Local search can be an incredibly frustrating marketing strategy. Sometimes it can feel impossible to know if things are working if you don’t know what to look at. Luckily, there are a few metrics that can offer solid insights into whether your strategy is working or not. If you’re finding yourself unsure, check the following metrics. Even if they’ve gone up when they should be going down (or vice versa), they will still offer key insights into how the strategy is performing and what you can learn from the change. Read on to learn more!
1. Conversions
What is it? As the name suggests, conversions are simply the number of visitors to your local search profile who are converting into paid clients to your practice.
Where can I find it? Your Google My Business profile dashboard tracks this metric for you.
What does it mean if it goes up or down? When it comes to conversions, more is better! If this metric goes up or down, look for anything that has changed within your profile. Local search profiles are subject to lots of seasonality, so there’s certainly no guarantee that anything within your profile is causing the influx – but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing that could be helping the growth!
2. Traffic
What is it? The number of people who visit your website as a result of clicking your URL in your local listing.
Where can I find it? Google My Business will track this metric in your dashboard.
What does it mean if it goes up or down? When it comes to traffic, more is generally better, however there is such a thing as the wrong kind of traffic. If this metric goes up or down, look for anything that has changed within your profile. Local search profiles are subject to lots of seasonality, so there’s certainly no guarantee that anything within your profile is causing the changes – but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing that could be helping the growth.
3. Local Citations
What is it? Any time that your business’s NAP info (name, address, and phone number) is mentioned online, you gain what is known as a local citation. These citations are vital to boosting your local search rankings, so having your NAP info correct is crucial to begin with.
Where can I find it? Keeping track of local citations can be difficult, because there is no easy place to find these. We created Local Power for this exact reason: not only does it monitor the Internet looking for mentions of your NAP info and showing you your local search progress, but it also corrects inaccuracies in your local search info without you having to lift a finger, ensuring you get the full ranking power of every local citation you earn.
What does it mean if it goes up or down? You always want to be gaining local citations. Auditing your local citations for accuracy is the key here – inaccurate info is the problem.
We Can Help
Local search can be a frustrating marketing strategy, but it doesn’t have to be! MyAdvice created Local Power to help businesses like yours hone their local SEO. Contact one of our digital marketing experts today for a complimentary consultation.
