The Untapped Potential of Local SEO in Senior Living

Local SEO vs. General SEO: Key Differences

Local SEO is defined as the process of optimizing a business’s online presence to increase visibility in search results within your immediate location or area using search engines like Google Search and Maps, or Bing. If you look at local search from the brand side of things, local search targets customers searching for products or services in a specific geographical area, making it crucial for businesses with physical locations like restaurants, retail stores, and other service providers. To make it clearer, SEO focuses on ranking high for relevant keywords that are aligned with a certain demographic and target audience, which may be at a national or even international scale, depending on the audience. Local SEO, however, targets a specific geographic area. Here’s a summary of what sets them apart:

• Search intent: Local SEO considers the specific intention behind searches done by people looking for products and services near to where they are. Someone searching for “senior living” might be browsing nationally, while “assisted living near [zip code]” indicates a higher intent and a local target audience.
• Local citations: Local SEO relies heavily on local citations or location-based keywords (e.g., “plumber in San Francisco”). This means your own business name, address and phone number (NAP) are important factors and should be as consistent as possible across various directories and websites. The more consistent and accurate your NAP citations are, the stronger your local SEO presence.
• Google My Business Optimization: Local SEO heavily utilizes Google My Business (GMB), as well as Bing Places for Business, for local search visibility, requiring accurate business information. Content Creation: Local SEO involves creating content tailored to local customers, like news and guides, while national SEO focuses on industry-wide content that appeals to a broader audience.
• Link Building: In local SEO, building backlinks from local directories and blogs can be helpful to establish local credibility. However, more emphasis should be placed on focusing on creating authoritative content in the first place. National SEO requires links from authoritative sites across the country or globally.
• Competition: Local SEO often faces stiffer competition due to a smaller target audience, making differentiation crucial. National SEO involves standing out in a broader industry context.