Local SEO differs from traditional SEO in that it’s an effort to rank a website for people in a specific region.
Whereas traditional SEO usually involves ranking a site so that people all across the nation (if not all over the world) will find it when they search for a specific keyword or phrase, Local SEO is meant to reach people in carefully defined area (such as Chicago, Illinois or Huntsville, Alabama).
Local SEO is most often applied to brick-and-mortar locations or those targeting consumers in a very specific area, as well as larger franchises that target multiple, specific locations.
Local SEO optimization generally includes claiming and optimizing a business’s Google My Business page, getting local citation listings, generating reviews, and a content marketing strategy that emphasis location-specific keywords and trends.
Keep in mind also that when people search for local businesses, some of the top results are eligible to appear in the Local 3-Pack. That’s a box with highlighted business listings that appear at the very top of the search results.