One major puzzlement Nigerian Entrepreneurs undergo when moving their business online is deciding which type of SEO is best for them. Should they employ local SEO or global SEO?
Many aren’t aware if there is any particular classification of Local or global SEO classification.
Out of curiosity, I recently surveyed to
Firstly, know the percentage of Nigerian businesses with a website or online presence.
Secondly, identify the number of businesses driving traffic to their website through online marketing.
Thirdly, understand the number of Nigerian businesses that actually do Search Engine Marketing for their business.
And lastly, those whose SEO is tailored to the environment where they carry out activities.
I am yet to complete the survey for the first three items on the list. However, suppose you are a big fan of spoilers. In that case, 80% of businesses in Nigeria don’t have a website even though quite a good number have an online presence, primarily on social media. And for businesses with a website, 70% aren’t actively working on their website performance on search engines.
In comparison, among the 30% doing one or two forms of SEO, half of them practice local SEO, while the remaining half practice what some SEO guys love to call global SEO.
To avoid too much diversification, I will update you whenever the survey is completed and send you the link to the article.
To ensure you get an update when the complete article report and survey are available, make sure you join our WhatsApp status channel by sending us a message.
Table of Contents
What is Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization is the art of incorporating different strategies to influence your website’s ranking on search engines – mainly Google.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is one of the crucial parts of digital marketing in today’s world. Businesses can leverage it to boost their business performance by generating quality leads through search engines. These leads are often quality because they are prospects who are either aware of the problem or solution. And probably just looking for the best service provider to help them solve it.
SEO is one of the most reliable forms of online marketing that guarantees high returns on investment. And 89% of the time, the investment can last you for up to 5 to 10 years only if you keep updating it. Therefore, every business should adopt it into their marketing strategies. In contrast, those already using it should look into possible doubt means to enhance it for a better result.
Local SEO vs. Global SEO – What are they all about?
Local and glocal SEO is the art of structuring your SEO strategy based on demographics.
As a business, you will certainly have particular demographics and locations you cover. Deciding how you will now target these audiences based on their location is what we coil as Local and global SEO. And to archive this, you need to know if you are targeting the global community or a particular location.
Local SEO
Local SEO is the art of positioning your business website for higher ranking and visibility in a particular geography or location. In other words, It is being deliberate to make your business get a higher ranking on local searches.
Businesses often use local SEO is to target their primary audience residing in a certain geographical location. To archive this, you must understand how people search your local services online.
Read also: On-page SEO tips for beginners – How to improve organic performance of your blog
The Two branches of Local SEO
To best understand this article, I will divide the types of SEO we have into two.
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The business listing or Google map
Google Map optimization is the art of listing your business location on Google Maps and providing a series of information that can influence your business ranking in that location.
For example, if you provide dental service in Ikeja and someone within Ikeja needs the service of a dentist. You will agree with me that you are not the only dental clinic in Ikeja. You may now ask what makes this business outrank me to be the number 1 on the list or how I can outrank other businesses.
Some businesses won’t even be on the list at all. This may be because they do not list their business on Google Maps, or they do but didn’t optimize it perfectly.
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Organic ranking SEO
Organic ranking is just like other forms of website SEO ranking. However, this time, it is tailored directly to a particular location, country, state, or city. You can archive this by incorporating the name of the location you are targeting in the topic and a series of places in the article.
For example, I titled this article “local Seo Vs. Global – Which is better for your Nigerian Business. The Nigerian in this article will automatically pass a signal to Google that this article is primarily addressing Nigerians.
That does not mean it won’t rank in other countries. It can, but Google will prioritize it for Nigerian searchers. Other ways to archive great local SEO results include buying country domain Extention.
For example, insight.ng uses .ng TDL. Google, the almighty global business, has their .ng extension primarily for Nigerian searches. And so does Shopify, which has a section of their blog that uses com.ng domain extension focused on Nigerians (www.shopify.com.ng).
Global SEO
Global SEO is the art of optimizing your website for global relevance and ranking. It is often best for businesses operating worldwide without restrictions.
Global SEO, unlike local SEO, is pretty hard because you are contending with businesses across the world, including those using local SEO.
As a result, it would be best to get your website metrics and distributions right. For example, it is not a great idea to say you practice global SEO when your website uses .ng or .africa domain extension. The best thing you should use is .com. Other extensions like .org and .co are also effective, but not as much as a .com
You must also be sure you have the budget to create tons of content that will put your businesses out there. And most top businesses often adopt local SEO to incorporate into their global SEO strategy.
For example, the case of Forbes.Africa. Forbes.com uses global SEO practices, but they rank better in the USA. While ForbesAfrica does well for the African continent.
Also, you may need to make your website accessible in other languages for your visitor. For example, you may use Google Translate or hire the service of a professional translator.
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Differences Between Local SEO and Global SEO
Global and Local SEO, as we have noted, have a common goal of showcasing a brand to its target audience and improving engagements with that brand. However, they both differ in some areas, such as:
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Type of keywords used
While Local SEO focuses on local keywords – which usually include the location name and target local consumers based on their interests, Global SEO, on the other hand, the keywords and traffic target is for a global audience.
The local SEO focuses on keywords modified to get specific and relevant traffic from that area. Global SEO is focused on generic keywords that can get traffic to a website.
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Use of directory
Local SEO is not limited to just your website. A comprehensive Local SEO strategy will include other things, like listing Google My Business Listing, Yelp, Apple Maps, and various local directories.
This will give you much-needed exposure that will also improve your website rankings.
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Dependence on reviews
Local SEO depends mainly on reviews, testimonials, and feedback from satisfied customers to build authority as a trusted brand. Schema Markup is a great tool for uploading star ratings on your website’s search results.
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Type of goals
Local SEO’s goals might be to get people to take immediate action. E.g., call your business or come down to your store or something; Global SEO’s plans are entirely different; they may be to get people to sign up for a newsletter or to make an online purchase.
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Focus on mobile optimization
Search engines now place a greater emphasis on mobile responsiveness. As a result, mobile-friendly websites have a huge role in local SEO because many searchers are more likely to contact a business with this kind of website.
Read also: Best analytical tools to track your online business growth and performance
Local SEO vs. Global SEO – Which is Best for My Business
After clarifying the difference between local SEO and global SEO, as a business owner in Nigeria, you may still be asking yourself which of the two SEO is great for your website.
To answer this question, I have come up with a list of factors to consider when deciding on your business’s best. This is NOT a “Holy Grail Answer”; instead, it is a guide to help you make an informed decision that will benefit your business.
Would you like to take a chance on your business with collaboration? Sponsor your business with us today to reach a wider audience.
Factors to Decide Using Local and Global SEO
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The size of your business
Your business’s size is the first factor to help you decide if you should venture into global SEO or Local SEO. In addition, your company’s future projection may help you determine if you should start with local SEO and later extend globally. Many businesses in the USA started primarily with their local environment.
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The location of your business
The location of your business also has a prominent role in deciding which SEO strategy to deploy. This is also connected to the size of your business.
For example, a localized company in Abuja that serves only people of that geographical area due to its small size has no business investing in global SEO. It should rather focus on Local SEO for Abuja proximity.
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Set a goal
Why are you investing in SEO? What kind of traffic are you looking for? Defining this goal will help you to easily decide whether you should venture into local SEO or global SEO.
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Your target audience’s demographical data
Suppose you are targeting a broad audience with different languages and cultures. Then, it would be best to adopt Global SEO or combine them to obtain good results.
Is there a “BETTER” or “BEST” option for your business??
There is none.
The answer to this question lies in the goals you aim to achieve and the resource you have at your disposal. Demographics to engage with the website successfully.
Wrap it up
Whether you need a global SEO or local SEO is centered on your business seize, model and customers.
PS: Do you need help setting up your business SEO, send us a message on WhatsApp today. Also, check our courses on SEO on our digital academy.
About Author
- Taiwo Sotikare is passionate about helping small businesses grow through the power of effective content marketing. Via SEO, Taiwo helps small businesses generate more monthly income. He creates content that hit Google front page, where thousands of targeted customers can access your business swiftly.
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