This post explains the difference between Local SEO and SEO. This post uses divorce lawyers as an example of the business category for SEO optimization.
When people on Google ask about the difference between local SEO and SEO, they ask about the difference between Google’s 3-Pack (also known as Google’s Local Pack) and Google’s local organic search results.
This is important because the Local Pack and Google’s Local Organic Search results have different ranking factors in Google.
2023 Local Organic Ranking Factors
On-Page Signals – The optimization of the on-page elements of a web page:
- Page Title
- Meta Description
- Headline Tags: h1, h2, and h3
- Topically Relevant Internal Links
- Relevant Webpage copy
- Sub-Topics
- Keywords
- Topical Cluster Internal Links
Link Signals: Backlinks are relevant topical links from third-party websites that point to your website’s pages. These link signals can help boost keyword rankings in Google’s search engine results.
Google Business Profile (GBP): The optimization of the GBP, categories, business descriptions, photos, videos, products, services, Q&A booking URL, and more.
Google Business Profile Signals: Sending signals to your Google Business Profile can help to expand the GEO location rankings outward from your firm’s office locations. Signals that can help:
- Client Reviews
- Google My Maps Driving Directions
- Google Business Posts
- Press Releases
- Business Citations.
Review Signals: Positive and negative reviews influence the off-page sentiment about a business and are a ranking factor.
Citation Signals: Business citations reinforce the location of a business in Google’s 3-Pack and Google Maps.
Behavioral signals: The click-through rate (CTRR) and how long a user stays on the webpage.
Personalization Signals: A user’s search history, as well as their search location.
2023 Local Pack Ranking Factors
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is optimizing your website, Google Business profile, and off-page signals to appear in Google’s Local Organic Search Results, Local Pack, and Google Maps.
What is the Google 3-Pack or Local Pack?
The Google Local Pack shows 3 law firm or lawyer Business Profiles listed as Places in Google’s Local Search Results below. You will also notice two Local Service Ads (LSA) in the Local Pack. LSA can also appear in the Local Pack.
In the example below, three law firms that practice divorce appear in the Local Pack.
Here is an example if a user clicks more Family Lawyers, which is associated with divorce below the Local Service Ads:
Here is an example if a user clicks more businesses under Google’s Local Pack:
Google Maps Example Summary
In the set of results in Google Maps below, all three of the law firms in Google’s 3-pack for the keyword: divorce lawyer near me show up in Google Maps, but two of the firms show up much further down in the Google Maps Results.
2023 Local Organic Ranking Factors
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) optimizes webpage content to appear in Google’s organic search results.
Google’s Local Organic Search Result Breakdown
These organic links are the blue links Google that show up below the local pack; these Local search engine results highlight the following:
- City Search Results
- County Search Results
- State or Region Search Results
What are Local Organic Search Results?
Local organic search results are the blue links below the Local Pack, if present, that show up in town or city search result pages, country or region search result pages, and even state search result pages.
Example:
The example below uses the same search query: Divorce lawyer near me. My location is Highland Park, NJ.
The above example shows webpages ranking for keywords in Google’s Local Organic Search Engine Results.
2023 Local SEO Ranking Summary
The main difference as far as ranking goes between Google’s Local Pack and their Local Organic Search Results are:
For the Local Pack
- Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) is critical. A GBP and competitor audit should be conducted to find opportunities for excellent optimization.
- A hyper-local focused website based upon your overarching topic is a keyword, and a Google Category is vital.
- Ensure you get quality reviews on your GBP, Yelp, and BBB.
- Ensure that you are getting topically relevant links that link to your location web page on your website and to your GBP.
- Ensure your GBP gets the correct signals to expand your law firm’s location reach to towns on the border of your office location.
For Local Organic Search Results
- A hyper-local focused website based on the topical relevance of your business and associated Google Categories is critical.
- On-page optimization of your website is critical for local optimization.
- Topically relevant content for on-page SEO is a critical piece that fits in with On-page SEO.
- Ensure that you are getting topically relevant links that link to your location web page on your website and to your GBP.
- Optimizing your GBP is vital. GBP and competitive audits should be conducted to find opportunities for optimization.
References
WhiteSpark – 2023 Local Search Ranking Factors
