Standard SEO is all about getting ranked at a national or global level, making sure your business can come up for more general search terms. Local SEO, however, is about ensuring your business can be found not just in your own neighborhood but wherever people are searching locally.
We’re SEO experts who can help your business dominate. Our AI SEO agent, Axl, automates your Google Business Profile management and optimizes strategy to make sure you rank where it counts most—whether that’s in the nation or in your own local block.
Key Takeaways
- Each approach uses the same set of tools, such as keyword optimisation and writing content, but local SEO incorporates a location-based layer to it.
- If you already have a national SEO strategy, local SEO tactics can make the results even greater.
- Having a perfect Google Business Profile is key to the success of local SEO.
- Tools like Moon SEO’s AI agent, Axl, make this easy to track by automating rank tracking, content updates, and review management.
FREE GMB AUDIT
What Is SEO?
SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization, is the act of optimizing your website to be included and ranked higher in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Ultimately, the goal is to increase organic traffic — or in other words, free traffic coming from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
Another popular nickname for SEO is national SEO or organic seo because it ranks in an audience from more than a single city. For example, if you operate an e-commerce store that sells fitness equipment, you’ll want your site to rank for terms like “buy adjustable dumbbells online” or “best home workout gear,” no matter where the user is searching from.
Traditional SEO Strategies
To become one of the winners by succeeding with national SEO, companies will often employ tactics such as:
- Keyword Research – Finding the most valuable keywords for your products or services.
- Content Creation – Responsible for writing comprehensive and high-quality blog posts, guides, and product pages that address our customers’ questions.
- On Page Optimization – Organising web pages with search engine-friendly tags and anchor texts.
- Technical SEO – Enhancements to site speed, mobile friendliness, navigation, and user experience.
- Backlink Building – The process of securing links from high-quality websites to enhance domain authority.
- Content Marketing – Sharing helpful resources (videos, infographics, case studies, etc.).
They do so because they ensure your business shows up when individuals are searching for words that are related to the services and products of your industry. When done correctly, it can send a raw avalanche of traffic, leads, and sales.
What Is Local SEO?
While national SEO is about broadening your reach across the country, local SEO aims to narrow down and find customers in proximity. Someone who searches for “coffee shop near me” or “best dentist in Chicago” is conducting a local search. It’s local SEO that puts your business on the list when local customers search Google.
One aspect of local SEO involves optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP). This is the listing you see in Google Maps, and what’s referred to as a “local pack” (the map that shows with three top listings that appear on many search queries). An optimised profile can lead to more foot traffic & phone calls from customers.
Local SEO Strategies
Local SEO uses a lot of the same processes as traditional SEO, but includes aspects that are search engine location-based, like:
- Optimize Google Business Profile – Make sure your business name, address, phone number, hours, and categories are accurate.
- Local Keywords – Think phrases such as “plumber Dallas” or “best pizza Miami.”
- Customer Reviews – Getting and giving feedback to create trust.
- Local Link Building – Acquiring backlinks from local directories, newspapers, and associations.
- Local Content – Writing blog posts or pages about your town, local events, or the specific services you offer in the area.
Axl makes this easy at Moon SEO. Axl automatically maximizes your Google Business Profile, replies to reviews, creates place-based posts and videos that increase visibility on platforms including YouTube and Facebook.
How Do SEO and Local SEO Work Together?
One of the biggest lies is that SEO & local SEO are distinctly different. In fact, they all blend and balance each other.
For example:
- If you own a roofing company, traditional SEO can rank your site for “roof repair tips” or “how to choose a great roofing contractor.”
- Local SEO makes sure that, when someone in your city searches “roof repair near me,” your business is front and center.
In reality, when you enhance your traditional SEO, it’s good for your local SEO as well! Strategic content, backlinks, and technical updates increase your overall authority, which in turn makes it easier to rank locally.
Why Your Business Needs Both
If you’re wondering, what is the difference between SEO and local SEO? Well, let’s get down to it.
- Big brands might not scale with SEO either, which can be a shame as the small business is able to outcompete big corporates on the most powerful advertising space in the world.
- Local SEO is about bringing customers through your doors.
At Moon SEO, we’ve had the opportunity to experience firsthand how adding these tactics together can double or even triple a brand’s online exposure. Because Axl does it all automatically — from optimizing your profile to replying to reviews — it’s easier than ever for you to compete with big brands (hyperlink) and maintain a strong relationship with your local audience.
Final Thoughts
The main distinction between local SEO and more traditional forms of SEO is geographical scope. Traditional SEO will help you rank nationally or internationally, but local SEO will also allow you to be discovered locally. Both are essential to contemporary businesses, and combined they produce a potent engine of growth.
When you’re ready to simplify your SEO, Moon SEO can help. With our AI SEO fellow Axl, we automate the whole of your Google Business Profile management to boost rankings and drive results, so you can focus on running your business. Give us a call today at (844) 655-4447 and learn how simple SEO can be when it succeeds while you sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between SEO and local SEO?
SEO is the practice of trying to get websites to rank at a national or global level, while local SEO allows businesses to appear in location-based queries. - Do I need both SEO and local SEO for my business?
Yes, businesses have the most to gain from both. SEO creates that general authority, while local SEO puts you in touch with your neighbors—people who are ready to buy. - How long does it take to see results from SEO?
Standard SEO, depending on the keywords for your niche, can take several months; however, local SEO will generally get results faster if you’ve optimised your Google Business Profile accordingly. - What is the most important factor in local SEO?
Your Google Business Profile. Keeping it honest, optimized, and alive with fresh content and reviews is crucial. - Can Moon SEO automate my local SEO?
Absolutely. Axl, our AI SEO agent, completely automates Google Business Profile management, content updates and optimization, reviews, and videos for better ranks without the extra work.
