Google is the most widely used search engine in the world. The popularity of Google can be attributed to its efficient search algorithm and user-friendly interface. However, you may have noticed that many people search for local businesses on Google instead of typing their address or city name in the search bar. Believe it or not, they are probably looking for directions on Google Maps! And with this increase in local searches comes an increase in importance for local SEO strategies.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s optimizing your website to rank higher in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo!
SEO helps you get more traffic to your website by finding it on search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s a long-term strategy that requires an ongoing process. You shouldn’t expect to start doing SEO and instantly rank at number 1 for all the keywords you want.
Eventually, if you keep working on it, you’ll see some results!
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is for a business that is located in a specific location. For example, if you own a small business that exists only in the city of Chicago, your website would be considered local if it were ranked highly when someone searched for “Chicago plumber” or “Chicago roofers”.
Local SEO is also different from local advertising because of its focus on organic rankings rather than paid placements (such as billboards and ads). Unlike traditional search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask Jeeves, which index web pages based on their popularity with users (based on how many times they are linked to other websites), local search engines use criteria such as location-specific keywords to determine where to rank results by default.
Why is local SEO important? How important is local SEO?
Local SEO is important because it helps people find your business and it helps you rank in local search results.
It’s also important because it helps you rank in Google Maps, the Google Local Pack, and all of Google’s other ways of showing local businesses to people searching on their phones or computers.
Difference Between Local and Organic SEO
Local and organic SEO are two marketing strategies that can be used for any business but have different uses. To understand the difference between local and organic SEO, you first need to know what each one involves.
Local Search Engine Optimization (local SEO) is a technique businesses use to get their website or blog listed on the first page of Google search results when someone searches for their product or service in their local area. Local SEO targets keywords related to products or services within your immediate geography. Examples include “best restaurants near me” or “florist near me.”
Organic Search Engine Optimization (organic SEO) refers to optimizing your content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Unlike PPC advertising, where you pay per click, with organic SEO, you don’t have to pay anything upfront. Instead, you build quality links back to your site from other websites that help increase its relevancy in SERPs over time.
How Do You Rank in Google Maps?
It would help if you optimized your website and business listing to rank in Google Maps. This includes ensuring that your site’s content is accurate, helpful, and relevant to the user. You should also include local links that point back to your physical location. If you have any other pages with good content about your business or industry, make sure they’re linked back to the main page of your site, where people can find them easily.
These are just a few ways you can improve the SEO of your website as well as optimize it for mobile-friendly viewing by creating a better user experience through responsive design techniques that adapt to different screen sizes (e.g., tablets).
Conclusion
Now that you know the difference between SEO and local SEO, you can decide which strategy is best for your business. Start with a local SEO strategy if you’re looking for ways to rank higher in search engines. Local SEO will help improve organic rankings in Google Maps and other location-based search engines—and it can even give you the edge over competitors who are ignoring this crucial part of digital marketing today!