Organic SEO vs Local SEO: What’s the difference

Organic SEO vs Local SEO: What’s the difference and why you should be paying attention

With so many businesses looking to rank on the first page of Google, the competition around SEO ranking has increased exponentially. Most people never make it to the first page of Google, which means that hundreds of businesses are competing for a few spots on the search engine. This is why it is important to understand the difference between organic SEO vs local SEO and how you can use both.

However, ranking is not easy. There are many factors that a search engine takes into account when choosing which businesses to rank. If you want your product/service to be the first thing that comes up in the search results of your customer - you may have to consider keywords, backlinks, grammar and other factors.

Before looking at the differences between Organic SEO vs Local SEO, it is important to understand exactly what they involve.

What is organic SEO?

Organic SEO involves ranking a website or page in terms of generic searches. The searches are no very specific and do not include a location. For example, if you are ranking a how-to article with links towards affiliate products, then the search would be organic.

Organic SEO is often used to rank general queries and products. If your product or service is something that is independent of location, then you should focus more on Organic SEO. While the ranking factors are mostly the same, you should be careful not to include keywords that give the impression of a local service.

Another to take care of in Organic SEO is to use international language.  Regardless of where you are based, using international English will help you rank better in organic searches as you get access to a wide range of audiences.

However, just because organic SEO does not include locations, doesn’t mean that you cannot rank for more specific searches. For example, instead of ranking for “how to make a cake”, you can rank for “how to make a chocolate-coated cream cake”.

Both searches come under Organic SEO

So if you are offering a general product, general information, or your business is not bound to a specific location, then you should rank for Organic SEO. However, keep in mind that ranking high in organic searches is extremely difficult and involves a lot of competition from worldwide businesses. The wider and more general your keywords are, the more competition you will face.

What is Local SEO?

Unlike Organic SEO, Local SEO involves ranking for search items that are specific to a certain location. The searches are usually similar to those done in Organic SEO, but with a location added to it. It is usually used by businesses with a physical location, although you can use local SEO to your advantage even if you operate a digital business.

Local SEO helps a search engine decide whether your business is offering a location-specific product. For example, if a customer searches for the best cake shop in New York, then businesses that rank using local SEO will appear in the search results.

Local SEO can involve ranking in a certain neighbourhood, a city or even a country. For example, you can rank for “service in the USA” or “spare Toyota parts in the UK”. Both these searches are limited to a specific area, which is why they come under Local SEO.

However, remember that the wider you make your locality, the harder it is to rank in the search engine. If you rank in a small district, then you may be competing against a handful of businesses, but on a city level, you will be competing against hundreds of businesses.

Local SEO often involves many of the same techniques of Organic SEO, but there are certain differences. For example, you should use area-specific language that is commonly used in the local community. Another thing to consider is using ‘Google My Business’ as it helps your business rank higher when a customer searches for a product in your locality.

So what is the difference between Organic SEO vs Local SEO?

Competition

One of the main differences between local SEO vs Organic SEO is the level of competition. When you are ranking for general search queries, you will face competition from thousands of websites from around the world. However, local SEO results will only have competition from a few businesses. This helps you rank higher and get more conversions.

Conversion rate

When it comes to SEO, the most important thing that matters is the conversion rate. What’s the point of ranking when you have a poor conversion rate?

Local SEO has an 80% conversion rate on mobile devices, which is much higher than that of Organic SEO. This means that 80% of customers that search for a local product or service will actually visit the business or buy the product within 24 hours. This is a great way to improve your online sales.

However, keep in mind that there are other factors that affect conversion rate as well, so you should not compromise on quality either. Your website should be user friendly and convincing to customers if you want to improve the conversion rate.

Keyword type

Another thing that differentiates Organic SEO vs Local SEO is the type of keywords that you may be ranking for. With Organic SEO, you will usually be ranking for general search queries, while Local SEO will always have a location attached to it. Local SEO narrows down the scope of the search, making it easier for a customer to find business within their area.

So which one should you use?

While Organic SEO does give you access to a wider audience, it is not as effective in conversions as compared to local SEO. For businesses that have a physical location and offer local products and services, Local SEO is the way forward.

However, it should be kept in mind that you must use both Organic SEO and Local SEO if you want effective and guaranteed results. The right balance and correct use of these two SEO techniques can help you improve your website rankings much better rather than using the individual technique.

Have you tried using both Organic and Local SEO technique? If yes, then what was the outcome? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below!