Content Roundup

Local SEO vs Global SEO: Which Strategy Is Right for Your Business?

June 06, 2025

In the digital-first world, your search engine visibility is important for the success of your business. Whether you are the owner of a small business looking to pull in customers from your neighborhood or you operate a SaaS company looking for international users, your SEO strategy has a big impact on your growth. But the main question is: should you focus on Local SEO or Global SEO?

We will review the differences between the two and hopefully help you consider the best SEO strategy for your business goals.

What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of making a company more visible in location-specific search results. Local SEO is the way to make your business visible, if someone is searching for queries like “plumber near me” or “best bakery in Brooklyn”, and your business operates in a particular region.

Local SEO includes:

  • Optimizing your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
  • Managing local citations and directories
  • Using location-specific keywords
  • Gaining local backlinks
  • Getting positive reviews from local customers

Example: If you are a dentist with a clinic in San Diego, you will ideally want to show up in search results for “San Diego dentist” or “best dental clinic near Gaslamp Quarter.”

What Is Global SEO?

Global SEO is the practice of optimizing your website for an audience in multiple countries or regions. With global SEO, the goal is to optimize your website rankings globally, while taking into account the language, culture, and search behavior of different regions.

Key components of global SEO:

  • Multilingual content or localization
  • Use of hreflang tags
  • Geo-targeting
  • Building international links
  • Optimizing for global search engines (not only Google)

Example: If you are a Software as a Service (SaaS) company that provides project management tools to customers around the world, you would want your website to rank for “best project management software” in the U.S, Germany, India, etc.

Benefits of Local SEO

  • Increased Local Visibility

    Your company appears on local map packs and search results, increasing walk-ins and calls

  • Higher Conversion Rates

    According to HubSpot, 78% of local mobile searches aim to complete an offline purchase.

  • Cost-Effective

    Local SEO is less costly than global campaigns, and generally, small businesses have a higher ROI.

  • Better Community Presence

    Local SEO will allow you to have loyal customers within your local area.

Benefits of Global SEO

  • Wider Market Reach

    Capture a larger potential audience across multiple countries and time zones.

  • Scalability

    A good global SEO strategy can set you up for ongoing revenue growth.

  • Brand Authority

    Ranking internationally builds brand trust and positions your business as a global player.

  • Competitive Advantage

    If your competitors are not optimizing global keywords, you have a massive advantage.

Tip: Leverage content localization and apply it to region-specific search trends. For multilingual optimization of searches, use SEMrush and Ahrefs to find region-specific keyword research data.

When to Choose Local SEO

You should select Local SEO when:

  • Your business serves a specific geographical market
  • You operate physical stores or branches
  • Most of your customers come from local searches
  • You offer location-based services (i.e., plumber, gym, restaurants)

Example: An agency selling property in Mumbai should look to rank for “Mumbai property agents” rather than looking to create an authority for “best real estate agents”.

For information on how to implement a local SEO strategy that achieves results, Check out iMarketo’s tailored SEO solutions.

When to Use Global SEO

Global SEO is best for:

  • Online Stores that ship worldwide
  • SaaS companies or tech platforms that serve users across continents
  • Companies with multi-language websites
  • Companies with global partners or clientele

Example: An online course platform that has lessons in English, Spanish, and French should focus on global SEO searches, like "learn Spanish online" or "best online courses for French".

Can you do both?

Of course! Many businesses take a hybrid approach, targeting local markets for traffic, but also to help build their global reach.

Example:

A chain of yoga studios may have Local SEO to bring clients to every city but also Global SEO with an e-commerce store that sells yoga gear internationally.

At iMarketo, we create custom SEO strategies that include local and global tactics based on your business needs.

Key SEO Tools for Local and Global Optimization

Local SEO Tools:

  • Google Business Profile Manager
  • Moz Local
  • BrightLocal
  • Whitespark
  • Yext

Global SEO Tools:

  • SEMrush with Geo functionalities
  • Ahrefs (for international search monitoring)
  • Google Search Console (for international targeting)
  • Screaming Frog (for tracking hreflang)
  • Weglot or WPML for translation

Common Mistakes to Avoid

For Local SEO:

  • Inconsistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across directories
  • Not paying attention to local reviews
  • Not optimizing for mobile
  • Not embedding maps

For Global SEO:

  • Using Machine translation instead of localization
  • Not using hreflang at all
  • Having everything on a single server without a CDN
  • Ignoring cultural differences in both content and design

Key Differences Between Local and Global SEO  

  • The primary difference between Local SEO and Global SEO lies in their target audiences; Local SEO is designed to engage customers within a specific geographic area, such as towns, cities, or regions, whereas Global SEO aims to engage users beyond borders, considering diverse languages and cultures.
  • When it comes to keyword strategy, Local SEO will use localization search terms such as "dentist in Los Angeles" or "best pizza near me." Global SEO will optimize for industry- or product-based keywords, for example, "project management software" or "buy wireless earbuds online," depending on global trends and demands.
  • The tools and tactics for Local and Global SEO also differ. Local SEO will typically include Google Business Profile, online directories, and review sites to improve local SEO. Global SEO uses more technical aspects like hreflang tags, geo-targeting, and content delivery networks (CDN) to properly manage and distribute international content.
  • In terms of content strategy, Local SEO focuses on creating location-relevant content that resonates with a specific community (such as blog posts about local events, regional services, and customer stories), versus global SEO which takes on a multilingual and culture-appropriateness approach in understanding the content and what is relevant to the audience across the world.
  • Lastly, let's discuss the competition. With local SEO being less competitive, it is easier for small businesses to gain traction in local results. Comparatively, Global SEO will present a higher level of competition as you will be expected to compete not just with other businesses within the same country, but also with international brands, which takes more strength, strategy, and a willingness to put in the extra effort.

Final Thoughts:

Ultimately, it depends on your business objectives, target audience, and long-term goals. Local SEO is ideal for small businesses and service providers with a local or regional focus, while Global SEO is needed for scalability when wanting to reach customers globally and internationally.

However, the most successful businesses often combine both to maximize visibility and revenue.

Whether your option is to claim your local map pack or reach customers overseas, iMarketo can help custom design the SEO strategy you need. Contact us now to book a free consultation!

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