SEO is an abbreviation for “search engine optimization.” SEO is a digital marketing strategy used to optimize websites and help these websites rank higher in any major search engine, such as Google or Bing.
Simply put, SEO is a way to help websites land on Bing’s or Google’s first page or get websites or content to be at the top of search results. When websites have a higher ranking on search results, businesses will get more exposure, and they can attract more customers.
As for its history, the term “SEO” dates back to the late 1990s, but its popularity has exponentially increased in the 21st century. Now, SEO is one of the most useful marketing strategies that many companies employ today. With its power to increase brand awareness and reach a massive audience, SEO is used by a huge number of companies locally and abroad.
Benefits of SEO
If you’re still not sure what SEO is and why it’s one of the most used digital marketing strategies, the benefits listed below may help you delve into this marketing practice.
You don’t have to spend a dime
Unlike pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, search engine optimization doesn’t incur any costs. Using SEO can help you boost the ranking of your website or make your content more popular organically, without spending money on ads or other marketing strategies. To rank higher, all you need to do is write better and more useful content.
You can increase traffic to your website
Using the right SEO strategies can help you drive more traffic to your website. If you have a strong online presence, more users will check your website. This means that there may be more people who want to check out your business and avail your products and services.
It can help you build trust and credibility
When you optimize your website consistently, you can improve your brand reputation. In other words, when your company or business's website has a higher ranking on search results, your online presence will have more credibility, and more users will trust your brand.
Local SEO vs. National SEO
When businesses look for the best strategies to boost their online presence, they invest in SEO to increase their website’s visibility in the digital world and draw more customers. However, businesses have different target audiences, so they use different approaches for their business. For example, local businesses use local SEO to increase their online presence in the local market. On the other hand, bigger companies and online businesses use national SEO to increase brand awareness on a national or global scale.
To know more, let’s take a deep dive into the differences between local SEO and national SEO and learn how these two strategies can benefit businesses.
Local SEO
As the name suggests, local SEO optimizes businesses’ online visibility to local customers. The main purpose of local SEO is to increase traffic to your website. As for local SEO, its success is determined through MAP Pack rankings. Google’s Map Pack is a set of three businesses that appear at the top of search engine results. This section on a search engine results page provides essential information about the top-ranking local businesses in your area, including their geographic location, hours, contact details, and other useful information about local businesses.
Local SEO is advantageous for brick-and-mortar local businesses since they can connect with local customers and establish online presence in their area. The types of businesses that mostly benefit from local SEO are small and medium-sized companies, such as beauty salons, restaurants, spas, pet shops, and so much more.
Advantages of local SEO
The list below shows some of the benefits of local SEO for your business.
1. Local SEO boosts traffic to your website
When you own a small or medium-sized business and want to attract a huge number of local customers, using local SEO can enhance your online presence and increase traffic to your website. This will eventually help your business connect with more customers in your area, and this will result in higher sales later on.
2. It is less expensive compared to other marketing strategies
You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money to promote your business. When you use good local SEO strategies, your website will have higher rankings on search engine result pages. This means that more local customers can see your website and go to your stores to buy your products or services. Therefore, you don’t have to pay a lot of money for advertising.
3. You become more competitive
Using local SEO can help you become competitive in the local market. When you have a strong online presence in your locality, you will have an edge over your competitors because more potential customers can see your business. Not only that, only few businesses take advantage of local SEO services, so your business will be more visible.
National SEO
National SEO is a search marketing strategy used to optimize a business’s website on a national or global scale. Bigger companies and online businesses usually employ national SEO to attract more customers from all over the country or around the world.
In order to have an effective national SEO marketing strategy, having a well-developed, mobile-friendly, and user-friendly website is a must. In addition, using advanced keyword research is vital for national SEO as relevant search queries increase traffic to your website.
Advantages of national SEO
1. It can help businesses attract more customers
Using national SEO can help your company reach more potential customers all over the country or even abroad. The increase in potential customers will help your business achieve a positive return of investment as national SEO can drive more sales.
2. It increases brand awareness
National SEO makes your website and business accessible to a huge number of people. With wider national or international recognition, you can increase your sales and reach a higher ranking in search engine results pages.
3. It increases brand credibility
Since national SEO helps you attract more audience, you can get more reviews or ratings, which help boost your website’s credibility. When more people provide positive feedback about your website, these endorsements will result in better search result rankings. With a higher ranking on search engines, you can gain the trust of more searchers, resulting in higher conversion rates.
Which one to choose?
Both local and national SEO strategies help boost a business website’s exposure. Choosing the right SEO strategy really depends on your target audience. National SEO is more beneficial for online businesses or larger companies that want a larger audience nationwide or abroad. On the other hand, local SEO is more suitable for brick-and-mortar local stores that want more online exposure for their business.
Whatever you choose, make sure to have a strong marketing plan that will help you achieve your business goals.