Rank tracking tools for SEO make your small business visible on search engines. It’s SHOWTIME for your business! Since it’s almost Halloween, we thought we’d have some Beetlejuice kind of fun to help you improve your search volume with the right rank tracking tools. Read on REBELS…
The Best Rank Tracking Tools for SEO: It’s SHOWTIME for Your Local Business
- Google Business Profile
- Bright Local
- Moz Local
- Yext
- Semrush
- Whitespark
- Local Viking
No, you’re not dead… just hidden from local search
Let’s fix that, Local Business REBELS!
Imagine you’re Lydia Deetz: talented, creative, running a small shop or service in your town. But when someone nearby searches “best ___ near me,” your business is as invisible as a poltergeist. Local SEO tools are like Beetlejuice’s sandworms: they dig up what’s buried, scare off the competition, and make you noticeable in Google Maps, Search, directories, etc. And just like that, rank tracking tools make sure you stay visible once you’ve surfaced.
This article is for small business owners who DIY their SEO: you don’t have a huge budget, probably wear many hats, and want tools that give a big bang without needing to summon help from beyond.
Top Tools to Rise from the Google Search Grave
Here are specific rank tracking tools for your DIY SEO, like the specters summoned to help with your technical SEO. We’ve included examples for uses, strengths & drawbacks so you can decide which rank tracking tools will have the biggest impact for your business.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
What it does:
Imagine Google Business Profile as your handbook for navigating the mysterious afterlife of local search. It’s where you get to decide how your business appears when nearby customers, whether living or ectoplasmic, search on Google Maps and Search. Much like how the Maitlands used their handbook to understand their ghostly existence, GBP is your go-to guide for optimizing your local presence.
Example use:
Think of a local café channeling its inner Lydia Deetz, logging in to its GBP to share enchanting daily specials through posts, ensuring hours are up-to-date (especially when holidays roll around like oversized sandworms), and responding to reviews diligently to accumulate those coveted stars. By optimizing their GBP, a business like SearchLogistics can see around a 50% increase in new patronage, almost like the living seeking entry at the Netherworld’s waiting room.
Pros:
- Free with High Impact: Much like the handbook costing the Maitlands absolutely nothing, GBP is free yet incredibly potent in local search.
- Direct Control: Just as if you had the guide’s instructions, you have direct control over information, a key factor Google values in local search rankings.
Cons:
- Manual/ Repetitive: Rereading the handbook’s fine print can be a chore. Similarly, managing GBP manually can be repetitive and time-consuming.
- Limited Beyond Basics: Just as the handbook didn’t cover every supernatural situation, GBP needs additional tools to address multi-location or advanced strategic needs.
Embarking on employing Google Business Profile for your small business is like summoning Beetlejuice… you have the chance to make a big impact in your locale with this fundamental tool, especially when paired with rank tracking tools to measure results.
BrightLocal
What it does:
Think of BrightLocal as your trusty handbook for navigating the afterlife of local SEO, complete with built-in rank tracking tools that reveal how you’re performing. Much like Beetlejuice guides you through his bizarre world, this tool is your guide for citation building, review tracking, local rank tracking, and auditing Google Business Profiles (GBP) and directories with ease.
Example use:
If your business information is scattered across directories like a lost soul, BrightLocal will point you in the right direction, showing which details are amiss or absent, and its rank tracking tools reveal exactly where you stand in search results. Search engines will respond accordingly. And for businesses scattered across different neighborhoods, it’s like having a map of the netherworld, allowing you to compare rankings location by location.
Real-world note:
When you’re juggling multiple locations and feel like you’re in a chaotic afterlife, tools like BrightLocal are a lifeline for managing listings and ensuring real-time updates. It’s the little black book that helps keep everything organized.
Pros:
Like Beetlejuice’s flair for surprises, BrightLocal is a comprehensive tool, cost-effective with impressive dashboards and reports. It highlights where your listings need work and serves as a great ally for DIY SEO endeavors.
Cons:
Reminiscent of Beetlejuice’s unpredictable nature, some features are reserved for higher-priced plans. Additionally, the accuracy of data can vary based on sources, and tracking georanks for several ZIP codes or micro-areas can become a costly venture.
Moz Local
What it does:
Imagine Moz Local as a meticulous bio-exorcist ensuring that your business’s ghost doesn’t haunt incorrect listings and directories. Just as Beetlejuice handles bothersome living nuisances, Moz Local tackles chaotic NAP inconsistencies, duplicate business listings, and performs citation cleanups with technical SEO precision.
Example use:
Consider a dentist’s office using Moz Local to project the correct business information to all major data aggregators, ensuring there are no spectral errors in listings that might confuse Google Search or wayward customers.
Real-world usage:
Tools like Moz Local are often summoned alongside others like BrightLocal or Yext, especially when you need consistency combined with rank tracking tools for SEO clarity. Think of it as assembling the neitherworld’s Local SEO Dominator team by covering all bases from listing consistency to rank traction.
Pros:
Admired for its robust directory coverage and supportive customer service. Its interface is like walking through a haunted house, but with labeled exits, very intuitive. It’s particularly effective in conducting a thorough listing audit, though pairing it with rank tracking tools ensures your visibility gains are measurable.
Cons:
It might not have the extravagant features of some spectral counterparts, less so for comprehensive review management or high-level keyword tracking. Also, its prowess diminishes slightly when it comes to hyperlocal rank tracking at a neighborhood level. Nevertheless, Moz Local is a reliable tool in the spectral toolbox for DIY SEO enthusiasts, though pairing it with dedicated rank tracking tools strengthens the strategy.
Yext
What it does:
Just like Beetlejuice promises a chaotic yet effective boost from the afterlife, Yext offers powerful, enterprise-scale solutions for local SEO. It’s excellent for centralized listing updates and ensuring consistency across platforms, akin to the iconic stripes of Beetlejuice running through your marketing strategies.
Example use:
Consider a chain of retail stores needing uniformity in hours, photos, and menus across multiple directories and platforms. Yext acts as your mischievous assistant, pulling all the strings behind the scenes to manage that seamlessly. Search engines hate to be confused, so your DIY SEO will love this one!
Pros:
Highly scalable with robust listing control, it boasts strong integrations and reliable support. Like Beetlejuice’s unpredictable help, it can dramatically lift your technical SEO performance when combined with strong rank tracking tools.
Cons:
It can be more expensive, akin to hiring Beetlejuice himself. Some users feel they’re “paying for something we could partially DIY,” much like summoning a ghost when a bit of elbow grease could suffice. However, with Yext, search queries are guided straight to your ‘promised land’ of visibility, and pairing it with rank tracking tools shows how far you’ve come.
SEMrush
What it does:
Broad SEO platform with strong local SEO tools: local rank tracking; keyword research tools (shows keyword difficulty) with geo filters; competitor analysis; site audits.
Example use:
Suppose you’re a plumber in two nearby towns. SEMrush lets you see what keywords people use in each town (e.g., “plumber near me,” “emergency plumber [town name]”), see which competitors are ranking for them, and its robust rank tracking tools show your progress against local competitors over time.
Imagine SEMrush as the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” for your business. Just as the handbook advises Beetlejuice’s fellow afterlifers on how to navigate their ghostly existence, SEMrush guides you through the intricate maze of local SEO. It provides all the essential information to ensure your business doesn’t get lost in the abyss of search results, but instead, stands out among the living competition.
Real-world usage:
SEMrush is often recommended among “best local SEO tools,” especially when you need keyword research, rank tracking tools, and competitive intelligence.
Pros:
Very feature-rich; good integration; allows you to see broader trends and competitor moves, plus its rank tracking tools help you measure every step along the way..
Cons:
Learning curve; cost adds up; some local tools (listings, reviews) might be weaker / require add-ons or other tools to match specialized tools.
Whitespark
What it does:
Just like Beetlejuice, who discovered and exploited all the nooks and crannies of the netherworld, Whitespark excels in uncovering citation opportunities, building local links, and tracking local ranks from beyond the search grave. It helps you find directories where your business is missing, boosting your authority and consistency overall.
Example use:
Imagine you’re the ghost with the most: a small landscaping business owner. By using Whitespark’s Citation Finder, you can uncover a haunting list of local directories where you should make an appearance, ensuring your business doesn’t vanish into oblivion. Clean up those inconsistent citations discovered in audits, much like tidying up the spooky afterlife shenanigans.
Real-world note:
Just as Beetlejuice is a legend in the world of mischievous apparitions, Whitespark is heralded as one of the top tools for managing citations and listings, and when paired with other rank tracking tools, it becomes even more powerful. Call it your local SEO dominator.
Pros:
Whitespark is exceptional at digging up hidden citation opportunities and building local links, making it a household (or haunted house) name for listing cleanup. It enjoys a solid reputation that’s hard to exorcise from the local SEO realm.
Cons:
It’s not as all-encompassing as a full-blown séance; Whitespark needs partners in crime for rank tracking and review management. Some citation building may require good old-fashioned manual efforts after discovery, but the insights from rank tracking tools will highlight whether those efforts are paying off.
Local Viking
What it does:
Channel your inner “Bio-Exorcist” like Beetlejuice and navigate the afterlife of learning local SEO with specialized tools akin to sandworms helping you outmaneuver competitors across multiple dimensions. Local Viking lets you summon geo-grids to visualize ranking, provides maps for visibility, and offers a canvas for scheduling posts and managing photos.
Example use:
Imagine being a spectral restaurateur floating over a town. A regional restaurant chain, like your spectral haunt in varied locales, uses Local Viking to spy visibility across town, “north side” vs “south side” for “best tacos near me.” It’s perfect for zeroing in on those pesky weak spots, especially with its geo-based rank tracking tools, just as Beetlejuice would for his next mischief.
Real-world mention:
Much like Mr. Betelgeuse’s unorthodox assistance, Chaz Edward employs Local Viking to delve into competitor insights and craft local optimization strategies, as seen on chazedward.com. Knowing what your target audience is looking for will help you reach your desired search volume.
Pros:
Perfect for that ghostly hyperlocal view; ideal for businesses haunting multiple locations with its strong visual aids; its geo-focused rank tracking tools make it a grave time-saver for scheduling those phantom posts and eerie photos.
Cons:
May be too specialized, like conjuring Beetlejuice for minor haunts, as some businesses might never need such precise ghostly granularity; cost can haunt your budget if juggling many locations; some overlapping scary tools with other SEO tools.
Other search engine optimization tools worth mentioning…
- Search Atlas — for small business all-in-one, including keyword research + GBP tasks.
- GMBBriefcase — good if you want a lightweight tool focused more exclusively on GBP tasks and reports.
- GeoRanker etc. — for more advanced/local rank & keyword geo-filtering, etc.
For our dedicated local business REBELS…
Here are some actionable steps you can put to work over the next quarter that will make you want to break into a spontaneous dance number around the dinner table!
Don’t Get Stuck On Saturn — Put Your Plan in Action!
Just like Lydia, you want people to see what you’ve built, acknowledge you, respect you, maybe even call you. Using the right local SEO tools helps your business get summoned in search results instead of staying hidden.
Here’s a mini action plan:
- Tonight: Claim/optimize your Google Business Profile (if not done).
- This week: Audit your listings (use a tool like Moz Local, BrightLocal, or Whitespark) to fix inconsistencies.
- This month: Pick one of the best rank tracking tools (or upgrade what you have) to see how you perform across neighborhoods / ZIP codes, and start monitoring reviews actively.
- Quarterly: Review competitors; update content & keywords locally; keep NAP info consistent (especially if you move, change hours, etc.).
Use the tools that match your pain points and scale. You don’t need all of them, just the right ones. And remember: once you start showing up in “near me” searches, tracked consistently through rank tracking tools, people will finally see you.
Robert & Liz, RebelFish Local CoFounders, doing local volunteer work.
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