Local SEO is one of the best ways to ensure your business connects with its target audience. It’s essential for any business aiming to thrive and grow in the digital landscape.
To boost their marketing game, many businesses use a variety of local SEO tools. These tools are invaluable for marketers and business owners aiming to climb up the local search rankings, attract more online visitors, and increase conversions.
With so many options available, it can be challenging to find the best local SEO tools tailored to your business needs. This article dives into the top local SEO tools and discovers what makes them stand out, helping your business achieve new heights.
Finding The Best Local SEO Tools
Choosing the correct local SEO platform is critical for the success of your digital marketing campaigns. Most consumers have searched online for a local business more than six times in the last year – 88% have read reviews to determine the quality of a local business.
1. Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile, which used to be called Google My Business, is available for businesses looking to manage their online visibility on Google Search and Maps. It’s a go-to local SEO tool that allows businesses to set up and fine-tune their listings, making it easier for potential customers to find relevant info about their products, services, and physical locations.
Google Business Profile Pros
- Encourages interaction with potential clients through post updates.
- Increases traffic to your site significantly.
- Allows you to establish and control your Google business listings.
- Makes it easier for customers to find your business’s location.
- Allows customers to share their reviews, enhancing your brand’s reputation.
- Offers valuable analytics on customer engagement with the business listing.
Google Business Profile Cons
- Filtering spam and fraudulent reviews may harm a company’s credibility.
- Adjustments to Google’s search algorithms make it challenging for business owners to keep up and adapt.
Pricing: Free service by Google
2. SEMrush
SEMrush is a top-notch digital marketing tool that’s been around since 2008. It’s packed with features to help businesses boost their online game, dig into what the competition’s doing, and fine-tune their marketing strategies.
Nowadays, it’s the first choice for marketers, SEO pros, content creators, and business owners who want to step up their digital marketing game.
SEMrush Pros
- Enables users to find long-tail phrases and related keywords.
- Analyses a website’s technical status and recommends on-page SEO improvements with the local SEO audit tool.
- Provides tools to facilitate content generation and optimisation.
- Allows users to observe their competitors’ top-performing ads and analyse their ad strategy.
SEMrushCons
- Its advanced features may only be available with higher-tier plans, making it less economical for some users.
- SEMrush’s data might not always be reliable or up-to-date.
- The local SEO feature is more restricted compared to other local SEO programs.
Price: Starts at $20/month
3. Moz Local
Moz, a leading name in search engine optimisation, has unveiled Moz Local — a powerful local SEO management tool. With Moz Local, businesses can easily manage their listings across various online directories, search engines, and social media, enhancing their visibility in local search results.
Moz Local Pros
- Simplifies the process of creating and maintaining accurate business listings.
- Examines a company’s local search performance to enhance rankings.
- Ensures the consistent online availability of business information.
- Provides comprehensive reports and insights into local search performance.
Moz Local Cons
- Moz may not include all specialised or sector-specific directories.
- Conflicts in data aggregator databases may impact the accuracy of listings across directories.
- Verifying listings on certain directories can prove laborious and time-consuming.
- Identifying and consolidating duplicate listings can pose a challenge.
- Updates made through Moz Local may take time to propagate across all platforms.
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Price: Starts at $14/month
4. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a widely recognized and popular automated local SEO tool packed with a comprehensive set of features. It’s essential for businesses and marketers looking to boost their SEO efforts. Since its launch in 2010, Ahrefs has become the go-to tool for link building, competitor insights, and website analysis.
Ahrefs Pros
- Provides a vast backlink database for analysing your own and competitors’ profiles.
- Assists in discovering trending content through social media shares, backlinks, and search traffic.
- Includes a comprehensive tool for evaluating technical website health.
- Tracks search engine rankings for target keywords over time.
Ahrefs Cons
- Ahrefs can prove expensive, particularly for individuals or small organisations.
- Its crawling frequency might be less frequent than that of some other SEO tools.
- There are slight delays in indexing new terms and receiving recent keyword data.
- It does not offer an automatic connection with Google Analytics.
Price: Starts at $20/month
5. Whitespark
Whitespark is a respected and well-known supplier of SEO tools and services. Whitespark’s main goal is to assist companies in enhancing their local search exposure and ranks on websites like Google Maps and local search results.
Whitespark Pros
- Enables businesses to track local search engine results for specific keywords.
- Provides tailored suggestions and guidance to optimise local search efforts.
- Offers a citation development service for creating accurate and consistent business citations.
Whitespark Cons
- Focusing on local SEO only partially serves companies targeting a larger clientele.
- Users require assistance in keeping up with the dynamic nature of SEO using a single tool.
- Overemphasising citation building may divert attention from other critical SEO aspects.
Price: Starts at $20/month
6. BrightLocal
BrightLocal is a popular local SEO checker that helps businesses boost their presence in local search results. It offers a range of features and services to assist companies in managing their online reputation and improving their local search visibility.
BrightLocal Pros
- Helps businesses generate accurate and consistent local citations
- Simplifies the process of managing business listings across multiple directories
- Enables companies to monitor local search rankings across multiple locations
- Offers an API for larger enterprises to interact with other systems and applications
BrightLocal Cons
- BrightLocal may not be the best fit for companies targeting a larger audience.
- Updates to search engine algorithms may temporarily affect rankings and data.
- Different SEO factors may vary, resulting in data that is only sometimes 100% accurate.
Price: Starts at $29/month
7. Yext
Yext is a popular platform for handling digital information. They offer tools and services that help businesses manage their online presence, local SEO, and digital marketing efforts. With Yext, companies can seamlessly control their web footprint and effectively reach their target audiences online.
Yext Pros
- Provides a centralised platform for businesses to manage their digital knowledge.
- Enables businesses to optimise their local SEO efforts efficiently.
- Assists businesses in implementing schema markup.
Yext Cons
- Switching to an alternative approach in the future may prove challenging.
- Occasional issues with duplicate listings or unreliable information exist.
Price: Starts at $4/week
8. Synup
Synup, a digital marketing software company, provides local businesses with tools to effectively manage their online presence, reputation, and customer engagement.
While many SEO tools might offer broad functionalities covering various aspects of SEO, Synup specialises in the unique challenges that local businesses face when trying to improve their online presence.
Synup Pros
- Offers reporting and local SEO analysis to monitor your SEO effectiveness.
- Helps businesses generate citations on reliable directories.
- Allows firms to manage and schedule social media postings across various platforms.
Synup Cons
- Synup may not offer all social media sites.
- Smaller companies may encounter challenges in fully utilising the platform.
- Its reporting capabilities are lacking compared to other programs.
Price: Starts at $30/month
9. Local Falcon
Local Falcon focuses on detailed local search tracking, offering a unique and specialised take on local SEO. Its primary function is to mimic Google Maps searches using specific keywords and locations to see how a business ranks in different areas.
Local Falcon Pros
- Monitors search ranks based on specific areas.
- Runs simulations to visualise how the business appears in local searches.
- Tracks competitors and assesses local search visibility.
- Provides historical tracking information to evaluate local SEO efforts over time.
Local Falcon Cons
- Some organisations might find the tool too complex.
- It leaves gaps in local search visibility on other well-known search engines.
- Stale or erroneous data can result in inaccurate rankings and results.
Price: Starts at $24.99/month
10. Local Viking
The primary objective of Local Viking is to simplify Google Business Profile’s management and give companies tools to improve their local web presence. It provides businesses with physical locations that rank higher in SERPs to help attract nearby customers.
Local Viking Pros
- Manages multiple Google Business Profile listings from one dashboard.
- Schedules Google Business Profile posts in advance.
- Monitors client feedback and receives alerts for new reviews.
- Allows access to tailored features for SABs to control their web presence.
- Tracks your local SEO outcomes.
Local Viking Cons
- Manages other local directories and platforms through its functionality.
- The abundance of capabilities may overwhelm businesses with simpler needs.
- Using it in areas with unreliable internet access can be challenging.
Price: Starts at $39/month
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Local SEO Tool
Think about the following things before making a choice:
- Local Keyword Research: The local SEO software should have powerful local keyword research capabilities. You should be able to utilise it to locate relevant search terms that locals use to look for goods and services in your area.
- Local Rank Tracking: A decent local SEO tool should enable you to monitor your position in search results for geographically targeted keywords. It should enable you to evaluate the success of your SEO efforts by displaying how your rankings evolve.
- On-Page Optimisation Analysis: Analysis of on-page SEO elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content optimisation for local relevance should be included in the tool. It must have recommendations for enhancements.
- Local Competitor and Backlink Analysis: Search for a tool that can examine the SEO tactics used by your local competition and your backlink profile to improve your overall SEO performance.
- Local Review Management: The SEO tool should help you monitor and reply to customer reviews on various platforms to keep a positive online reputation.
- User-Friendly Interface and Reports: The SEO software should have an intuitive user interface and offer concise, actionable reports that are simple to share with clients or other team members.
- Pricing and Scalability: Take into account both the size of your firm and your budget. Select a tool that meets your needs and can develop with your company as it grows.
- Customer Support and Training: Verify whether customer support and training resources are available. An active support staff can be helpful if you run into any problems or require assistance utilising the programme correctly.
- User Testimonials: To learn more about the effectiveness and dependability of the product, read user reviews and ask for suggestions from colleagues in the business.
Final Thoughts
Your company’s online visibility, organic reach, and overall success can be significantly influenced by selecting the right local SEO tool. The right tool can position businesses at the forefront of the digital landscape, bolstering their online visibility and effectively reaching their local customers.
To find the optimal local SEO solution, businesses should conduct thorough research, seek expert recommendations, and explore various options.
Ultimately, a well-chosen local SEO tool can be a game-changer. It empowers businesses to stand out in local markets, connect with their target audience effectively, and thrive in today’s digital era.If you’re in search of a trustworthy SEO partner, look no further than Digital Estate. Reach out to us today to discover more about what we offer.