The Difference Between SEO and Local SEO

SEO and local SEO get used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. They target different types of searches, rely on different signals, and show up in different parts of Google’s results page. If you’re a small business in Australia, understanding which one matters more for you can save a lot of time and money.

What’s the short version?

Regular SEO helps your website rank in Google’s main search results — the standard list of blue links. Local SEO helps your business appear in the map section and location-based results when someone nearby searches for what you do. Most small service businesses and retail shops benefit more from local SEO than regular SEO.

The simplest way to think about it

If someone searches “how to fix a leaking tap,” that’s regular SEO. Google is looking for the most helpful article on the topic. It doesn’t matter where the business is located — the best content wins.

If someone searches “plumber near me” or “plumber in Perth,” that’s local SEO. Google isn’t looking for an article. It’s trying to find a real business, nearby, that can actually do the job right now.

Same search engine. Completely different decision-making process.

What each one focuses on

Which one does your business need?

For most small businesses in Australia — tradies, salons, consultants, cafes, retail shops, health practitioners — local SEO is where the money is. These are businesses where the customer needs to be nearby. Nobody’s booking a plumber from Sydney when they live in Perth.

Regular SEO matters more if you sell products or services nationally, run an online-only business, or want to attract traffic through educational content like blog posts and guides.

Plenty of businesses benefit from both. A web designer in Perth (hello) might use local SEO to show up when someone searches “web designer Perth,” and regular SEO to rank a blog post about how much a website costs in Australia. Different searches, different strategies, both valuable.

The mistake I see most often

Businesses spending thousands on regular SEO — blog content, backlinks, technical audits — when they haven’t even claimed their Google Business Profile or asked a single customer for a review.

For a local service business, getting your Google Business Profile sorted, building up genuine reviews, and making sure your business details are consistent across the internet will almost always deliver results faster and cheaper than a traditional SEO campaign.

Start with local. Build on that. Add regular SEO when it makes sense for your business.

Where to go from here

If you want to understand each one properly, I’ve written dedicated guides for both:

• What Is SEO, Really? A Plain-English Guide
• What Is Local SEO and Why Does Your Small Business Need It?

And if you’re not sure which one your business should be focusing on right now, take my free 30-second quiz — it’ll point you in the right direction without a phone call or a sales pitch.