By now, you probably know that an SEO strategy is crucial and that you cannot just follow some search engine guidelines when you feel like it. Nonetheless, for any search engine optimization campaign to be successful, you need to establish if you are focusing on global or local SEO.
So, your SEO efforts will differ based on the scale of your search engine optimization goals
That being said, to map out an SEO strategy, you don’t just need to know who your target audience is or who your competitors are, but also the type of SEO your business needs.
Are you ready to upgrade your SEO game? Then, keep reading!
What Is Local Search Optimization (SEO)?
As the name suggests, local SEO focuses on optimizing a website to target your local community and increase brand awareness through local searches.
Did you know that 97% of people discover information about local companies online rather than from other sources?
So, it’s safe to say that if you have a physical location where visitors can walk in, you will benefit from implementing a local approach in your SEO strategy.
Want to find out more about the benefits of this SEO tactic? Then, check out our article on the advantages of local SEO.
Having said that, small businesses that want to target local customers are the ones that will benefit the most from a local SEO strategy. If 97% of people learn about local businesses online, imagine how many small and local business owners don’t get the recognition they deserve just because they don’t rank well on search engine results pages. After all, 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of search results.
That said, a few steps are needed for local SEO strategies to be effective.
1. Conduct Keyword Research
Let’s say that you are a café in Pittsburgh and you want to rank for “the best cafés in Pittsburgh” or “study cafés” in Pittsburgh. How do you want to do that if you aren’t integrating relevant local keywords on your page?
Moreover, long-tail keywords are fundamental because they are specific. While they may not have a high search volume, users who search for them will be more likely to be interested in your small business. It’s also helpful to prioritize keywords that include geographic locations so you can target prospective customers in those areas.
2. Create Listings on Google My Business
Create listings for your company on Google that will appear in Google Maps and Search.
From hours of operation to contact information or address, all of these details and more are crucial if you want to provide prospective customers with all the information they might need. In fact, businesses that add photos are more likely to receive requests for directions than those that don’t.
Creating Listings on Google My Business can not only help raise brand awareness but also build a local audience and authority in the local market. After all, you are not only increasing website traffic with local SEO but also foot traffic
Want to find out more? Check out our article on improving your website’s SEO efforts with Google My Business.
3. Ensure Your Website Is Mobile-Friendly
Did you know that 76% of smartphone users conduct local voice searches at least once a week?
As people spend more and more time on mobile devices, mobile searches increase; hence, it is imperative to treat mobile-friendliness as a priority. In fact, Google implemented mobile-first indexing, so a responsive design is crucial if you want to rank high in search engines.
Discover your website’s mobile-friendliness with Google’s Test.
What Is A Global Search Optimization?
Also called international SEO, global SEO focuses solely, as the name suggests, on boosting your website’s visibility worldwide. Essentially, with a global SEO strategy, you aim to appeal to a worldwide target audience and attract customers through global search engines.
For instance, while Google dominates the market share, there are other search engines you should be optimizing for if you want to compete within the global market.
This is exactly why this type of SEO is perfect for businesses that are not limited to specific locations. Still, global SEO also means more generalized targeting. For example, since international SEO focuses on broad, generic keywords, competition will also increase.
Therefore, to successfully compete globally, your international SEO plan needs to be airtight. After all, you’ll need to optimize your website and content for multiple audiences worldwide.
Global SEO has significant sales potential if implemented properly. Want to learn how to do that? Then, keep reading!
1. Establish The Countries You Want to Target
How are you supposed to attract potential customers from another country if you haven’t done your research first?
You can start by checking the geographic report in Google Analytics to see where your visitors are located. This way, you can see where it makes sense to expand your business.
2. Employ URL Structures for International SEO
After you decide which countries you want to target, you can utilize one of these ULR structures to target a particular country.
- ccTLD – Two-letter codes that indicate to search engines and users in which country a website is registered. For example, while .us shows that a site is registered in the United States, .jp indicates that it is registered in Japan.
- Subdomain – Once you implement a subdomain in your ULR structure, your web content is placed on a separate “third-level” domain. However, this domain may or may not receive link equity from the primary domain.
- Subdirectory – If you use subdirectories in your URL structure, the web page content will be positioned in a specific subdirectory or subfolder.
- gTLD – General top-level domains like .org, .com, .net, and more are usually used to target different international audiences, based primarily on the languages they speak, by appending a URL parameter.
3. Use Hreflang Tags
You can indicate to search engines in which language your content is available by using hreflang tags. You are basically telling them which version to show based on the country or the language.
Language targeting is key to global SEO, so treat it as a priority. It’s also important to tailor your content to the audience’s culture by using local time zones and currencies.
Keep in mind that visitors should ideally not notice international SEO techniques.
Pick the Right Type of SEO for Your Digital Marketing Strategy!
There’s no such thing as wrong SEO, but there is such a thing as the wrong type of SEO for your business. This is why it is fundamental to establish whether your business would benefit from global or local SEO.
Do you want to act globally, or are you a localized business that wants to attract customers from a specific region?
No matter the answer, you can reach your digital marketing goals with an SEO plan tailored to your business type and aims.
Don’t know where to start? No need to worry, the CadenceSEO team is here to upgrade your SEO game!
What are you waiting for? Book a free consultation with us today!
