An SEO campaign is a form of online marketing designed to drive traffic to a website through SERPs (search engine results page). When beginning an SEO campaign, it’s important to identify and understand what will yield the best results in the most efficient way possible. Ultimately, this requires deciding between a Local SEO campaign or a National SEO campaign. To fully understand the benefits of both campaigns, it’s important to recognize their purpose.
Local SEO Campaigns
Local SEO campaigns are best used for businesses that serve a specific geographic area. This can range from a chain of businesses to a singular brick-and-mortar business. Ask yourself this – ‘does my business rely on making face-to-face contact with my customers?’. If you answered yes, then your business can benefit from a Local SEO campaign. Therefore, the main purpose of a Local SEO campaign is the pre-condition itself – driving traffic to a website that translates to a face-to-face interaction.
It’s a common misconception that Local SEO campaigns are only for small businesses. While yes, Local SEO campaigns are usually more affordable, making them a viable option for small business, their purpose is to drive targeted communities to a nearby business. For example, creating/claiming your business on Google Maps, to ensure that potential customers see your business, can go a long way in driving foot-traffic.
National SEO Campaigns
National SEO campaigns are not confined to a geographical constraint in the same way that local campaigns are. Furthermore, the intent of a national campaign isn’t as heavily focused on driving foot-traffic to a physical business location. Therefore, the purpose of a National SEO campaign is rooted in generating overall visibility and driving as much traffic possible to a website.
There is more emphasis on targeting highly competitive, searched-for keywords in a National SEO campaign. The sheer nature that comes from a national scope will result in a much more competitive landscape. In other words, expect to compete against some of the biggest companies in the world. Want to be on the first page when someone searches for ‘athletic shoes’? Then be prepared to compete against the likes of Nike, Adidas, etc. This isn’t to say it can’t be done, but National SEO campaigns need to be understood as a long-term online marketing strategy. However, the payoff can be huge, as National SEO campaigns can drive the most traffic to a business’ website.
So, what’s the best option?
I’ll get this out of the way – if you’re a small business, with a singular location, a Local SEO campaign is your best option. However, businesses that are medium-sized and larger should seriously consider both campaigns as viable options. In fact, as SEO services continue to evolve, working with a team of SEO experts in building a hybrid campaign can provide amazing value for your business.
ASTOUNDZ and our team of SEO experts are always happy to discuss how a local, national, or hybrid SEO campaign can help your website generate a larger, more consistent web presence, leading to more business. We also invite you to test your website with our free SEO site audit tool.
