Understanding how your website performs in Google search results is essential for small to medium-sized business owners. If you want to grow your visibility online and attract the right local customers, you need to track the right keywords, monitor their performance, and use the right tools to measure success.
Know what keywords matter
The foundation of any successful SEO strategy starts with understanding what keywords you need to rank for. These aren’t just industry buzzwords – they are the actual phrases your potential customers are typing into Google to find your products or services.
Think in terms of:
- What you do (e.g. electrician, hairdresser, cafe)
- Where you do it (e.g. Geelong, Hobart, Torquay)
This is the essence of local SEO – it’s about showing up in Google when someone nearby searches for what you offer. That’s very different to national SEO, which targets broader, often more competitive search terms.
GOOP Digital can help you refine a keyword list that reflects your business offering and location. Getting this right is the first step.
Use keyword tracking tools
Once you know your target keywords, the next step is to monitor how they rank over time. A simple and effective tool for this is SEO PowerSuite’s Rank Tracker, which lets you:
- Track your rankings in Google
- Compare performance across different locations
- Monitor keyword trends over time
There are other tools available, too, like Ubersuggest and SERanking, but Rank Tracker offers an excellent balance between functionality and cost, making it ideal for regional businesses.
When you monitor your keywords regularly, you gain insight into what’s working and what needs adjusting. But it only works if you track the right keywords. Common pitfalls include:
- Focusing on keywords that are too broad or competitive
- Confusing high traffic volume with relevance
- Ignoring location-specific search behaviour
If you’re unsure if your keywords are effective, GOOP Digital can audit your current list and provide guidance.
Make sure GA4 is set up on your website
The final piece of the puzzle is tracking what happens once users actually land on your site. This is where Google Analytics 4 (GA4) comes in.
GA4 allows you to:
- Track where your website visitors come from
- See which pages get the most engagement
- Understand what actions users take (calls, form submissions, clicks)
Without GA4 installed, you’re flying blind. You can’t measure the impact of your SEO efforts or see if your keyword strategy is driving meaningful traffic.
At GOOP Digital, we make sure all websites we build or manage have GA4 fully embedded and correctly configured.
Don’t guess, track, and improve
Knowing your keywords, tracking their performance, and analysing your site data through GA4 are non-negotiable if you want your website to work harder for your business.
If you’re a small business in Geelong or Hobart, now is the time to take keyword tracking seriously. Local SEO isn’t about tricking Google – it’s about being found by real people looking for what you do, in the places you operate.
Need help getting your keywords right or tracking them properly?
GOOP Digital specialises in local SEO and digital marketing strategies that make sense (and make money). Contact us today to get started.