Local SEO. The question I can`t find the answer anywhere

[Timur]

After researching numerous videos and reading several books on SEO, I have yet to find a definitive answer to the question of how to track and maintain performance. For example, my website experienced a significant improvement in local search rankings, jumping from 50th to 5th place after implementing SEO optimization. However, it then dropped by 10 positions, and so on.

How can one effectively control these fluctuations? Which specific parameters and indicators should be monitored to ensure consistent performance?

Let's compare this situation to Google Ads. In Google Ads, you have access to valuable information such as competitors' bids for specific keywords, ad relevance, impression share, and search trends. If your ads start to underperform, you can analyze the system and make adjustments to factors like bidding, quality score, age targeting, geographic targeting, etc.

But when it comes to monitoring local SEO for a website, I don't see any comparable metrics that could provide useful insights. Keyword tracking, for instance, only allows you to observe the facts after they have already occurred.

So when my website drops or raises, I can`t really understand, why. I don`t see the battlefield.

Are there any specific metrics/ tools I am not aware of?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

One of the effective tactics to assess ranking drops is to compare screenshots of the serp, before and after the ranking drop. Tools like Places Scout and Bright Local store screenshots of all the kws you track.

 

[Timur]

@Colan Nielsen Thanks for the reply. I use brightlocal and wincher for keyword tracking, and I see all the fluctuations.
I don't see though WHY they are happening. WHO did WHAT to cause these fluctuations?
What I need to do after drops occurred in every particular case?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

This is typically where a full local SEO audit would come in. There are a lot of tools out there but at the end of the day you need to actually get in there and assess what happened. Looking at the before and after screenshots is a great starting point.