Blog Post

If you’re investing time (and probably some money) into local SEO, you need to know whether it’s actually working. Otherwise, you’re just tossing tactics into the void and hoping something sticks.

I don’t like guessing. I like data. And when it comes to local search performance, the right tracking setup tells me what’s effective, what needs a fix, and where the next win is hiding.

Let me walk you through how I track and measure local SEO performance in a way that’s smart, sustainable, and won’t require a second monitor just to view your dashboard.

• What metrics actually matter for local SEO
  
• The tools I use to track performance (without overwhelm)
  
• How I tie data to real business results
  
• Mistakes I see—and how to avoid them
  
• My simple, repeatable tracking schedule
  

This part’s often skipped, but it’s everything.

I always start by defining what success looks like. More calls? More map views? More form submissions from local users?

Once I know the goal, I can choose what to track. I don’t track everything—just the metrics that tie directly to what I want the business to achieve.

Because tracking everything? That’s a great way to understand nothing.

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) offers a goldmine of data, and it’s free.

Here’s what I monitor:

• Search views (both discovery and direct)
  
• Click-to-call actions
  
• Website clicks
  
• Direction requests
  

This data tells me not just how visible the business is—but how often people are taking action.

If you haven’t optimized your GBP yet, I laid out exactly how in this guide.

Yes, GA4 takes a bit of getting used to. But once you’ve got it set up, it’s powerful.

Here’s how I track local organic traffic:

• Filter traffic to show organic search only
  
• Use UTM parameters on links from your GBP profile
  
• Focus on geo-location filters to measure traffic from your target areas
  

Pro tip: compare traffic month-over-month and year-over-year to get a sense of growth beyond seasonal spikes.

Showing up in the Local 3-Pack (that map result near the top of Google)? That’s prime digital real estate.

I track:

• Where my business shows up for key local terms
  
• How often my listing appears
  
• Which listings get clicked
  

Tools like BrightLocal or Whitespark help here. And if you’re not sure how to boost your visibility in the pack, take a look at my Map Pack guide.

Side note: If you’re showing up on page two, congrats! That’s where your competitors stop checking.

Tracking keywords isn’t about showing off. It’s about relevance.

I focus on:

• Local intent keywords (“plumber near me” or “SEO services in Austin”)
  
• Service + location terms
  
• Brand terms vs. discovery keywords
  

My local keyword guide goes deeper on this, but in short—rankings matter when they drive traffic. Not just when they look impressive in a report.

Reviews help with visibility, but they also build trust with searchers. I track:

• Total review count
  
• Average rating
  
• Review velocity (how often new reviews come in)
  
• Response rate
  

The more positive, recent reviews I get, the better my profile performs. Want more of them? Here’s how I consistently generate local reviews.

This one’s not glamorous, but it matters.

NAP = Name, Address, Phone Number. Google needs these to be consistent across directories.

I check:

• Major citation sites (Yelp, YellowPages, BBB, etc.)
  
• Local business directories
  
• Industry-specific listings
  

I use Semrush and Moz Local to audit and clean them up. Even small mismatches can throw off local rankings. More on that right here.

Traffic is great. But what about conversions?

In GA4, I track:

• Phone call clicks
  
• Form submissions
  
• Direction requests
  
• Appointment bookings (if applicable)
  

This is where I connect SEO to ROI. If local traffic increases but conversions don’t, I dig deeper into user behavior or keyword intent.

I like simple.

I use Looker Studio to create a clean report showing:

• GBP actions
  
• Traffic trends
  
• Map visibility
  
• Keyword ranking shifts
  
• Conversion numbers
  
• Review growth
  

I update it monthly so I’m not relying on memory (or hoping I saved last month’s screenshot).

Here’s my schedule:

• Weekly: Quick check on key ranking terms and review alerts
  
• Monthly: Deep dive into traffic, conversions, and map pack visibility
  
• Quarterly: NAP/citation audit, tool stack review, competitor analysis
  

Daily? Nope. That’s how you get ulcers.

Let me save you some headaches:

• Tracking rankings and ignoring conversions
  
• Forgetting to tag links in GBP
  
• Ignoring mobile vs. desktop differences
  
• Only tracking online conversions (offline ones matter too)
  

The goal is clarity, not complexity.

Tracking your local SEO performance doesn’t need to be complicated—but it does need to be consistent.

I use tracking to guide strategy, make smart decisions, and avoid wasting time on what’s not working. And when something’s off? The data tells me where to look and what to fix.

Because in the end, visibility is great—but results pay the rent.