7 tips for better local SEO reporting

One area that many agencies in general lack, especially in local SEO, is reporting.

Unlike international corporations and businesses with C-level executives and shareholders, many local businesses only care about getting more foot traffic on their doorstep.

So by simplifying our approach and focusing on reporting only highly relevant data, agencies can better serve local businesses and build stronger relationships.

Here are seven tips to improve your local SEO reports and serve your local customers.

1. Simplify Reports

Simplifying your SEO reports is not only a tip local SEO agencies should follow, but any agency should generally as well.

Our first impulse as a marketer and communicator is to provide as detailed a report as possible. This is even more true when marketers have to bury negative campaign results under a mountain of information.

However, our reports should tell a clear and concise story about the performance of our marketing campaigns.

Complicated reports with unnecessary data distract from the success of the campaign and will make some eyes fly over to read it.

Screenshot from Google Analytics, September 2022

Follow these tips to keep local SEO reports simple and easily digestible for clients:

2. Choose The Right Metrics

Part of telling a story with data is selecting the correct data that is relevant to that story.

Most local businesses really only care about two vital signs:

However, this doesn’t mean that you should ignore every important metric, but that you should choose metrics that are relevant to your story.

Even metrics like overall traffic don’t show how qualified that traffic is or which channels the traffic is coming from.

That’s why I like to include the following vital metrics from Google Analytics:

Screenshot from Google Analytics, September 2022

These metrics tell our customers which campaigns generate the most significant traffic flow and from which cities and sources.

I also like to include Google Search Console data in my reports to track SERP (search engine results page) data, such as clicks, impressions, and CTR (click-through rate).

You’ll also need a tool to report keyword data, such as Semrush or Ahrefs. Semrush also provides a neat tool to easily create reports and create templates for future clients.

3. Segment Keywords By Location

Going into other local aspects of SEO, we will need to make sure that our reports are properly optimized to only report local keyword data.

For this section, you will need an advanced keyword tool like Semrush, Moz, or Ahrefs.

I used Semrush to create a new project and implement position tracking on my most strategic keywords in this example.

As you can see below, I’ve set up location tracking for specific searches in the Houston metropolitan area. I can then upload the keywords I’m tracking from Semrush or even Google Analytics to report on.

Screenshot from Semrush, September 2022

To filter the keywords I’m tracking, I can also add tags that separate them into specific categories.

Screenshot from Semrush, September 2022

You can get the detail you want with your list by separating your keywords by question phrases, “near me” searches, or by including a city-based keyword from your list.

Once you’ve set up location tracking and tags, you can easily export or add those keywords to a CSV or Semrush reporting tool.

4. Segment Traffic By Device

Equally crucial for tracking local SEO campaigns is filtering the data by device.

That’s why I like to include sections in my reports that describe traffic by device and even going into detail like by location and device.

Screenshot from Google Analytics, September 2022

When it comes to local SEO, mobile search traffic is arguably more important than desktop traffic, especially when you take into account click-to-calls and mobile orders, which are commonly executed on a smartphone or other mobile device.

5. Track Local SERP Results

Another huge difference in how Google approaches local searches is the use of tools like the Local Search Package and the Google Business Profile.

For several local businesses, Google’s business profile listings can be a significantly greater source of conversions and foot traffic for a business than their actual website.

You will need to sign up for a connector to track Google business profile data using any conventional reporting tool.

Screenshot from Google Data Studio, September 2022

However, many keyword tools like Semrush offer detailed keyword information on local search results, such as local package results and featured snippets.

Screenshot from Semrush, September 2022

This information is very relevant to companies looking to rank in “near me” searches that generate a lot of traffic to their business.

Export this data to a CSV or upload it directly to Semrush’s reporting tool.

6. Go Beyond Standard SEO Tools And Metrics

Going beyond the local package, we can add several additional KPIs (key performance indicators) to our local SEO reports that are highly relevant to businesses.

Screenshot from Semrush, September 2022

For example, consider including the following metrics in your next local SEO report:

Screenshot from Semrush, September 2022

You may need to purchase a social listening tool or upgrade your Semrush account to track social media mentions and engagement.

However, you can also do manual searches to track changes in review ratings, unrelated brand citations, or social media engagement on trending posts to add to your reports.

7. Provide Actionable Information

Finally, we want to conclude our reports by adding a section at the end that summarizes the results of the campaign and future actions based on the data you present.

This section will help you complete your story using the data provided and will help customers understand what you have presented to them.

I also find it important to add a final section for recommendations because many campaigns can be hampered by low budgets or reluctant customers who don’t want to take all the necessary steps to change their site.

So, if your campaign is blocked because a local business won’t update their site or implement the recommended changes, be sure to remind them at the end of the report and explain the benefits of your recommendations.

Featured Image: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock

How do I monitor SEO progress with key features?

How to measure SEO performance and results

• Organic traffic.
• Keyword ranking.
• SERP visibility.
• Click-through rate.
• Bounce rate.
• Website authority over time.
• Backlink.
• Page speed.

What’s the only way to track SEO results? Keyword reporting is the ONLY way to track search engine optimization results.

What can I use to track SEO?

Tools to track SEO metrics Use Google Analytics to track metrics like organic search traffic, pages per visit, and bounce rate. Use Google Search Console to track impressions, CTR from Google SERP, crawl errors and number of pages indexed.

Can you track SEO on Google Analytics?

All your marketing efforts really depend on the performance of your website and the SEO efforts you put into the site. Installing Google Analytics on your site allows you to track how well you are bringing potential customers to the site and your success in converting users to customers and it’s free.

Do I need Google Analytics for SEO?

Why is Google Analytics essential for SEO? Google Analytics is an extremely useful tool when it comes to SEO. The search engine that people use to find your website distributes useful nuggets of data to the left, right and center to help you improve your website. This is invaluable.

What are SEO keywords?

In terms of SEO, these are the words and phrases that users enter into search engines, also called “ search queries ”. If you reduce everything on your page – all the images, videos, texts, etc. – down to simple words and phrases, those are your main keywords.

What is the SEO keyword? Your SEO keywords are the keywords and phrases in your web content that allow people to find your site via search engines. A well-optimized website for search engines “speaks the same language” as its potential visitor base with SEO keywords that help connect searchers to your site.

What are SEO keywords examples?

For example, if you were looking to buy a new jacket, you might type something like “men’s leather jacket” into Google. Even if that sentence is made up of more than one word, it is still a keyword. Of course, no one outside the SEO industry tends to use this terminology.

What are examples of keywords?

Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines to find what they are looking for. For example, if you were looking to buy a new jacket, you might type something like “men’s leather jacket” into Google. Even if that sentence is made up of more than one word, it is still a keyword.

What is keyword in SEO with example?

In terms of SEO, these are the words and phrases that searchers enter into search engines, also called “search queries”. If you reduce everything on your page – all images, videos, texts, etc. â down to simple words and phrases, those are your main keywords.

How do I find the keywords for SEO?

The easiest way to find out the keywords your competitors are using is to visit their website and then view the page source or underlying HTML code for their home page. In Google Chrome, simply click on the toolbar (the three lines in the top right corner), then select Tools> Developer Tools.

What are good SEO keywords?

The best keywords for your SEO strategy will take into account relevance, authority and volume. You want to find highly researched keywords that you can reasonably compete for based on: The level of competition you are facing. Your ability to produce content that surpasses those currently in the rankings in terms of quality.

How do I find the keywords for SEO?

The easiest way to find out the keywords your competitors are using is to visit their website and then view the page source or underlying HTML code for their home page. In Google Chrome, simply click on the toolbar (the three lines in the top right corner), then select Tools> Developer Tools.

How do I find SEO keywords for my business?

Generate high-potential keywords for your business It’s simple: enter a keyword or keyword list and discover keyword ideas based on one of three search engines, Google, Amazon or YouTube. Within Keyword Research, go to Find Keywords> Keyword Generator.

How do I find searchable keywords?

Just type in the Google search box and related terms will appear in a drop-down list. You can then manually select the long tail keyword phrase you want to use or choose a combination of phrases.

What are the 4 types of keywords?

When searching to discover a user’s intentions behind a search, we can classify all keywords into four main categories of intent: commercial, transactional, informational, and navigation.

What are 2 types of keywords?

When conducting keyword research, it is important to consider two different types of keywords, one consists of high volume keywords and the other consists of long tail keywords. Knowing what each type of keyword is can help you target the right keywords with your SEO strategy.

What are SEO tools?

What are SEO tools? SEO tools provide data and alerts on the overall health and success of your website. They help uncover areas of opportunity and identify weaknesses or issues that may prevent you from ranking and gaining visibility in the SERPs.

What are the 3 types of SEO? The three types of SEO are: On-page SEO â Anything on your web pages â Blog, product copy, web copy. Off-page SEO – Anything that happens away from your website that helps with your SEO strategy: backlinks. Technical SEO – Anything technical that is undertaken to improve search rankings – site indexing to help crawl bots.

What is SEO and examples?

what is search engine optimization? Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art and science of making pages rank higher in search engines like Google. Since search is one of the primary ways people discover online content, a higher search engine ranking can lead to increased traffic to a website.

What is SEO in digital marketing with example?

Definition of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Well, SEO stands for “search engine optimization”, which is the process of getting traffic from free, organic, editorial or natural search results in search engines. It aims to improve the position of your website on the search results pages.

What is SEO in simple words?

Search engine optimization is the science of improving a website to increase its visibility when people search for products or services. The higher a website’s visibility on search engines, the more likely the brand is to acquire business.