How To Rank Nationally SEO

In today's article, we will go over how to use SEO to rank nationally. There is a lot to this topic, but we will try to make this article as clear and straightforward as possible! Whether you are a business interested in investing in a National SEO campaign, or a fellow SEO looking to learn more about SEO, this article will surely help. We are an award winning search engine optimization agency located in Michigan, and if you have any questions that aren't covered in this article, feel free to reach out, we will help in any way we can.

What Is National SEO?

So what is National SEO? National search engine optimization, quite simply, is the act of targeting specific keywords on a national level. Suppose there is a product you sell or a service you provide that can be sold to or bought by people on a national level. In that case, leveraging a National SEO campaign can tremendously benefit your business. If you execute an effective national SEO strategy, you will slowly begin to show high up on Google all across the nation. Whether you are investing in a National search strategy or you are a fellow SEO wanting to execute one yourself, there is one thing you need to keep in mind. 

It is understood that search engine optimization is a marathon and not a sprint. However, when people say this, they typically refer to local search - as this is the most utilized type of campaign in search engine optimization. National search, however, is much more involved and time-consuming than local SEO. National search takes so much more time and effort than local search because of the scale of the campaign. In a local search engine optimization campaign, you only target 1-10 cities and maybe one or two states. However, in a National SEO campaign, you're not only targeting 48-50 states but also many cities within each state. 

What Are The Four Types Of National SEO?

The four types of search engine optimization we are about to mention are not necessarily specific to National search. They are aspects of any SEO campaign. But, each point mentioned is essential to the success of your campaign.

Off-Page SEO

Off-Page search engine optimization refers to all of the different aspects of your campaign that involve work that isn't done directly to the website. Off-Page optimizations can refer to anything from securing quality backlinks, guest posting, content promotion, and much much more. Off-Page SEO is the act of working to improve the impression Google has of your website so you can rank up more quickly.

On-Page SEO

On-Page search engine optimization is essentially ensuring that your content is optimized. Whichever keyword your page targets, you use On-Page optimizations to ensure that your page has the proper keywords the correct number of times in the appropriate places to rank. If Off-Page optimizations are equivalent to going to work, On-Page optimizations are like putting on your suit and tie. You cannot go to work until after you are appropriately dressed first. You will never rank for anything without ensuring that your page is not only in alignment with Google's guidelines but also that your page is optimized correctly for your primary keyword.

Local SEO

The discussion on how to rank Nationally in search still involves local optimizations. Local search is the art of doing adequate research on the local competition to determine the proper site and page architecture required to compete in Google. Local search requires you to constantly monitor your pages' results in the SERPs (search engine results pages) to ensure that you can respond and retaliate to your competition. In most cases, your National campaign will not just stick to states. This means that in most cases, it will delve into cities as well, so developing a proper strategy to dominate locally is crucial to your success on a National level. 

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the most boring aspect of search. Technical search deals with ensuring that all of the meta-data on each of your web pages is appropriately optimized. Technical search involves anything from meta-descriptions, XML sitemaps, schema, etc. On-Page search and Technical SEO are the most important things to get right if you want Google to understand what your web page is about.

How Is National SEO Different From Local SEO?

National campaigns differ from Local ones mainly in terms of scale and timeline. While Local search is still utilized within any National SEO strategy, National SEO focuses on solid branding. You want to become an authority nationwide for your service or product, so the budget required is significantly higher than in a local campaign. The timeline in a Local SEO campaign can easily be 6-12 months before you notice solid results. The same is true in a National campaign. However, it can take years to dominate the SERPs nationally. Especially given the competition has probably been investing in it for years already. However, this isn't a bad thing at all. A well-ranking competitor is the best way for you to gain valuable insights into what exactly Google is looking for when determining whether or not they will rank a website in that niche.

How Do You Become #1 In SEO?

Becoming #1 in search engine optimization is very simple. Tedious but simple. While it cannot be guaranteed, it can happen in time. You must ensure that your website conforms to Google's guidelines and that your content is optimized correctly. Your competition will try to add content, gain backlinks, and do many more things to beat your rankings. Still, as long as you pay attention and respond accordingly, you'll be rewarded with valuable organic traffic.

How Do I Get High Rankings On Google SEO?

Content, content, content. Content is king if you want to get high rankings on Google. Once you have researched which keywords will be the most profitable for you to target, explore the websites ranking in the first three positions for those keywords. Take notes on how many pictures or videos they have, how many times they mention your target keyword, how much text they have on their page, where they are using your target keywords, how many backlinks they have, etc. To rank for these keywords, you must reverse-engineer your competitor's success. Only do this research on the first three websites. These are the winners, and you only want to focus on what they have done to succeed.

How To Rank Nationally SEO -- Conclusion

Hopefully, you found this article helpful! We have articles ranging from the best practices for H1 tags, the power of custom search strategies, and even all the way to the benefits of eCommerce SEO! We have many other articles related to SEO, so if you found this helpful, head to our blog page to learn more! Subscribe to our newsletter to keep updated on when the best West Michigan SEO agency posts more content!