As a digital marketing agency, we help clients navigate the complexities of local SEO daily. This blog post is a culmination of our expertise and experience, and its goal is to empower businesses like yours to optimize their local SEO strategies. We’ll introduce you to the top tools we use to help our clients effectively reach their target audience in their local markets.
These tools have proven effective for local SEO-related and driving local traffic. Then, we’ll tell you how to approach choosing tools so that you can even venture outside of our list. So, let’s explore together and elevate your local SEO game!
Ranq-ing our top picks for the best local SEO tools of 2024
There are many tools on the market. The ones below have been meticulously evaluated and ranked based on their performance, features, and user feedback by our SEO experts:
BrightLocal — Best local SEO audit tool
This is a comprehensive tool for local SEO, citations, and review management and offers a range of tools to help businesses of all sizes improve their local SEO. We like it for its ability to audit every aspect of local SEO in minutes.
Whether detecting SEO issues that need fixing or pointing out the best untapped opportunities to improve results, BrightLocal does the job well. It also has an extensive library of free online resources for anyone looking to learn local SEO and how to navigate their product. Let’s explore some of its key features:
Key features
- Local rank tracking: BrightLocal is excellent for local rank tracking reports that show you how your business is showing up in the local SERPs.
- Review monitoring: Monitors reviews and provides tools to help display the best ones on your website.
- Citation tracking: Monitor and manage your business citations across online directories to ensure consistent and accurate information.
- Competitor Analysis: Gain insights into the local SEO strategies of your competitors, allowing you to stay ahead in the competitive landscape.
Pricing
BrightLocal offers a variety of plans to cater to different needs. The ‘Track Plan’ is priced at $39 per month and offers essential local SEO tools, including local rank tracking, citation auditing, and competitor insights. This is the one to go for if you’re just starting.
The ‘Manage Plan’ costs $49 per month and includes everything in the Track plan, plus listings management and the ability to schedule Google My Business (GMB) posts. Next comes the ‘Grow Plan’ at $59 per month, and it includes everything in the Manage plan, plus review management features.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive local SEO tools
- In-depth reporting
- Straightforward pricing
- Great customer support
- Extensive library of learning resources
Cons:
- Learning curve
- Offers fewer insights into Google My Business
Semrush Listing Management — Best free local SEO tool
This is another of our favorites and offers a comprehensive solution for managing a local online presence. We love it as it allows businesses to distribute their data automatically to the best directories and even make it voice search-ready.
Semrush Listing Management also provides insights into local search performance and helps monitor customer reviews. Plus, it integrates pretty neatly with other Semrush tools, which makes life easy. Let’s look at a few key features:
Key features
- Business listing management: Manage business information across multiple online directories, including Facebook, Google, Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, and many more from a centralized platform.
- Automatic NAP management: Allows businesses to update their Name, Address, Phone number) listings from a single location.
- Review monitoring: Keep track of customer reviews and ratings across various platforms to maintain a positive online reputation.
- Google business profile integration: Allows you to rank higher on maps.
Pricing
There are two Semrush listing management pricing plans. The Basic plan costs $20 per month per location, and the Premium plan costs $40 per month per location. These prices are in addition to a paid Semrush subscription.
The premium plan gets you everything that the Basic plan offers, with additional features like tracking Google Maps rankings with Heatmap, responding to Google reviews with AI suggestions, and analyzing competitor reviews.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- There is a free trial version.
- Seamlessly integrate with other Semrush tools.
- Offers data on competitors’ local SEO strategies
Cons:
- The free version is quite limited
- The cost of subscription is relatively high
- Learning curve
Moz Local SEO Tool — Best local listing tool alternative
If you think Semrush is pricey, this one is an effective alternative to the Semrush Listing management tool. Moz is known for its data accuracy, which also translates into its local SEO offering. It offers accurate business information management across directories, ensuring consistency for enhanced local search rankings.
Key features
Here are a few of its key features:
- Business listing management: Effectively manages business information across online directories, syncs listings, deletes duplications, and optimizes profiles.
- Comprehensive review and reputation management: Keep track of customer reviews and ratings across multiple platforms and get instant alerts for new reviews.
- Actionable insights: Receive actionable recommendations based on local SEO analysis.
Pricing
While you can get a free Moz listing score, you’ll need a paid plan for detailed insights. Moz Local has three plans. You can get started with the Lite plan at $14/month. This includes fundamental features such as listing management and review monitoring.
The preferred plan starts at $20/month and gives you all the essential features with reputation management and social posting. If you also want additional directory submissions, you can go for the Elite plan at $33/month.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great for listing management.
- Free listing score
- In-depth insights on local search position changes
Cons:
- Sometimes, listing updates take time.
- Doesn’t offer the best customer support.
Local Viking — Best tool for Google My Business listings
If you want to optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listings, you can’t go wrong with Local Viking. It enables businesses to manage and enhance their GMB profiles efficiently, ensuring accurate information across multiple locations.
We like it for its real-time tracking of GMB rankings, reviews, and user interactions, along with the actionable insights it provides. We also love its highly responsive customer support that’s always on standby to solve problems.
They also have a huge Facebook group that gives you access to community support. Let’s look at a few key features:
Key features
- Google My Business (GMB) management: Efficiently manage and optimize GMB listings for accurate and consistent business information.
- Real-time GMB tracking: Monitor GMB rankings, reviews, and user interactions in real time, allowing businesses to stay updated on their online presence.
- Scheduled GMB posts: Plan and schedule posts on GMB profiles, ensuring consistent and timely engagement with the target audience.
- User-friendly interface: Featuring an intuitive design, Local Viking offers a user-friendly platform accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Pricing
The Single plan starts at $39/month and allows management of 1 GMB listing with basic level keyword credits and GeoGrid credits. At $59/month, the starter pack will enable you to manage 10 GMB listings and expands on the credit limits.
The Pro, Agency, and Enterprise plans are meant for agencies and are priced at $99/month, $149/month, and $200/month. They offer white-label reporting and the GeoGrid widget, along with expanded limits. All the plans offer unlimited GMB posts.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Best for optimizing and managing Google My Business (GMB) listings.
- GeoGrid rank tracker.
- Great customer support.
Cons:
- No data aggregator
- It doesn’t offer review management
What you should know before choosing a local SEO tool
You can’t go wrong with the four tools listed above, but new tools are always coming out into the market. So, let’s dive into the essential considerations for making an informed choice when it comes to local SEO tools.
What is local SEO? What makes it unique?
Local SEO focuses on optimizing a business’s online presence for local searches. Its goal is to enhance visibility in location-based search results, which is crucial for attracting nearby customers.
It manages and optimizes local business listings, citations, and customer reviews. By tailoring content and strategies to specific geographic areas, local SEO allows businesses to connect with their local audience effectively, increasing foot traffic and engagement within the community.
What are the key local SEO analytics to track?
Knowing what to look for when undertaking local SEO is essential for tracking performance and improving strategies. Firstly, focus on monitoring local search rankings to gauge visibility. Track the volume and quality of customer reviews across platforms for reputation management.
Next, analyze website traffic from local searches and assess CTRs and engagement on Google My Business profiles. You should also carefully check the accuracy and consistency of business citations across directories.
What features do I need from local SEO reporting tools?
Here are the fundamental features to look for in a local SEO reporting tool:
- Listing management with emphasis on Google My Business optimization
- Reputation management with review monitoring and management
- Accurate ranking tracking across local search results
- Online directories and citation management and review
- Analytics on website traffic, conversion rates, and user engagement from local searches.
Should I just use free local SEO tools?
You can, but know that free local SEO tools offer basic functionalities and may limit your capabilities. Paid tools often provide advanced features, detailed analytics, and more accurate data, offering a comprehensive solution for businesses serious about local optimization.
If you do decide to stick with free tools, know that you may have to invest additional time manually managing your listings and reviews on different platforms. Investing in a paid tool can translate into more effective strategies, improved visibility, and better overall performance in local search results.
What if I don’t have time to monitor local listings?
If you don’t have the time to monitor local listings, consider the efficiency of outsourcing it to a dedicated service like Ranq. With Ranq’s local SEO expertise, you can relinquish the burden of local SEO management entirely and have the time to dedicate to other business considerations.
The best SEO tool for your business may not be a tool at all
Sometimes, the most effective SEO “tool” isn’t software but a skilled professional. So, if you don’t have the time to learn and do local SEO, the best solution may be to hand it over to experts. Not just any experts but an all-in-one SEO service that specializes in local SEO. Ranq is a full-scale digital marketing agency that offers end-to-end digital marketing solutions for all aspects of online presence optimization. Whether you need SEO or local SEO, Ranq has you covered. Explore all our client’s success stories and how we’ve been able to help them!