Organic and Local SEO: Similarities and Differences, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on both organic and local SEO. These two categories of search engine optimization relate in several ways, but also have a few important differences that business owners and online marketers should be aware of while utilizing both toward optimizing pages and search results.

At SEO Werkz, we’re proud to offer a diverse array of SEO services, from local SEO to services more geared toward organic SEO, such as link-building. While part one was mostly focused on the basics of both organic and local SEO plus certain areas where their approaches are similar, today’s part two will dig into a few primary differences between them for online marketers to focus on as they look to optimize both areas.

Location and Targeting

As we noted in part one, the largest and most noticeable difference between these forms of SEO is based around location. Organic SEO is not as connected to a physical location – in fact, many businesses marketing through organic SEO have no brick-and-mortar storefront at all (others do). Achieving organic results comes down to areas like content, business quality, social media linkage and other related areas.

Local SEO, on the flip side, is directly associated with specific locations and brick-and-mortar businesses. It involves a specific geographical component along with the products or services requested.

In addition, organic SEO’s primary goal is to rank as high as possible for keywords. Local SEO, on the other hand, is looking for placement within the three-pack at the top of Google location searches – plus helps maintain presence and listings in all other online locations where a potential client might look for niche information.

Links VS. Citations

When it comes to organic SEO, link-building is a vital factor involved in success. High-quality, relevant links help increase both your relevance and authenticity to Google, and our team will go over several important themes here for building these links.

Local SEO, meanwhile, does not involve links in the traditional way. Rather, citations are used: These are just the business name, physical address and phone number, which local SEO focused on standardizing across all possible platforms and pages. When your business is consistently cited at relevant places in your niche market, this increases relevance and authority to Google and increases the chances of your business showing up in Google’s local search three-pack.

Site Optimization SEO Vs. Google My Business

As we noted, organic SEO is aimed at reaching the highest position possible on SERPs. To do so, marketers will utilize a wide range of both on-page and off-page optimization formats: Areas like title tags, heading tags, meta descriptions, content creation and strong link-building, which we discussed above.

Local SEO, however, is focused on the local result areas, which involves heavily leaning on Google My Business listings. Ensuring you are both listed and optimized for title tags and keyword density is vital within this realm, making sure all directories carry the proper info and will connect you with customers who want to write reviews, contribute local content and otherwise naturally support your efforts.

For more on local and organic SEO, or to learn about any of our SEO, PPC or web design services, speak to the staff at SEO Werkz today.