Search engine optimization (SEO) has evolved into two distinct categories: organic and local. To make the most of your SEO campaign, you have to determine which one can bring the most benefits to your business.
Get the Traffic You Need
Through link building and various ranking strategies, SEO specialists can drive traffic to your website. But, is it really the kind of traffic that you need? Are the people visiting your website interested in what you have to offer or are they simply there by chance? You’ll know the answer by looking at your conversion rate and site analytics. If your website is getting a lot of traffic, but only a fraction of them are converting, you might have to refine your SEO campaign.
Local SEO: Geo-Targeted
The primary distinction of local SEO is the geographic implication. This means that there is a clear intent to rank for searches that are specific to certain geographic locations. The target audience is more focused than organic SEO would be.
The easiest indicator of local SEO is the inclusion of a town, city, state, or country in the keyword list. It immediately suggests that the website is aiming to rank for searches on products and services available in a particular location. Here are some examples:
- Dentist in New York
- Lawyer in Utah
- Miami Car Rental
This type of keyword structure follows the typical search query of customers and Internet searchers.
Organic SEO: No Local Intent
For organic SEO, there is no particular geographic target. Websites rank according to its relevance to the search query. Keyword lists for organic campaigns don’t necessarily include names of cities, towns, or countries.
Here are examples of queries that organic campaigns will rank for:
- DIY Christmas decorations
- Science fiction book reviews
- Horoscope
Search engines will rank websites according to relevance and other standard ranking criteria, like content and backlink quality.
Choosing Between Local and Organic
Who your target customers are and where they come from will determine the type of campaign your business needs. If you have a brick-and-mortar establishment and multiple branches in various locations, your business will benefit more from local SEO. If your business is not exclusive to a certain geographic area, and if you’re interested in reaching a wider audience, then go for organic SEO.
As a final note, local and organic SEO are not mutually exclusive. It does help if you apply both campaign strategies; you just have to intensify your efforts on one over the other based on your needs.
If you need help or have questions, Sievers Creative can help. Our experienced SEO specialists will evaluate your requirements and current Internet rankings; and from there, we will determine if a local-based or organic campaign would give you the highest ROI.
Contact us today to get started!
