and SEO to fully optimize your online presence.

Summary

Local SEO and SEO are two important strategies for improving your online visibility and attracting more qualified traffic. While they may seem similar, there are some key differences between the two that businesses should be aware of. Local SEO is focused on optimizing for local search queries and involves optimizing your presence in local business directories and citation sources. SEO, on the other hand, is focused on a wider range of keywords and phrases and involves earning backlinks from high-quality websites.

It’s important to understand the distinction between local SEO and SEO to effectively optimize your online presence and attract more qualified traffic. Depending on your business and target audience, you may need to focus on both local SEO and SEO to fully optimize your online presence. By implementing effective local SEO and SEO strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility and attract more qualified traffic, which can potentially lead to increased sales or leads.

In addition, for detailed information about SE Ranking SEO tool, I recommend you to read our article titled SE Ranking: A Comprehensive SEO Tool.