A lot can change in a few years! When I wrote the original version of this post in January 2014, the local SEO industry did not have enough wealth of paid tools that now exist, and many of the free tools in my previous list were drawn out. It’s definitely time to fully update the most useful free tools, widgets and resources that I know to make marketing local businesses easier and better.
While all of the tools below are free, note that some of them will require you to register for access. Others are limited, inexpensive, or trial versions that allow you to be well aware of what they provide, allowing you to think about whether to buy it for paid access. One thing you can notice: my new list of local SEO tools has increased support for organic SEO tasks, reflecting our industry’s growing understanding of how organic and local SEO have become closely related.
Now open this toolkit and by 2018 you will get to a great start!
For research
US Census Bureau toolkit
Want to better understand your target community for marketing purposes? You'll find 20 other useful resources from the US Census Bureau, including population statistics, economic data, maps and geocoding, income and language information, and more.
Customer anchor survey and telephone script
Load on new customer? Reduce repetitive follow-up by asking all the right questions for the first time with this thorough questionnaire and easy-to-use Moz phone call script. Includes helpful tips on why you ask each question. As local SEO veterans tell you, a missed question can lead to unhappy (and costly) surprises along the way of marketing. Before you start developing, make sure that you have a clear picture of the incoming customer.
Location Information
When working with multi-user companies, this free Mozo spreadsheet ensures that you have all the information in your hands on each company language.
* Tip. When working with large enterprises, make sure that the data you enter in this table has been approved by all relevant departments. It's really not fun to find out six months in a marketing campaign that internal disagreement with NAP or other functions.
Competitive audit spreadsheet
Now we really come to copper. When you need to look for answers to a multi-year client question: “Why does this guy surpass me?”, This free Moz spreadsheet will help you document key competitive data. The end result of filling in the sheet will be two columns of statistics, which you can compare and compare in your quest to find competitors. strengths and weaknesses of the rating. Need more recommendations? Read my blog post, in which I posted this table for inspection at two Chinese restaurants in San Francisco Bay.
GeoLocation Chrome manual extension
View a demo version of Darren Shaw with this tool to show how a local package changes when a user virtually crosses the street, and you will quickly understand how useful this Chrome extension will bring the effects of proxy servers from user to business. Works well on desktop devices.
Our industry has still not fully recovered from how Google removed the Local Search filter from its engine in 2015, and I still live in the hope that they will return it one day, but at the same time this extension gives us A good idea of how a search engine location affects search results. In fact, it may even be an excellent solution.
MozBar SEO Toolbar
Local businesses in competitive markets should master traditional SEO, and free MozBar is a great insight into the indicators you need to pay attention to by analyzing the organic strengths and weaknesses of customers and competitors. Elements on the page, link metrics, markup, HTTP status, optimization options. Get the data you need with MozBar.
Google operators advanced search
Not a tool, per se, but the best tutorial I've ever seen, using Google's advanced search operators to deepen your research. Dr. Pete breaks it down into 67 steps that will allow you to use these search enhancements to research content and headlines, plagiarism checks, technical SEO checks and competitive intelligence. Be completely magical and impress your customers and teams by simply knowing how to format your search in a smart way.
Google Search Console
Sorry if you don’t already think that you need to log in to the Google Console, which gives you analytics, warns you about serious mistakes and much more, but local SEO just now crosses the threshold of understanding how deeply it is connected with organic search. When you play Google Backyard, GSC is a must for any type of business.
BrightLocal & Search Results
This popular tool does an excellent job of replicating local search results at the city or zip code level. In some cases it is best to search around the city (for example, when there are several cities covered by the same zip code), but in other cases it is better to search by zip code (as in the case of a large city with several zip codes). The tool does not have the ability to recreate user-level results, so always remember that the abundance of a given user for a business can lead to completely different results than what you see at the city or zip code level. I think this is a great tool to illuminate the land in the community, identifying the best competitors.
Offline Conversion Tracking Form
Give this convenient Whitespark form to everyone who answers your phone so they can document the answer to the important question: “How did you find out about us?” The information presented is stored in the Whitespark database and tracked in Google Analytics for later reference and analysis. For local businesses, knowledge of autonomous factors can be invaluable. This form provides a simple entry point to the collection of real data.
For content
Public response
One of the most popular keyword research tools in the digital marketing world. Answer the Public allows you to enter a key phrase and generate a large number of questions / topics related to your search. One of the most amazing aspects of this tool is that it has a.CSV download function - perfect for instantly creating large lists of keywords that you can enter into something like Moz Key Explorer Explorer to start the sorting process, which includes the most powerful keywords for your dev content and page optimization.
Buzzsumo
Another great tool for inspiration, Buzzsumo shows that you can enter a keyword, topic or domain name, and then shows which parts get the most social shares. For example, the search for wholefoodsmarket.com shows that a very common piece of content during my search relates to asparagus and broccoli soup. You can also sort by content type (articles, videos, infographics, etc.). Using Buzzsumo can help you generate themes that can be popular if you cover them on your site.
Search for OSHA Standard Industry Classification (SIC)
Another interesting resource for brainstorming a wide range of potential content analysis keywords, OSIC SIC search returns large, comprehensive lists. Simply search for your industry’s SIC code and enter it along with a keyword / category to get a list.
USPS View Zip Widget
Work with service businesses (SAB)? Pay attention to the second tab in the menu of this widget: Cities by zip code. When you know the zip code of the business you are selling, you can enter it in this simple tool to get a list of all the cities in that zip code. Now don't take the wrong step here: do not post large blocks of zip codes or city names on any website, but use this widget to be sure that you know all the communities for which SAB can develop content, link building, brand building, building real relationships, social media marketing and PPC.
JSON-LD circuits / generators
Instead of listing one tool here, I'm going to take the advice of my friend, David Deering, an expert on schemes, who taught me that no tool is perfect. According to David, there is currently no schema generator / JSON-LD that does all this, so he continues to create this type of markup manually. However, if you are new to Schema, these generators will start you:
https://webcode.tools/json-ld-generator
http://microdatagenerator.com/generator.html
For quoting
Moz Check List
I can say without prejudice that I don’t know of a single free tool that can better cope with giving you a brief overview of the state of health of a local business. lists By phone with a new perspective? Just include your name and zip code and see how complete and accurate company links are among the most important sources, including the main aggregating business data agents (Acxiom, Factual, Infogroup, Localeze) and key platforms such as Google My Business, Facebook, Yelp, YP and more.
Literally at a glance, you can tell whether the inconsistencies and duplicates of the lists do not match. It can also be used for competitive analysis, eliminating whether a clean or dirty set of quotations affects competitors. The value of the free listing check tool becomes most fully implemented by subscribing to the Moz Local paid product that automates listing management at the aggregate level even at the enterprise level with hundreds or thousands of lists and offers options for monitoring the review, ranking analysis, and more.
Local Search Quotes Whitespark (free version)
The free version of this great tool from our friends at Whitespark will give you an idea of how the paid version will help you discover additional places, besides the basics, where you may want to be listed. It also analyzes your competitors. quotes.
Reviews
Hoth's online business verification tool
You will need to register, but this free tool gives you a survey report on local business. Reviews on various platforms. It is a sensible thing for every incoming customer to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the reputation. The status of company reviews indicates whether there is a problem with offline access that needs to be corrected at a real structural level or if its main task is the lack of a strategy to simply approach the competitive number of positive reviews.
Free monitoring review
Need to know when a new review hits a large or industry-specific site to view? Sign up for this free tool that will send you email alerts so you can respond quickly. Watch a short video and notice his statement that the majority of unhappy customers will again consider visiting the business if he quickly resolves the complaint. Good to know!
Handout Generator Overview
Another Whitespark freebie in partnership with Phil Rosecom, this very simple resource allows you to enter some business information and create printed handouts that your public-focused employees can provide to customers. Active management of the review has become a prerequisite for even moderately competitive geo-industries. What a pleasure it is to have a physical asset to offer your customers more feedback from these reviews!
Google Review Link Generator
The local Google product went through so many iterations that searching for a link to consumers indicates that when requesting a review of GMB it was stupidly difficult at times. Whitespark helps again, at least for businesses with bricks and mortars, with this easy widget that allows you to enter information about your company and create a general link. Unfortunately, SAB or home businesses with hidden addresses cannot use this tool, but for other business models this widget works very well.
For social
Inform
Whenever your business is mentioned on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit and other platforms, Notify uses Slack or HipChat to send you a warning. Aware of important conversations about your brand and participating in them, your business can achieve an excellent response status. Social media has become part of the customer service environment, so this tool is very useful.
Followerwonk
A free trial version is available for this application, which serves as a serious analytics for Twitter. If Twitter is a favorite platform in your industry, definitely give this resource a surge. Understand the characteristics of your followers, find and communicate with influential people, and use the data to improve your outreach.
Number of characters on the Internet
I use this ultra-basic tool all the time for three specific tasks. Some social platforms have limitations in nature and do not always have counters, or (for example, Google messages) cut off your social messages, so only a limited fragment appears on the highest interface. Just plug in the text and see the number of characters.
And, of course, you need the character counter to be sure that your title tags on the page and the meta descriptions are read directly in the SERP.
My third use for this counter relates to content marketing. Most publications have character counter options for the parts they will accept. Here, in the Moz blog, we do not limit the length, because we believe that the coverage is the correct coverage of important topics. But, when I am invited to a blog in another place, I have to curb myself and be sure that I have not skipped past this 800-character limit. If you find that there is a problem too, the character counter can keep you updated while recording. Hi, horse!
So what did I miss?
If you say to yourself right now: “I can’t believe that this absolutely amazing free local SEO tool that I use every week is not included”, please share it with our community in the comments. One thing I know, I would like to find a free solution, is a tool that analyzes mood analysis. For this there are paid solutions, but I have not yet encountered a freebie.
My criteria for a great tool is that it does a better, stronger, faster job ... or is it an introduction to Six Million Dollars? Well, Steve Austin had amazing abilities (and a cool 70s running suit to boot!), And I hope that you too will feel success on this list of free tools in the year ahead.
