General SEO helps anyone, anywhere find your website or blog, whereas Local SEO helps people near you find your business. Here is a view of the difference between General SEO and Local SEO.
| Feature | General SEO | Local SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Improve website visibility on a global scale. | Improve visibility in search results for a specific designated area |
| Target Audience | The world is your audience | Focus on customers in a specific designated area |
| Keyword Strategy | Focuses on broad keywords with high search volume | Targets location-based keywords, including “near me” searches |
| Key Ranking Factors | On-page SEO, quality content, and backlinks from authoritative sites. | Google Business Profile, online reviews, and NAP consistency. |
| Content Focus | Content that appeals to a wide audience, regardless of location. | Locally relevant content, like events, promotions, or neighborhood information. |
| Link Building | Acquires backlinks from high-authority websites. | Earns backlinks from local sites, directories, and community pages. |
| Primary Tools | Google Analytics, Search Console, and broad keyword research tools. | Google Business Profile, local citation finders, review tools. |
| Competition | Competes at national/international level—often highly competitive. | Restaurants, plumbers, dentists, and local service providers. |
| Business Examples | E-commerce stores, SaaS companies, national blogs. | Restaurants, plumbers, dentists, and local service providers. |
