For some businesses, ranking for a larger region may make more sense than optimizing for a hyperlocal approach.
This is especially true for service area businesses that offer services in various areas and may not get in-office foot traffic.
Implementing a well-orchestrated regional SEO strategy can help extend your impression reach without breaking the bank for physical offices in every little city in an area.
If done correctly, you can still rank in the SERP for the coveted “near me” searches that have become commonplace for users.
Regional SEO vs. Local SEO
There is a key difference between local SEO and regional SEO.
According to Brian Harnish,
“Local SEO is a strategic process that focuses on emphasizing the optimization efforts of local brick-and-mortar businesses.”
Many non-brick-and-mortar businesses, also known as service area businesses, attempt to implement local SEO by setting up virtual offices to increase their visibility in the local SERP.
According to Google’s guidelines, virtual offices are allowed as long as it’s staffed during your normal business hours by your staff. – Read more
