Story Based Question
You’re the digital marketing manager for a chain of local coffee shops, and you’ve been focusing on optimizing for voice search, especially for location-specific keywords like “best coffee near me” or “coffee shop in [City Name]”. You’ve implemented a solid strategy with local SEO, but you’re unsure how well these keywords are actually performing in voice search. You want to track how these location-specific voice searches are influencing your rankings and conversions.
You ask yourself: “How do I track the performance of location-specific keywords in voice search?”
Exact Answer
To track the performance of location-specific keywords in voice search, use tools like Google Search Console, monitor local rankings, track conversion rates from location-based voice queries, analyze user behavior with Google Analytics, and leverage specialized local SEO tools like Moz Local or BrightLocal.
Explanation
Tracking the performance of location-specific keywords in voice search involves more than just knowing your rankings—it’s about understanding user behavior, conversions, and how your content is performing in voice-driven local searches. Here’s how you can get a clearer picture:
- Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides valuable data on how your pages are performing in organic search, including voice search. You can track the number of impressions, clicks, and average positions for queries, including location-based searches.- Action: Look at queries with location-specific terms like “coffee shop in [City Name]” to see if your site is appearing for those searches. This will give you a direct link between voice search behavior and site performance.
- Monitor Local Rankings
Since voice searches are often location-based, tracking local rankings is key. You can use local SEO tools to track where your pages rank for specific voice search queries, particularly those with location-based keywords.- Action: Use local SEO tools like Moz Local, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to track keyword performance in specific cities or regions. These tools allow you to monitor your website’s visibility for location-based voice search queries.
- Track Conversion Rates from Location-Based Voice Queries
Conversion rates give you insight into how well your location-specific keywords are driving valuable actions (like store visits or online orders). If voice search queries like “coffee shop near me” lead to more foot traffic or online sales, that’s a good indicator of success.- Action: Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics to measure how location-specific voice searches translate into actions such as clicks on your store locator, online orders, or contact form submissions.
- Analyze User Behavior with Google Analytics
You can track how users from different locations interact with your site by analyzing user behavior. This helps determine if the people who found you through voice search are engaging with your content and converting.- Action: Set up goals and segments in Google Analytics to track how users from specific locations engage with your site. Focus on metrics like bounce rate, pages per session, and average session duration to gauge the quality of traffic.
- Leverage Specialized Local SEO Tools
There are tools designed specifically for tracking local SEO performance, which includes tracking the performance of voice search queries with location-specific keywords. Tools like BrightLocal, Whitespark, or Yext provide detailed reports on local rankings and can help you understand your performance across multiple locations.- Action: Use BrightLocal’s Local Search Rank Checker or similar tools to track where your business ranks for specific voice searches in different cities or regions.
Example
Let’s say you manage a chain of coffee shops in multiple cities, and you’ve optimized your website to show up for location-specific queries like “coffee near me” or “best coffee shop in [City Name]”. Here’s how you would apply these tracking methods:
Step 1: Use Google Search Console
After running some reports in Google Search Console, you find that your website is getting impressions for the query “best coffee near me” in specific locations. You can see how often your page appears for these queries and whether the click-through rates (CTR) are high.
- Action: You notice a drop in clicks for the query “best coffee in [City Name]”, so you decide to optimize your content further to target that specific city better.
Step 2: Monitor Local Rankings
Using Moz Local, you track how well your business ranks for queries like “coffee shop in [City Name]”. You discover that while your rankings are solid in one city, they are weaker in another.
- Action: To improve in the second city, you focus on adding more locally relevant content and update your Google My Business profile for better local SEO.
Step 3: Track Conversion Rates
You set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics and track how location-based voice search queries lead to conversions like store visits or online orders. You find that users searching for “coffee near me” are more likely to visit your store’s page and make an online order.
- Action: You create a more user-friendly store locator page and highlight special promotions for local customers, aiming to increase conversions from these voice searches.
Step 4: Analyze User Behavior
In Google Analytics, you set up a segment for users from specific regions and track how they engage with your content. You notice that users searching with a location in their voice queries spend more time on your location pages than those coming from generic searches.
- Action: You optimize these location pages further with more localized content, such as local reviews, neighborhood descriptions, and community involvement.
Step 5: Leverage Specialized Local SEO Tools
You also use BrightLocal to get a more granular view of your local rankings and see how you compare to competitors for voice searches like “best coffee near me”.
- Action: You identify some areas where competitors are ranking higher, so you work on acquiring more local backlinks and improving your Google My Business profile to boost your rankings.
Tracking the performance of location-specific keywords in voice search requires a combination of tools and strategies to measure both visibility and engagement. By using Google Search Console, monitoring local rankings, tracking conversion rates, analyzing user behavior with Google Analytics, and leveraging specialized local SEO tools, you can gain valuable insights into how your location-based voice search optimization is performing. Regularly tracking these metrics helps you refine your strategy for better results.