{"id":15394,"date":"2022-09-14T05:03:06","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T05:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/local-seo-guide-webceo-spcs\/463743\/"},"modified":"2022-09-14T05:03:06","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T05:03:06","slug":"the-15-step-local-seo-guide-how-to-find-hidden-opportunities-via-sejournal-brian_w_gareth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=15394","title":{"rendered":"The 15-Step Local SEO Guide: How To Find Hidden Opportunities via @sejournal, @Brian_W_Gareth"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Check For Google Penalties<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first step is the easiest place to look for a hidden opportunity to help skyrocket your rankings. Is your website currently under any penalties from Google?<\/p>\n

To check for penalties, your website needs to be connected to Google Search Console. If it isn\u2019t, you, or the site\u2019s owner, will have to connect and verify it first.<\/p>\n

Log into Google Search Console as the site owner and select the website you are auditing in Search property<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Screenshot from Google Search Console, August 2022<\/span><\/div>\n

Then, in the sidebar on the left, click on Security & Manual Actions<\/em> and choose Manual actions.<\/em><\/p>\n

Screenshot from Google Search Console, August 2022<\/span><\/div>\n

If it says, \u201cNo issues detected,\u201d great!<\/p>\n

If it says anything else, there\u2019s your first batch of problems to fix.<\/p>\n

2. Run A Keyword Audit<\/h2>\n

This is your first exciting dip into uncovering hidden opportunities with local SEO. There\u2019s a lot you can discover and improve within this step!<\/p>\n

For this step, you will need a list of keywords that you are trying to rank for.<\/p>\n

You can probably deduce some of those keywords on your own.<\/p>\n

For example, if you own a bakery shop in London<\/strong>, that\u2019s already one relevant keyword candidate \u2013 \u201cbakery shops in London\u201d.<\/p>\n

Once you have discovered your keywords, check them for two things:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Your current ranking with the keywords.<\/li>\n
  2. User search intent.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s start with discovering keyword rankings.<\/p>\n

    How To Discover Keyword Rankings<\/h3>\n

    First, you need to find out if your website appears on a search engine results page (SERP) at all. Your ultimate goal is to appear either on page 1 or in the 3-Pack.<\/p>\n

    You can try Googling the keywords from your keyword list one by one, but it will be faster to use an SEO tool<\/a> and check them all at once.<\/p>\n

    Screenshot from WebCEO.com, August 2022<\/span><\/div>\n

    Simply scan your site rankings in WebCEO\u2019s Rank Tracking tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Click on +Add Keywords.<\/em><\/li>\n
    2. Type in all the keywords you want to check.<\/li>\n
    3. Press Save<\/em> and Scan<\/em> to generate a report.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This tool\u2019s settings allow for scanning in specified locations, which is just what we need for local SEO.<\/p>\n

      It can even detect more interesting search results like the local pack, hotels, or Knowledge Panel.<\/p>\n

      Once you receive the report, look at the columns Position<\/em> and SERP;<\/em> they show where your site is ranking.<\/p>\n

      It also doesn\u2019t hurt to check the Local monthly searches<\/em> column, as it shows how often users type those keywords into Google.<\/p>\n

      If any of these columns aren\u2019t in the report, press the Manage columns<\/em> button to add them.<\/p>\n

      \"ScreenshotScreenshot from WebCEO.com, August 2022<\/span>\"Screenshot<\/div>\n

      Now, let\u2019s analyze your keywords for user search intent.<\/p>\n

      How To Discover Keyword Search Intent<\/h3>\n

      Search intent boils down to understanding what potential shoppers type into Google to get different results that match what they want.<\/p>\n

      For instance, a shopper might type in \u201cbuy blue iced baby boy sugar cookies in London\u201d \u2013 this type of search has a \u201cTransactional\u201d intent. You want to make sure your keywords leverage transactional or commercial intent.<\/p>\n

      So, ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n