Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Vs Local Search Optimization

The major difference between traditional SEO and the new Local Optimization is that traditional SEO relies exclusively on the company website whereas Local Optimization relies heavily upon the company name, phone number and address. Initially, Google stated that a business did not even need a website to obtain a high position in the search results but since their initial launch, this has changed and we are seeing increasing evidence that the optimization of the company website is now playing a role in achieving high placement.

 

SEO Techniques

  Although Google changes its algorithm frequently, and you have all heard the horror stories where a business falls from grace overnight, losing thousands of dollars in sales but in reality, SEO has remained consistent in that optimization is achieved by fine tuning the website for selected keywords, or search terms, and creating backlinks from third-party, high page ranked websites, pointing to those pages. SEO is ideal for businesses wishing to promote its products and services to a nationwide or international market. For more information on SEO, please click here.

 

Local Optimization Techniques

Most major search engines and directories now have a "Local" component, delivering results based upon the distance of the business from the person performing the search. The location of the person performing the search is obtained in a number of ways: When using a mobile device such as a smart-phone or tablet, the search engine can read the GPS location from the device; When using a PC, or a tablet connected to a hotspot, the IP address being used by the device determines where the user is located. In Google, the user can also select their geographic location in their profile, or a city or place name can be used in the search term to find a local business.