Local SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps your business be more visible in local search results on Google. (source: mailchimp)

For the business with a physical location or serving a regional area Local SEO can be VERY beneficial. Google my business and other search engines help the search engines find your business especially after Google’s latest algorithm update. 

Local seo ranking factors are taken into place when someone searches for a business like yours on Google. If you ever used the search {something} near me – this search takes into account your current location and what you are searching for. If not try it search for “plumbers Near me“. 

This concept is magnified when someone does a search on a mobile device because search engines assume that the device is at a specific location and GPS is telling them that. So a search for plumbers near me would yield different in a mobile device versus a desktop. (especially is the desktop user is using a VPN).. 

This will all depend on multiple factors. You can do the organic method – where you allow time and searches to get you ranked up – which can take time but little cost. 

Or you can use google ads to help that process along. However with ads if you try to fool the algorithm and pay for an ad for selling pipes yet it is not local to that person – this will affect your search score. As well if a visitor clicks the link – you pay – and they leave in 5-10 seconds again it affects your score. 

Think of your score like your credit score. It fluctuates and changes based on many factors. 

There a few differences between the two. 

1. 1. 1. Local SEO is region specific – SEO can be global. 
      2. Local SEO gives visibility to local search engines and mapping engines. 
      3. SEO in itself operates the same however you are competing for the attention of someone against the entire world. 
      4. Local SEO can put you in front of a mobile user who searches on their mobile device MUCH quicker than other businesses in the region.