What is the Difference Between Local SEO and Voice Search SEO?
We know that you are trying to rank your website on leading search engines and that you know what SEO or Search Engine Optimization is.
So we are not going to talk about SEO in general but two important aspects of SEO;
- Local SEO, and
- Voice Search SEO
As people are perpetually online on their smartphones, businesses are chasing them. Although large eCommerce businesses were doing it significantly, local and smaller businesses have also stepped up their game.
It is where small businesses must understand what local SEO and voice search SEO are, how they differ from each other, and how to take advantage of them to improve their online presence.
If you are on board to learn more about it, let’s begin.
What is Local SEO?
As the name implies, local SEO is a search engine optimization strategy where the focus is on helping your business be more visible on local search results.
The intent of local SEO is to help people in your neighborhood find you when they search for a service you offer locally so that they can walk right into your physical store.
It is a more hands-on approach that focuses on selling products and services to the local community with the help of search engines like Google and Bing.
How to Carry Out Local SEO?
Search engines and SEO, in general, have evolved over the years. They have gotten a lot smarter than they used to be. One of the first things you want to do when you are going to do local SEO for your business is to hire an SEO expert.
Once you do that, you need to discuss what you want to achieve, how your business is going, and your local SEO targets.
When you establish the expectations, let your SEO service provider do their work.
There are a lot of businesses that do their own local SEO, and it is absolutely fine. However, if you do not know the progress, it makes sense to hire an SEO service.
If you are going at it alone, the following steps will help you immensely.
Steps in Local SEO
- Start with a local SEO site audit
- Optimize the website and its content
- Use and optimize Google My Business
- Create content that focuses on local users
- Use geo-identifies on your site like a street address
- Leverage social media for local SEO benefits
- Use local directories and citation platforms
- Host and attend local community events
- Make your website mobile-friendly
Importance of Local SEO
Local SEO has become extremely important for businesses as it brings the following advantages to businesses;
- It helps you build a strong online image
- Local SEO improves business sales
- It helps you get more in-store visitors
- Local SEO helps bolster trust in users
- It helps you leverage local shopping
- Local SEO can help you become a local brand
- It helps you become more competitive in the market
What is Voice Search SEO?
When smartphones became prevalent, people started searching on the phone by typing in their queries. Fast forward now, people are talking into their phones, voice assistants, cars, smartwatches, etc., and interacting with them.
It is reported that 27% of people online use voice search on their mobile phones.
Voice search is more convenient and on the go. It opens up a lot of opportunities for businesses to optimize their website and content for voice search based on the contextual and natural language of the people searching.
That’s where voice search SEO comes into place.
How to Carry Out Voice Search SEO?
An essential thing to consider when optimizing your website for voice search is to understand that they are dynamic. Unlike text searches, voice searches are conversational.
They are more natural, like how people talk.
Hence, optimizing your website and its content around this natural semantic that people are comfortable using to search is important.
Further, you also need to understand that voice search comes naturally to people, unlike typing a long keyword.
Well, you might this confusing to understand and incorporate into your optimization efforts. And the best thing to do is to work with an SEO expert who knows this.
Steps in Voice Search SEO
When you are optimizing your business for voice search, take care of the following elements to ensure that you are on the right path;
- Make sure that you are optimizing your content for rich answers
- Never forget to re-imagine and structure your content for voice search
- Incorporate conversational language into your website for voice search
- The focus must be on long-term keywords and their variations
- Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and fast-loading
Importance of Voice Search SEO
As technology becomes more and more accessible to people, they need it to help them carry out even the simplest of tasks—like finding the best local restaurant near them.
Voice search SEO has become a crucial element for businesses as it helps them;
- Deliver quicker answers to user queries
- Acquire more traffic to their website
- Improve their local search rankings
- Boost their eCommerce sales and businesses
- Get a slice of the market ahead of your competition
Correlation Between Local SEO and Voice Search SEO
By taking effective advantage of local SEO and voice search SEO, businesses can now improve their website’s reach and bring in businesses.
As more and more people are using voice search to find products, services, and stores near them, local businesses now have the chance to be on top of their game.
While this may mean competition, it will encourage you to innovate, improve, and better your offerings.
And the result is happier customers, who want to come more.
Conclusion
While local SEO and voice search SEO are great for your business, going at it alone can spell doom for you. You need to have a great strategy that will work for your business and the audience.
And you will need a company offering SEO consulting services to help you with that. Without a clear direction, even if you know what you are doing, you will not succeed.
Therefore, once you decide to take the SEO route and want to improve your local online presence, hire an SEO service provider and work together.
You will see better results for your business sooner rather than later.
If you need a hand with it, you can also speak to Eco York’s support team.
