The SEO Battle: Differentiating Organic SEO and Local SEO

Over the years, the concepts of both local and organic SEO have immensely helped a number of websites to be placed on top of the search engines. They are usually used by business websites to see how well a certain business is received by the consumers. Both have the objective to make a website visible, but how do local and organic SEO differ from each? How should they be effectively used to arrive at desirable results? And, which is more important to focus on?

Let’s start with Organic SEO!

When we speak of organic SEO, it gives general results that are relevant and important whether the user is searching locally or not. We can easily distinguish what an organic SEO is since it shows three results

– local results
– organic results
– ads by Google

What the search engines show on the results page are already ranked according to how useful the sources are to the users or consumers. Most of the time, websites that contain competitive and strong keywords and original content land on search engines’ first page.

Getting to know the importance of organic SEO in searching locally is one of the significant factors that can help in local search.

But if we speak of Local SEO…

When it comes to local SEO, it usually boils down to reliable locations based on what the keyword/s the user types on the search box. If a user types the words, “Restoration Contractor in Baltimore”, it shows local results that are based on where the user is situated.

As you can see, it lists several names of companies with their information. However, the results are determined by the ratings of other users or consumers. Sometimes, search engines would just arrange them alphabetically.

The search engines have determined that the user intends to look for specific results, thus, giving the user what the user presumably wants to know.

How should they be used effectively?

Since organic SEO looks through the content of the website, it is ideal to optimize the content with keywords that are strong enough to compete with other websites. The content may be in the forms of creative writing, blogging, article writing, and even adding profiles using social media.

With the help of those keywords written on the content, search engines can easily locate and screen the websites which are futile to the user.

To optimize local SEO, it is better to work on your social media profiles. Local SEO gives organic results that are combined with those profiles (related to the business) found on social networking sites. The results can even include a number of directories that include names, location, and contact information.

Aside from directories, you must also give attention to the two major factors that Google considers in ranking the websites.

*Location – make sure that users can immediately see your website on the result once they type a specific location or area.

*Ratings and reviews – they can affect the perception of the users. Once they see that a website has great criticisms and ratings, then it attracts the attention of the audience.

So, which is better?

If you are actually running your own business within your locality, then you should focus more on improving your local SEO. As much as possible, attract the users and consumers who are situated in your local area first. Then, eventually build the website up when your satisfied with how the consumers react to your business.