In this vast world of digital marketing, each and every business tries out different ways to build a strong online presence, and search engine optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in building a successful online presence. The two most important SEO strategies that you probably heard about are Local SEO and International SEO both aim to drive organic traffic to the website. In, this blog we will clearly understand what’s the differences between Local and International SEO.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a practice to optimize and rank your website higher on the search engine result page (SERP) and drive more organic traffic toward your website. Search engine optimization is very important for the website when it wants to get a good rank in the SERP. there is no use for a website if it is not properly optimized according to search engine algorithms.
What is Local SEO?
Suppose you are at work and want to order a burger for lunch, now you google “Burger delivery shops near me” and you get a list of shops around your workplace. Now that is called local SERP(Search engine result page).
Local SEO focuses on optimizing a business website in a specific geographical area, such as a city or a region. It is better for those businesses that have a physical presence in a particular area or want to target an audience in a specific area. Some businesses want to attract customers locally then from anywhere around the globe.
Local search results is there around for years, but earlier it went unnoticed as the massive explosion of mobile users increased local SEO becomes important for the success of any business that is providing local services and products or wants to target an audience locally.
Benefits of Local SEO!
Local SEO offers numerous benefits that can significantly impact your online presence and help you attract local customers in a better way. Here are some of the advantages of local SEO:-
Improved Online Visiblity for Local Searches:
These days with the increased use of mobile searches people are using their mobile phones to search for any product and services they want locally, they seek information of nearby businesses. When your business appears in local searches it increases your business visibility and organic traffic on your website.
More foot traffic at your store:
When a user search for a particular product and services near them, google’s algorithms show them a list of result which is based upon factors like current location, and geographical area. so, with the power of local listing and Google 3-pack, you can increase your store footfall and organic traffic. If your business website implements local SEO users can find you easily. With the help of tools like Google Maps users can easily find your business listing and can navigate to your physical store with the help of address, and phone number, it reduces your communication gap and increases your chance of getting sales.
Google My Business Optimization (GMBs):
By doing Local SEO you can improve your Google My Business (GMB) profile, it’s a very crucial part of local SEO by optimizing your business profile users can seek relevant information about your business store address, timings, images, contact number, and many others.
Cost Effective:
SEO is more cost-effective than using traditional methods. Local businesses rely upon the local audience that’s why they choose a heavy-cost marketing method like newspaper marketing, or billboard printing but Search engine optimization (SEO) requires less cost as compared to traditional methods. By, optimizing your website according to local SEO you can generate a great Return on investment (ROI).
Mobile Friendliness:
With the rapid use of mobile use mobile searches also increased massively, and local searches become so common nowadays. It has been proven that over 80% of mobile users choose the “near me” option when searching for a particular type of service or product. According to one source, Mobile online traffic has consistently accounted for about half of all global web traffic since the beginning of 2017.
Build Shopper Trust Levels:
Another advantage of local SEO is to build trust with users. Besides ranking on the top, your business listing can provide valuable trust signals like reviews, ratings, likes, and many other things. This information can help your business gain a tag of trustworthiness, overall quality, and reliability.
Continuous Business Growth:
Search engine optimization (SEO) is focused on bringing organic traffic to your website and improving your website’s visibility and ranking in the search engine result page (SERP). These things result in improved sales and revenue. By optimizing your website according to local SEO and establishing a strong position in the search engine result page (SERP you can expect to have continuous growth of your business. Overall it leads to a self-sustaining cycle of business growth.
Ways to do Local SEO:-
Finding Local Keywords: The first step is to identify local keywords and phrases that people in that particular area are likely to use when searching for products or services related to your industry and business.
On-Page Elements: Don’t forget to include location and targeted keywords in your title and meta description, headers (H1, H2, H3, etc), and content.
Google My Business Optimization: Verify and optimize your Google Business listing as soon as possible, try to use all the sections properly and ensure that all the information about your business like business name, address, contact number, photos, website URL, and business hours, are accurate and consistent. Respond to reviews in a professional manner and increase communication, put FAQs, etc.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many local searches are performed on mobile devices. So, check your website speed on mobile, its layout and design on different devices, responsiveness, and many other aspects of it.
Content Creation: Create high-quality, relevant, and informative content for your local targeted audience. Incorporate local keywords naturally in your content. Upload blog posts articles, and infographic content on a regular basis.
Get Local NAP Citations: NAP citations are those places that mention your business name address, and phone numbers (NAP) online. Submit your business to popular online directories and citation sources so, that Google may use them to verify that your business information is correct and accurate and your business profile is relevant to the targeted user search queries.
Social Media Targeting: Create and maintain a strong social media presence, communicate with your target audience on a regular basis, and send out event announcements and promotional offers. This helps in building trust in your business and increasing the chance of getting sales.
Online Reviews: Encourage satisfied and loyal customers to leave a review on your Google My Business (GMB) and other review sites. Positive reviews can boost your local search engine ranking.
Q. What is International SEO?
Ans. If you are willing to expand your market reach globally or want to target an international audience of business and industry, then international SEO is just for you.
International SEO refers to the process of growing/optimizing your website’s online presence globally to international users. It enables your website to reach and target users across the globe and helps in increasing your brand awareness and reach.
Brands can build a solid brand presence around the globe and target a large number of audience by implementing global/International SEO on their websites.
Let’s Discuss the Benefits of SEO:
International SEO comes with its own benefits, businesses who are seeking to have a global presence can leverage the benefits of international SEO and grow their revenue. Let’s go through with the benefits:
Global Reach:
The most obvious benefit of International SEO is the ability to reach a wider and larger audience base. You can expand your business reach in the international markets and target a larger audience.
By, having a global reach for your business is a plus point for you, now you will not have to depend solely on the local markets and their limited customers. You can attract new customers around the globe. It opens up new exciting opportunities for your business and helps in increasing your sales numbers.
Tapping into Emerging Trends:
Expanding your business globally is a smart move for your business by implementing an effective and tailored international SEO strategy you can reach out to as many potential customers in this rapidly growing economy. International SEO makes your brand more visible, preferably, and trustworthy. When as many people notice your brand it creates a recall value in their mind.
Believe me, you can make your brand grow in a short period of time by tapping into emerging trends and applying a tailored international SEO strategy.
Enhance Brand Visiblity:
Optimizing your website according to international SEO can rank your website higher in global search results and boost your brand’s visibility. This not only attracts new customer but instill trust and credibility. By, having a solid brand online presence you can become a trustworthy company for many customers.
Long Term Growth:
Search engine optimization isn’t about short-term goals. International SEO is a long-term investment it provides continuous growth and sustainability to your business in a competitive edge market. By, regularly monitoring and implementing tailored SEO strategies you can make it happen.
Relevant to different Cultures:
International SEO involves adapting your website content and design to match different cultures and languages to make people like your website because it is according to their taste. Google shows your website more often because it matches search queries. In the end, Google aims to provide the most relevant content to its users and give satisfactory results. This cultural adaptation enhances your website’s user interface and encourages customers to spend more time on your website.
Ways to do International SEO:
Know your Market: The first step is to know your target market and understand which market holds the maximum potential for your business. Analyze your targeted market and prioritize them based on potential, competition, and resources.
International Keyword Research: If you decide to implement international SEO, then you should do international keyword research, and analyze and identify keywords in your targeted market. What people are searching for in their language, as search volume varies country by country, as population and search demand differ.
Hreflang Tags: Don’t forget to implement hreflang tags, if you are targeting users across different languages and regions. apply hreflang tags it helps search engines understand which version to display to users.
Content Optimization: This is the very basic point of any SEO strategy Whether you do international SEO or local SEO good, quality, and relevant content is a must. Google prioritizes content that is more relevant to user search search queries. So, produce content that is relevant to both the country and language of the users. Now have data on what people are searching for, conducted keyword research, user persona, what your audience wants, etc. Imagine how much good content can be crafted for your website.
International Backlinks: Build backlinks from international websites or in your targeted countries. Building backlinks in your home country is not going to work build backlinks from your targeted markets and increase your website authority.
URL Structure Optimization: Create descriptive and keyword-friendly URLs that convey the content of your page. For international websites, consider using (ccTLDs) such as .uk,.de, or .fr this is the most straightforward way to signal country-specific targeting.
If you choose to use subdomains, structure them like (www.uk.business.com) to denote different countries. Or if you are willing to use subdirectories structure them like (www.business.com/uk/) for multiple countries.
A separate domain is the strongest indicator that content is targeted to a specific page in the website.
Conclusion
In 2024, it’s crucial for businesses to understand the differences between Local SEO and International SEO. Both practices come with it own benefits and drawbacks, choosing the right strategy depends upon the business goals and target audience. Local SEO helps businesses gain visibility in local markets while International SEO allows businesses to target international customers across the globe. Tailor your SEO strategy smartly and rank your website high on the search engine result page (SERP).
If you have any doubt in your mind then be free to ask in the comment section. Our team of expert minds will help you clear your doubts and provide you with the most accurate and updated information on Digital Marketing.
