Mastering local rank monitoring is a big part of achieving strong local visibility and strategically positioning your brand in every community you serve. For most brands, the battle for visibility is fought on the search engine results pages, with local rank serving as a critical measure of success. And, with a big surge of "near me" search queries over the past two years, regularly monitoring and optimising for Local SEO is not just beneficial but critical for capturing this growing segment of motivated customers.
The Science Behind Local Rank
Local SEO is a complex ecosystem influenced by various local SEO ranking factors including relevance, distance, and prominence. Google, for instance, uses a sophisticated algorithm to determine local rankings, taking into account not only the physical proximity of a business to the searcher but also how well the business profile matches the search query, and the overall prominence of the business online, which includes review quantity, quality, and consistency across the web.
The Importance of "Near Me" Searches
The dramatic increase in "near me" searches highlights the growing consumer expectation for hyper-localised search results. These searches are not just about finding any business but finding the right business that's conveniently located.
This means that brands should be optimising for local search making sure that local business listings are not only accurate and comprehensive but also tailored to include local keywords and phrases that resonate with the local community.
Monitoring Local Rank: What and Why
1. Local Rank Position:
What to Monitor: The ranking of each location for targeted local search queries.
Why: Provides a baseline for SEO performance and visibility. High visibility leads to increased foot traffic and sales, with 78% of local mobile searches resulting in offline purchases.
2. Search Visibility:
What to Monitor: Frequency of your business's appearance in local search results.
Why: Directly impacts brand awareness and customer acquisition, as optimised listings and content increase the likelihood of appearing in these searches.
3. Keyword Performance:
What to Monitor: Effectiveness of local keywords and phrases in driving traffic.
Why: Essential for fine-tuning content strategy, especially with "near me" searches increasing drastically year by year, highlighting the importance of targeting high-intent local queries.
4. Online Reviews:
What to Monitor: Quantity and quality of reviews across platforms.
Why: Influences both local rank and consumer trust. Businesses in the Google local 3-pack receive 126% more traffic and actions than those ranked 4-10.
5. Google Business Profile (GBP) Completeness:
What to Monitor: Accuracy and completeness of each location's GBP.
Why: Essential for Local SEO success, as complete profiles are 2.7 times more likely to be considered reputable by customers.
6. Local Backlinks:
What to Monitor: Quantity and quality of backlinks from local sources.
Why: Enhances local SEO efforts by boosting the site's authority and rankings in local search results.
Leveraging Local Marketing Automations
Monitoring local rank for multiple locations manually can lead to time-consuming processes that lack structure and accuracy. Local Listing Management Tools like PinMeTo tool offer an easy-to-use platform for managing and local rank monitoring of all locations from a single dashboard. PinMeTo allows you to delve into each location's search ranking, providing a comprehensive view of performance and areas for SEO optimisation.
The platform also monitors how often your brand Google Business Profile appears in searches, highlighting visibility to potential customers. The Insights API further customises data access, allowing precise control over performance metrics and customer reviews, facilitating targeted analytics without data overload.
To Sum Up
Local rank monitoring is a critical component of a multi-location brands' local marketing strategy. Advanced insights derived from monitoring local ranks regularly will not only shed light on how your brand is performing locally but also offer the strategic guidance needed to optimise each location for maximum visibility and engagement. This will help you enhance your online presence, connect more deeply with local audiences, and drive significant growth across all locations.
Lily Adamyan, March 7
