Local SEO vs organic SEO are two distinct strategies for improving online visibility.
Local SEO
Local SEO targets local search queries, such as “Plumbers in [city]” or “Plumbers near me”
The local SEO strategy is usually used by small businesses targeting a specific geographic location
The ultimate goal of local SEO is to get more foot traffic and local customers
Local SEO is highly effective. According to LocaliQ, 97% of people look for a local business online. Since local searches have high purchase intent, this can lead to an 80% conversion rate.
Local SEO is easier to rank since its competitors are businesses serving the same location or industry
Organic SEO
Organic SEO has a broad, global focus
The organic SEO strategy can be used by anyone with a website, whether a local business, online business, or blog
The goal of organic SEO is to boost a website to the top of search results to increase awareness and traffic without paying for a listing
Organic SEO is highly effective. 53.3% of website traffic comes from organic searches. Since organic SEO boosts a website to the top, the site will receive 27.6% of the click-through rates.
Organic SEO is harder to rank since its competitors are national or global websites in the same niche
The Glamorous Owl, a handcraft gift shop in Newcastle upon Tyne, saw success through local SEO. The owner, Clair Chapman, created and optimized a Google Business Profile for the shop. She also used relevant local keywords in her website. Today, the shop has won the ‘Best Gift Shop’ award in the area and is a favorite tourist destination for many.
One online business that saw success with SEO organic search is Buffer, a social media management platform. By creating high-quality content for their target audience, the website’s traffic increased by 271% in just 8 months.
In this article, we’re going to compare local SEO and organic SEO more deeply. We’ll go through their main strategies, pros and cons, and which one is the best for YOUR business’ visibility.
Local SEO vs Organic SEO
| Local seo | organic seo |
|---|---|---|
Geographic Targeting | Local SEO aims to improve visibility for region-specific searches. It prioritizes geographic location to attract nearby customers | Organic SEO focuses on ranking web pages globally or nationally for broader search terms |
Keyword Strategy | Local SEO uses geo-targeting keywords, such as “real estate firm near me” and “real estate firm in [city]”. It also includes keywords that align with the business name, address, and phone number. It should emphasize keywords from local content and user reviews, too | Organic SEO uses broad terms. It can focus on high-volume, competitive keywords, such as “real estate”. Or, low-volume, specific long-tail keywords, like “how to buy a rental property without a realtor” |
Primary Goal | Local SEO increases visibility for location-based searches. The conversion goals include calls, driving directions, and walk-in visitors | Organic SEO builds a national or global audience. It establishes authority and relevance for specific topics through high-quality content. The conversion goals include form submission, downloads, and online purchases |
Competitor Landscape | Local SEO competitors are localized businesses in the same area or industry | Organic SEO competitors are national/global entities, blogs, or online businesses and directories |
Directory Listings | Local SEO relies heavily on Google Business Profile, Google Maps, and other online directories such as Yelp and Yellow Pages. All these listings should feature accurate and consistent business NAP (name, address, phone) |
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Speed of Implementation and Results | Local SEO is quicker as it only involves updating existing business listings, optimizing Google Business Profile, and managing online reviews. These don’t require extensive technical changes to a website. Plus, changes to local listings and reviews are often updated quickly by search engines. So results can appear within 1-2 weeks or 3-4 months in map packs and local search rankings | Organic SEO takes a bit more time as it involves relevant keyword research, technical SEO improvements, and developing high-quality content. Due to high competition and optimization efforts, results may take 6 months to 1-2 years |
Content Strategy | Local SEO focuses on creating content that resonates with local audiences. This includes: • Posting about local events, partnerships, or community involvement • Landing pages targeting specific neighborhoods or cities • Engaging with customer reviews • Generating relevant Q&A content to address local customer queries | Organic SEO focuses on covering industry-wide topics. This includes: • Comprehensive guides • Authoritative articles that serve as a central resource for a particular topic • Keyword clusters on related topics • Relevant tutorials with videos or webinars • Content designed to earn backlinks naturally |
Customer Reviews | Local SEO customer reviews play a big role in influencing how a business ranks in map packs and local search results. Plus, a WebFX study saw 71% of consumers choose a local business because of online reviews. These reviews should be highlighted in Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, etc… | Organic SEO customer reviews boost online reputation and brand credibility. It will influence how potential customers or followers perceive an online business or website. These reviews should be visible across product or service pages, third-party review sites, blogs, social media, etc… |
Technical Aspects | Local SEO depends on: • Proper set up of Google Business Profile. This includes accurate NAP, service areas, business hours, images, reviews, and categories • Mobile-friendly pages. This is very important as 80% of local search queries are done on smartphones • Localized landing pages. Each targeting location should have a unique landing page with relevant localized content • Citation consistency. This involves maintaining consistent business information across local citations | Organic SEO depends on: • Good website structure. This includes excellent web design, easy navigation, internal linking, and organized content • Fast loading speeds. Your pages should fully load within 3 seconds or less to provide users with a great UX • Duplicate content removal. Fix canonical tags to ensure search engines know which page is the original • Security measures. Pages without an SSL certificate will discourage visitors from checking it out. In turn, this will lead to a high bounce rate |
Visibility in Search Results | Local SEO appears in the ‘Local Pack’ or ‘Map Pack’ at the top of Google search results. This features a map and a list of local businesses | Organic SEO appears as regular website links within the main search results. This is often below paid ads and local packs |
Ranking Factors | Local SEO mostly relies on signals such as: • Local business listings • Reviews • Proximity • Location-specific keywords • NAP consistency • Localized content and backlinks • Engagement metrics • Social signals | Organic SEO relies heavily on: • On-page optimization • Backlink quality • Keyword strategy • Content relevance • Technical SEO • User engagement metrics • Content freshness |
Process | The local SEO process involves creating or claiming a Google Business Profile. This needs to be optimized with accurate business information, photos, and attributes. Another local SEO strategy is to craft geo-targeting content. This includes landing pages, blog posts, social media posts, and FAQs. Local SEO also involves encouraging customer reviews and partnering with other local sites | The organic SEO process involves conducting relevant keyword research. With these keywords, produce informative and engaging content. It’s important to optimize titles, meta tags, images, internal links, and schema markup. Organic SEO must also have proper website indexing, page speed, and mobile-friendliness. It’s also good to create high-quality content to attract authoritative backlinks |
Maintenance | Local SEO maintenance includes: • Regularly updating business information, hours, and images • Monitoring and responding to reviews • Tracking local competitor strategies and performance • Going above what the competitors are offering • Highlighting local events, sales, or promotions | Organic SEO maintenance includes: • Regularly refreshing existing content • Tracking and adjusting keyword usage • Auditing backlinks for quality and harmful ones • Monitoring competitors’ rankings, strategies, and new content • Providing better content to what the competitors are producing • Running technical SEO audits to address issues |
Is Local SEO or Organic SEO Better for Business Visibility?
Local SEO is better than organic SEO for business visibility if you serve a specific area and need to attract local customers. According to BrightLocal, 93% of people find a local business online. Moreover, 42% of these people click on Google Map Pack. “Near me” and “close by” searches have also surged significantly over the past 2 years. Since Local SEO involves these local keywords and ranking in Google Map Pack, local customers can easily find your business.
The local SEO strategy may also be easier to rank than organic SEO as it has a narrower focus. You’ll mostly be competing against local businesses in the same industry. With reduced competition, it will be easier to stand out. Let’s say you own a cleaning business. With a strong online presence, you can take the top spot in the Google Maps Pack in a few weeks/months. This can then attract the 59% of people searching for house cleaning services online.
Organic SEO is better than Local SEO for business visibility if it operates on a national or international scale. This approach helps reach potential customers who search beyond specific geographic locations. A BrightEdge study revealed that 53% of all website traffic comes from organic search. Plus, more than 25% of people click on the first website that appears after a search. This is why using traditional SEO to boost your website to the #1 spot in Google SERP is so important. This visibility can significantly increase your reach and attract a larger, more diverse audience.
It may take a while (years even) to rank with organic SEO as your competition is global. However, if you optimize relevant keywords, create high-quality content, and build backlinks, you can get there. If you do, you’ll be able to attract a huge number. I’m talking thousands of visitors to your website!
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a strategy that brings in more business from relevant local searches. For example, “coffee shop near me”, “Plumbers in San Francisco”, or "24-hour pharmacy in Brooklyn”. It attracts local customers by placing your business at the top of the search engines. A Think with Google report found that 76% of consumers visit a business within 24 hours of finding it online. Out of those people, 28% resulted in a purchase. The local SEO strategy is:
Local SEO Pros and Cons
Pros
Increased visibility in local searches
High conversion rate
Cost-effective marketing
Enhanced trust and credibility
Competitive advantage
Cons
Time-consuming
Need to keep up with algorithm changes
May take time to show results
The benefits of local SEO compared to organic SEO are that it targets potential customers in a specific area. And since local search queries have high intent, it will lead to a higher conversion rate. You’ll also gain a competitive advantage as your business may appear first on Google Map Pack. This will make local customers trust your business more than the others. The best part is that it doesn’t cost much to implement local SEO strategies.
However, local SEO can be very time-consuming. If you’re running a physical business, you might not have the time or resources for it. This is especially true since you won’t see instant results, unlike with paid ads. Plus, search engines frequently update their algorithms, affecting your local search rankings. To stay on top, it will require constant vigilance and adaptation. Of course, you can get rid of all that by hiring a local SEO company. Keep in mind, though, that you may have to spend $600 to $1,500+ a month for their services.
What Are the Top Local SEO Tips for Small Businesses?
The top local SEO tips for small businesses includes:
What is Organic SEO?
Organic SEO is a method to increase website visibility without paying for ads. It helps bring your website to the top of the Google SERP. This will boost website traffic and, hopefully, lead to the desired action. This can include making an online purchase, downloading a file, submitting a form, or gaining followers. According to HubSpot research, SEO leads have a close rate of 14.6%. The organic SEO strategy involves:
Organic SEO Pros and Cons
Pros
Can reach people all around the world
Cost-effective
Builds authority and expertise
Fosters connections
Results are long-term
Cons
Uncertain results
Resource intensive
Has an initial investment
Organic SEO differs from local SEO in terms of business visibility as it targets people nationally or globally. The goal is to build authority and foster connections with your audience. When that’s established, you can convince them to buy an online product or service. Unlike paid ads, you won’t have to spend every month to keep your website visible. Organic SEO efforts can lead to sustainable, long-term visibility and traffic.
Since you’re competing against global websites, SEO organic results are never certain. It may take 3-6 months, 1-3 years, or never. If you want to see success, you must put in a lot of time, expertise, and tool investment. Also, although organic SEO is cost-effective, you do need to pay to create a website. A basic website can cost you $30-$100, while a custom design can cost $5,000+.
What Are the Similarities Between Local SEO and Organic SEO?
Here are the similarities between local SEO and organic SEO:
What Are the Differences Between Local SEO and Organic SEO?
Here are the differences between local SEO and organic SEO:
What Are the Cost Implications of Investing in Local SEO vs Organic SEO?
The cost implications of investing in local SEO vs organic SEO depend on the scope, target audience, competition, and strategy. Since local SEO has a smaller scope and target audience, you can go as cheap as $500 to hire a local SEO service. However, if you have a lot of competition and a complex strategy, you should expect to pay $1,000 to $2,000 a month. Here’s what one Reddit user has to say:
Organic SEO can be a lot more expensive since the scope, target audience, and competition is either nationwide or worldwide. Plus, the main strategies involve content marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing. These may take a while to produce. Organic SEO services can cost anywhere between $1,500 to $10,000+ a month. Here’s some advice from Rpmeg from Reddit:
How Using Local SEO and Organic SEO in Local Lead Generation Can Be a Profitable Business
Using local SEO and organic SEO in local lead generation can be a profitable business as your chances of success are much higher. The local lead gen business model creates a website, ranks it, and rents it to local businesses. Since both local and organic SEO strategies increase online visibility, it will be much quicker to rank and rent.
With local lead generation, the local SEO strategy should be the main focus. This is because your potential clients are local business owners. However, you can use organic SEO strategies to boost visibility even more. So it’s very important to learn how to do both. If you’re able to rank many websites quickly, you can earn a revenue of $50,000 a month. So this is one of the best businesses that benefit from local SEO and organic SEO without the hassle and stress of owning a physical or online store.
