Positioning your website, content, and business well in internet search engines is one of the great strategies for reaching people and winning over new audiences, and this is the main objective of SEO.
When we talk about SEO, we can talk about its global form, or “normal SEO” as many call it, and the increasingly famous and used, Local SEO , and its differences and particularities are still a source of doubt and confusion.
To be successful with each of these strategies, you need to understand them. So, let's talk a little more about these two SEO possibilities so that your relevance grows in search engines every day. Stay tuned!
What is SEO?
easier for search engines, such as Google, to so that it can be offered to those who use these search engines in their various searches.
When we talk about practices, we are talking about optimizing websites, blogs, and web pages used by your company. These improvements involve content, images, speed, codes, and many other possibilities to make your website increasingly relevant and of high quality, so that consumers receive value when interacting with you.
Investing in SEO is a way to attract people and increase your audience without investing in ads , but rather in content and relevance, and this makes all the difference to the results. After all, the number one result on Google gets 27.6% of all clicks and has a CTR 10 times higher compared to the number 10 result.
To achieve the best positions and be at the top for customers, Google uses its search engines and they work in three stages to classify websites:
- Crawling: Search engines crawl web content using bots. These bots follow the paths indicated by links and search for new pages and updates.
- Indexing: Once crawled, pages are indexed, meaning they're placed in a search engine index. There, pages are organized according to a series of collected information, such as page load time, keywords, images, text, and more.
- Ranking: At this point, the order in which the results are displayed is defined based on their relevance and quality.
There are over 200 ranking factors in Google's algorithm, and these factors are constantly updated to ensure the best quality results for users.
What is Local SEO?
Now that you know a little more about the basis of SEO – and understand that here we were still quite simplistic in its definition, as there are many other possibilities, techniques and strategies related to it – we can talk more about one of the types of SEO: Local SEO.
While searches are crucial within search engines, they're becoming increasingly important when it comes to "near me" searches . Users don't just want quick and efficient answers; they also want to find solutions, products, and services that are physically nearby.
Therefore, Local SEO also aims to optimize your content for search engines, but here it takes into account the geolocation of the device that is performing the search.
In other words, SEO here relies on the geographic component to deliver relevant solutions to users that are close to where they are.
One of the differences between "Normal SEO" and Local SEO is the search ranking factors. In this category, the search engine uses three main pillars to classify content and businesses: relevance, proximity, and prominence.
Relevance
The criteria considers how relevant your business has to deliver to users, so the keywords here are the great ways for search engines and consumers to understand about you and why your business is the best.
Here, it is very important to have a Google My Business with all the updated information that makes a difference, after all, this is where Google will match.
Proximity
Proximity is the criterion that analyzes the distance of the business from the user or the local term they're searching for. The closer the business is to the user, Google believes the more agile and user-friendly it is, which is why it's so important for Local SEO.
Reputation
Reputation is about your business's popularity in the region—that is, your brand's reputation . At this point, it's important to consider customer reviews, as these are crucial factors in determining whether a brand stands out. After all, these reviews are the opinions of those who have already used your product or service, and this is a key indicator of quality for both Google and other consumers.
Benefits of Local SEO
You've already understood a little about how Local SEO makes a difference for businesses and how it represents a great opportunity for results, right? To clarify this strategy even further, we've compiled some—of the many—benefits of this type of optimization:
- Increases regional visibility: This is clearly the greatest benefit of an SEO strategy. After all, optimization helps to better position the company among competitors in the region, making the company better known—and without spending on media and advertising.
- Encourages action: People want "help" making their decisions, and having Google and other consumers, through reviews, talking about the company, the decision becomes faster and more assertive in the consumer journey. A Think With Google survey shows that 76% of people who perform a local search visit the business within 24 hours, and 28% of these searches result in a sale.
- Attracts new audiences: Local searches are a way for people to discover new businesses near them, so this is a great opportunity to reach people with just a few clicks.
Google My Business
We can't talk about Local SEO without mentioning Google My Business, as it 's the main ranking factor for this type of SEO . At the top of search results, Google displays information extracted from your Google My Business profile.
A complete Google My Business profile helps your business reach the top 3 of the local pack and, according to Moz , an optimized profile on the platform has a 25.12% impact on the Local Pack.
It's worth mentioning that the Local Pack is the section of Google search results that shows the 3 most relevant local businesses for a search with local intent.
What is the difference between SEO and Local SEO?
Now that we've discussed the two types of SEO, is the difference clear? It's worth emphasizing that the big difference here is location, delivery, and the target audience for your content.
While SEO aims to increase the quantity and quality of a website, blog, or any type of content, Local SEO actually showcases solutions, products, or services and provides options for consumers, positioning your business as a relevant option among competitors.
Here, in addition to delivering content, Google and users are looking for more information about the final delivery and are already at another stage of the journey, making their visibility and, most importantly, conversion increasingly higher as the business reaches an audience with clear purchasing intentions.
Good local SEO is about being in the right place at the right time , and this is known as the Moment of Truth ). This is the discovery research stage that precedes the purchase decision, and here people base their decision on reviews, experiences, and existing content.
In other words, ZMOT is the moment when the consumer researches and evaluates the options to make their decision, and that's why being well prepared and positioned at this stage makes all the difference.
You understand how crucial Local SEO is for business results, right? Investing in this strategy is a game-changer for companies and their deliverables, and there are many ways to maximize your SEO and position yourself online—without investing in advertising.
How clear were SEO and Local SEO for your business, and how are these strategies designed and actually being used for your success? Now that you know more about the topic, learn how to create a Local SEO strategy to attract customers to your store!
If you own a physical business and want to rank at the top of Google searches, count on Harmo to help you sell more through Local SEO.
