How to Track Local SEO Performance: Tools, Metrics, and Best Practices

2. Use Google Business Profile Insights

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most critical local SEO assets. Google provides Insights to track how people find and interact with your profile.

Key GBP metrics to track:

• Views: How many times your listing appeared in search or Maps.

• Search Queries: Keywords customers used to find your business.

• Actions: Website visits, direction requests, phone calls.

• Photo Views: Comparison of your photos vs. competitors’.

• Customer Messages: If messaging is enabled.

These metrics show how visible and engaging your business is in local searches.

Pro Tip: Use GBP’s built-in filters to analyze performance by week, month, or quarter.

3. Set Up Google Analytics to Track Local Traffic

Google Analytics is crucial for understanding how local visitors interact with your website.

What to track:

• Traffic Sources: Determine how many visitors come from organic search.

• Landing Pages: Identify which location or service pages attract the most visits.

• Behavior Flow: See how users move through your site (e.g., homepage → location page → contact).

• Goal Conversions: Track form submissions, phone calls, bookings, or other leads.

You can also segment data by:

• City or Region (using Geo Reports)

• Device Type (many local searches come from mobile)

• New vs. Returning Visitors

Use UTM parameters on your Google Business Profile links to better track conversions originating from GBP.

4. Monitor Rankings with Local SEO Tools

Keyword rankings are a major local SEO signal. Unlike general SEO, local rankings vary based on the searcher’s location, so you need tools that simulate local searches.

Top tools for local rank tracking:

• BrightLocal

• Whitespark

• SEMrush (with local tracking)

• Ahrefs (via Position Tracker + Geo settings)

• Moz Local

Track your rankings for:

• City-specific keywords (e.g., “plumber in Austin”)

• Near-me searches (e.g., “coffee shop near me”)

• Branded searches (e.g., “Joe’s HVAC Dallas”)

Set up keyword groups by location if you serve multiple cities or branches.

5. Track Online Reviews and Reputation

Reviews affect both local rankings and customer trust. Tools that monitor reviews across platforms help you respond promptly and build a stronger reputation.

Metrics to monitor:

• Total number of reviews

• Average star rating

• Review growth over time

• Sentiment analysis

• Platform distribution (Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.)

Recommended tools:

• BirdEye

• Podium

• Trustpilot

• Reputation.com

Many tools also provide alerts so you can respond quickly to new or negative reviews.

6. Analyze Citation Consistency

Citations are online mentions of your business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP). Inconsistent citations confuse search engines and can hurt rankings.

Use citation tools to:

• Audit your existing citations

• Identify inconsistencies or duplicates

• Monitor NAP accuracy over time

• Track new citations and submissions

7. Monitor Backlinks to Local Pages

High-quality backlinks to your location-specific pages boost your local authority and help those pages rank higher.

Use backlink analysis tools like:

• Ahrefs

• SEMrush

• Majestic

• Moz Link Explorer

Track:

• The number of backlinks per location page

• Link quality and domain authority

• Anchor text relevance (e.g., “roofing contractor in Boston”)

• Referring domains from local sites or media

Set up alerts to track new backlinks and identify lost or broken links.

8. Track Conversions and Phone Calls

Traffic and rankings are great—but conversions are where SEO meets business results.

Trackable actions:

• Contact form submissions

• Newsletter signups

• Appointment bookings

• Phone calls (click-to-call)

How to track local SEO performance and conversions:

• Set up Goals in Google Analytics

• Use Google Tag Manager to track button clicks and events

• Implement call tracking software (e.g., CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics)

• Create unique call tracking numbers per location if needed

Link conversions to local pages and GBP listings to see which locations or strategies drive the best results.

9. Use Google Search Console for Local Keywords

Google Search Console shows how your website performs in search results, including impressions, clicks, and average positions.

Local SEO filters to apply:

• Queries with geo-modifiers (e.g., city names)

• Location-specific landing pages

• Devices (many local searches come from mobile)

• CTR (click-through rate) to gauge listing quality

Combine GSC data with Google Analytics to get a full picture of keyword performance and user behavior.

10. Create Local SEO Performance Dashboards

To avoid jumping between tools, build a custom local SEO dashboard to track everything in one place.

Tools to use:

• Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio)

• AgencyAnalytics

• DashThis

• SE Ranking

Include:

• GBP performance

• Local keyword rankings

• Traffic by location

• Conversions and leads

• Review metrics

• Citation status

You can create dashboards for each location or combine them to see overall trends and compare performance.

Final Thoughts

How to track local SEO performance is not just about watching your rankings—it’s about understanding how your visibility, reputation, and content contribute to real business results.

By using tools like Google Business Profile Insights, Google Analytics, Search Console, citation trackers, and review platforms, you can gather actionable data and continuously improve your local SEO strategy.

With the right metrics and systems in place, you’ll know exactly how your local SEO is performing—and what to do next to win more local customers.