Plenty of businesses based in Sussex don’t sell to Sussex customers. They sell products online across the UK, supply other businesses nationally or offer services that work just as well over a video call. We’re one of them. Our office is in East Grinstead, but we work with clients across the UK.
For these businesses, local SEO is only a small part of the picture. Their customers aren’t searching for a business near them. They’re searching for a product, a service or an answer, and they don’t mind where the business is.
In short, local SEO helps nearby customers find you in Google Maps and local results, while national SEO helps your website rank for searches anywhere in the UK where location doesn’t come into it. Which you need depends on where your customers are.
Local vs National SEO: What’s the Difference?
Local SEO is about the map pack, your Google Business Profile, reviews and being found by people nearby. National SEO is about ranking your website’s pages for searches where location doesn’t come into it.
The two share the same foundations: a technically sound website, helpful content and links from trusted sites. The difference is where you put your effort. A national business wins with depth on its subject, not with place names.
If your customers don’t care where you are, your website shouldn’t lead with it either.
Ecommerce SEO for a Sussex Business Selling Across the UK
One of our clients is a packaging company that sells boxes across the UK and internationally. Its customers search for the boxes they need, such as eco-friendly gift boxes or a particular size and style. Where the company is based doesn’t come into those searches at all.
For a business like this, the work centres on product pages, category pages, site structure and content that helps buyers choose. A large product range also brings its own problem, which we cover in the next post in this series.
Don’t Build a Page for Every Town
A common mistake for businesses trying to rank more widely is a page for every town they’d like to sell in. We worked with a solar company that had a page for every town it wanted to rank for, covering much of the south of England. Those pages were wiped out.
Pages like these are usually near-identical, with the town name swapped, and Google’s spam policies call them doorway pages. If you serve the whole country, one strong service page will usually do far more than fifty thin town pages.
Location pages do have a place when there is something different to say. One of our clients is an architecture practice with offices in Sussex and London. Each office has its own page describing the work that office does, which gives visitors and Google a reason for each page to exist.
What Is a National SEO Strategy?
- Service pages that explain what you do in depth, built around the searches your customers use.
- Guides and articles that answer the questions customers ask before they buy.
- Product and category pages with their own descriptions, not text copied from suppliers.
- Links and mentions from national trade publications, industry bodies and suppliers.
- Clear information about who you are, including your experience, qualifications and the work you’ve done.
Where Sussex Still Helps
Being based in Sussex can still help. Local press, business groups and Sussex partners are often easier places to earn your first links and mentions than national publications. A Google Business Profile also helps anyone who looks you up by name.
Just don’t let your location take over pages written for a national audience.
If you’re based here and sell across the UK, our SEO services for Sussex-based businesses cover national rankings as well as local ones.
When a business has two pages aimed at similar searches, they can end up competing with each other. In the next post, we show you what we found when two of our own Sussex pages did exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Is Better, Local or National SEO?
Neither is better on its own. If customers come to you or you travel to them, local SEO usually brings the quickest results. If you sell online or serve clients anywhere in the UK, national SEO is the bigger opportunity. Many businesses need some of both.
Can a Small Sussex Business Rank Nationally?
Yes, especially for specific products, services or questions. Small businesses rarely win broad national searches against large brands, but they can rank well for detailed, specialist searches where their expertise shows.
Do I Need a Page for Every Town I Want to Sell In?
No. Near-identical town pages can be treated as doorway pages under Google’s spam policies. Create location pages only where you have something different to say about that place, such as an office, local projects or local customers.
Does Ecommerce SEO Work Differently for National Businesses?
The principles are the same, but the work centres on product pages, category pages, site structure and avoiding pages that compete with each other. Large product ranges need careful planning so that each page has a clear job.