Local SEO for Pet Businesses: 5 Easy Tips for Easy Wins

Last updated on June 30th, 2024 at 02:21 pm

Struggling to get more website visitors for your pet business? It could be because they can’t find you online.

Imagine having the best pet supplies or offering top-notch grooming services, but your potential customers don’t even know you exist. 

This is a common problem for many local pet businesses. When people search for “pet stores near me” or “best dog groomers in Boston,” of course you want your business to be the first thing they see. 

But if your website isn’t optimized for local searches, it’s like having a hidden treasure that no one can find.

I’ve seen this happen so many times. 

A friend of mine started selling homemade dog treats she baked in her apartment. But despite her delicious goodies and active social media presence, customers just weren’t buying. 

Her website was buried in search results, so no one knew she existed! 

When she realized this and made some simple changes to her website, things turned around quickly. Customers started finding her business, and soon, she couldn’t keep up with the orders.

Don’t let this happen to you. Local SEO for pet businesses isn’t as tough as it sounds. 

Today, I’m going to share with you easy, step-by-step instructions to do local SEO for your pet business website, these are:

1. Keyword research
2. Listing your pet business in free online directories
3. Improve your website’s performance
4. SEO content writing
5. Monitoring and analysis

Let’s get started.

Affiliate Disclaimer: Pet Content Solutions is a proud partner of the Amazon Services LLC Associates and other pet businesses. Therefore, this blog post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Funds go to chimken, veggies, and toys for my dogs Kuya and Bunso. Please read the disclaimer for more info.

Local SEO for Pet Businesses: 5 Easy Tips for Easy Wins

Tip #1. Keyword Research: Understanding the Basics

Keyword research is the foundation of a good local SEO strategy. It helps you understand what words and phrases people are using to search for products and services like yours. 

When you know these keywords, you can use them to your advantage by adding them to your website and social media accounts. 

First, let’s talk about how to find generic and specific terms related to your products or services.

How to Find Generic and Specific Terms for your Pet Business by “Googling”

1. Brainstorming using Google search results

Start by thinking about the basic terms your potential customers might search for. 

Open Google and type in something simple related to your business. 

For example, if you are a dog walker in Buffalo, NY, start typing “dog walker Buffalo NY.” 

Here’s the result. 

But the time I’m writing this, the first thing Google will show you is a list of local businesses and a map of where they are located. 

This map, often called the “local pack,” highlights three businesses at the top of the search results. It’s like the VIP section for local businesses.

If you click the “More businesses” button, Google will show you even more businesses in the area. You’ll see details like their addresses, phone numbers, websites, social media accounts, and directions on how to get there. This list is super handy for people looking to find services near them.

Now, if your business isn’t showing up in this list, it means you don’t have a Google Business Profile yet.

To create your Google Business Profile, just follow these steps. Setting it up is absolutely free.

As you go through these search results, make sure to save them for later. 

These information will be useful in conducting a competitor keyword analysis which we will talk about later. 

You can

• Screenshot the search results
• Save as PDF (right click > print > Destination, select Save as PDF > Save)
• Use the SEO Quake Chrome extension to download as a CSV file 

2. Explore the “People Also Ask” Section

After searching for “dog walker Buffalo NY,” you’ll see a list of questions that people commonly ask. 

This section, called “People Also Ask,” shows what other related questions people are curious about.

For example, besides just looking for a dog walker in Buffalo, people might also search for things like “How much does a dog walker cost in Buffalo?” or “What should I look for in a dog walker?”

These questions are recommended by Google based on what users frequently search for. 

It means that people aren’t just interested in finding a service; they want to know more about it, like pricing, payment terms, contracts, and other details. 

By creating content that answers these questions, your pet business can attract more visitors and have a better chance of showing up in search results for these popular topics.

What I love more about the People Also Ask section is, the more you click, the more questions Google will generate for you. 

So, as a pet business owner, you can use this information to improve your Services page, FAQ section, and publish blog posts that answers these common questions. 

By publishing web content that answers these questions, your pet business can attract more visitors and have a better chance of showing up in search results for these popular topics. 

3. Check the “Related Searches” at the bottom of Google’s search results

Scroll to the bottom of the Google search results page to find the “Related Searches” section. 

This part shows you additional terms related to your search. For example, you might see “best dog walker Buffalo ny” or “dog walker Buffalo ny cost.” 

These are more specific keywords that will compliment your Google search. 

Now that we’re able to find what people are searching for on Google, it’s time to level up our keyword research efforts and use tools. Here are some of the best (and affordable) keyword research tools out there. 

7 FREE (and paid) Local SEO Keyword Research Tools for Pet Businesses

1 .Google Search Console (FREE)

Before we proceed with our research, let’s take a look at what Google thinks about our website first. For this, we’re going to use Google Search Console. 

To view the keywords your website is ranking for: 

Step 1: Log in to Google Search Console

Step 2: In the left-hand menu, click “Performance” Here, you will see a graph showing your website’s performance in search results.

Step 3: Scroll down to the “Queries” section. This is where you will find a list of keywords that people use to find your website or keywords your website is ranking for. 

Aside from the keywords, you can also find other metrics like Clicks, Impressions, CTR (click-through rate), and average position of each keyword. 

“But Cherrie, my website is not connected to GSC yet. What do I do?”

I gotchu.

Here’s how to add your website to Google Search Console. 

Step 1: Sign in to Google Search Console using your Google account. 

Step 2: Click “Add Property” and enter your website URL. 

Step 3: Click “Continue” and choose a verification method (HTML file upload, HTML tag, domain name provider, Google Analytics, or Google Tag Manager). Follow the instructions provided for your chosen verification method to verify ownership of the website.

Step 4: After successfully verifying ownership of your website, you’ll gain access to the Google Search Console dashboard and you can now access the information I mentioned earlier. 

Pro-tip for WordPress users: If you are a WordPress website user, you can track your website’s performance by installing the Google Site Kit plugin. 

On your WordPress dashboard > Plugins > Add New Plugin > type Google Site Kit > Install Now

This way, you’ll have access to your website’s data while logged in to your website.

2. Keysearch (FREE + Paid)

Keysearch Pricing: 

• 1 month FREE trial 
• Starter: $17/month or $169 for one year
• Pro: $34/month or $279 for one year

Keysearch is by far my favorite local SEO keyword research tool because it’s affordable, easy to use, and it works. 

Here are some of its powerful features:

• In depth research: find trending keywords, a keyword difficulty checker, relevant long tail keywords in your niche, and competitor analysis
• Youtube keyword research: Best for pet business who wants to grow and monetize their Youtube channel
• Pinterest keyword research: find topics that people are searching for on Pinterest
• Web page audit analyzer: Keysearch evaluates your website performance which will help you optimize your website for better search engine rankings. 

3. Keyword Chef (FREE + Paid)

Keyword Chef pricing:

• Free trial (1000 credits when you sign up)

• Monthly subscriptions
  • Starter: $29/mo for 5,000 credits
  • Plus: $69/mo for 20,000 credits
  • Pro: $119/mo for 50,000 credits

• Pay as you go 
  • Starter: $20 for 1,200 credits
  • Plus: $100 for 10,000 credits
  • Pro: $250 for 50,000 credits

Here’s another favorite, Keyword Chef. here’s a quick video tutorial to help you get started.

What I love most about Keyword Chef is its ability to find really good low-competition keywords. 

In fact, one of the top-performing blog posts on my website is still ranked number 4 up to this day, and I wrote it two years ago. 

I also love how it’s so beginner-friendly. 

Lastly, its best feature would be the pricing options. I use the pay-as-you-go option because the credits don’t expire. So, I can buy and use it for later. 

4. Keywords Everywhere (FREE + paid)

Keywords Everywhere pricing

• 1 Credit = 1 Keyword. Credits expire after one year.
  • Bronze: $2.25/mo $27 billed annually
  • Silver: $6/mo $72 billed annually
  • Gold: $25/mo $300 billed annually
  • Platinum: $80/mo $960 billed annually

Keywords Everywhere is a keyword research tool that can be used as a Google Chrome plugin. Here are its best features: 

The free version:

• ChatGPT Prompt Templates
• Instagram Hashtag Generator (no volume data)
• Pinterest Insights and Trend widgets (no volume data)

The paid version 

• Everything the free version has with accurate monthly search volume, CPC, competition & 12-month trend data.
• See Related keywords on Google & Bing, People Also Search For (PASF) keywords on Google.
• See Trend chart in Google & YouTube.
• See YouTube insights & YouTube Tags.
• View monthly estimated traffic & the top 10,000 keywords that any URL ranks for
• Analyze any URL to get the list of keywords in the content of the page, and the density of those keywords
• Historical volume data in the trend charts for Google & YouTube from 2004
• Support for 15+ websites, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, Google Search Console, Google Analytics.
• Import your keywords to see accurate monthly search volume, CPC, and competition for them.

5. Ubersuggest (FREE + Paid)

Ubersuggest pricing

• 7-day free trial
• Monthly
  • Individual: $12/mo for 1 website
  • Business: $20/mo for 2-7 websites
  • Enterprise: $40/mo for 8-15 websites
• Lifetime
  • Individual: $120 for 1 website
  • Business: $200 for 2-7 websites
  • Enterprise: $400/mo for 8-15 websites

When I started blogging in 2018, Ubersuggest was the first keyword research tool I used.

It’s free, it works, and it’s by Neil Patel. 

But right now, it’s my least favorite, primarily because I think Keysearch is so much better.

But if you want to test it out, Ubersuggest offers a 7 day free trial, not bad. 

6. Answer the Public  (Free + Paid)

Answer the Public pricing

• 7-day free trial
• Monthly
  • Individual: $5/mo 1 user, 100 searches per day
  • Pro: $49/mo up to 3 users, unlimited searches per day
  • Expert: $99/mo, unlimited users, unlimited searches per day
• Lifetime
  • Individual: $50 for 1 user, 100 searches per day
  • Pro: $490 p to 3 users, unlimited searches per day
  • Expert: $990/mo unlimited users, unlimited searches per day

Speaking of Neil Patel, he bought Answer the Public in 2022 so you may notice that the pricing plans of Answer the Public and Ubersuggest are the same. 

What I like about Answer the Public is how the data is presented. Take a look at this example. 

Answer the Public presents the data in 3 ways: wheels, lists, and tables.

The data is also grouped into questions, prepositions, comparisons, alphabeticals, numbers, and related searches.

7. AlsoAsked (FREE + Paid)

AlsoAsked Pricing

• Monthly
  • Basic: $15/mo 100 searches per month, unlimited users
  • Lite: $29/mo 300 searches per month, unlimited users
  • Pro: $59/mo 1,000 searches per month, unlimited users
• Yearly
  • Basic: $12/mo, $144 annually (save $36)
  • Lite: $23/mo, $276 annually (save 72)
  • Pro: $47/mo, $564 annually (save144)

So, what’s the difference between AlsoAsked and AnswerThePublic? 

This video explains it fully. 

To put it simply, according to Mark, AnswerThePublic gives an overview of what to write, while AlsoAsked explores your chosen topic on a much deeper level. 

Finding Competitors’ Keywords

One great way to improve your own website’s ranking is by looking at what your competitors are doing well. Here’s a simple way to start:

1. Go Back to Google Search: Let’s revisit our example search: “dog walker Buffalo NY.” Check out the top 10 results on the first page.

2. Study Each Competitor: Click on each of these top search results and see what they are doing right. Look at the content they publish – Is it about dog walking tips, local parks, or training advice? Note how long their articles are and how often they post.

3. Check Their Local SEO best practices: What does their website look like? What makes their website loved by Google?

4. Make a List: Write down all these observations. You can use a notepad or create a simple Google Sheet to keep track of each competitor’s strengths. Note things like the keywords they seem to focus on, the types of content they write, and any local SEO elements they use.

5. Use Keyword Research Tools: Now, take your preferred keyword research tool from our earlier list. Plug in your competitors’ websites to see even more details. Check out what keywords they’re ranking for, how difficult those keywords are to compete with, and other valuable insights. This will give you a clear picture of what works in your market and help you identify opportunities for your own SEO strategy.

Brainstorming keywords is just the beginning of attracting visitors to your pet business website. By using Google searches, exploring “People Also Ask” questions, and analyzing your competitors, you lay the groundwork for effective SEO.

Now that you’ve gathered some keywords, the next step is to validate these keywords to make sure they’ll drive meaningful traffic to your site. We’ll dive deeper into how to do this in our next blog post.

Meanwhile, let’s proceed to the next step. That is, to put your business on the map by listing it in free directories. 

Tip # 2. Listing Your Pet Business in Free Directories

Online directories are websites where you can list your business information for free.

For pet businesses, being on these directories helps people in your area discover your services, making it easier to attract new leads and customers.

Here are some of the best online directories you can list your pet business for free:

• Google My Business
• Apple Maps
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Bing
• Yahoo Local
• Yellowpages.com
• Yelp
• Local.com
• WhitePages.com
• Manta
• SuperPages
• CitySearch
• Patch
• City-Data
• MerchantCircle
• Yellowbook.com
• Thumbtack
• Mapquest
• Topix
• DexKnows
• Yellow.com
• BBB.org
• ServiceMagic
• Angi
• AreaConnect
• Foursquare
• Spoke
• AmericanTowns
• La Cartes
• BizJournals
• LocalGuides
• 411.com
• Yellowpages.aol.com
• Insider Pages
• MagicYellow
• Hotfrog.com
• Mojopages
• Switchboard
• Demandforce
• MojoPages
• Metromix
• Yellowbot
• Kudzu
• ShowMeLocal
• ChamberofCommerce
• LocalPages
• HopStop
• YellowMoxie
• Phonenumber.com
• Best of the Web Local
• Yellowise
• GetFave
• Company.com
• Tupalo
• ZipLocal
• EZLocal
• CitySquares
• USCity.net
• LocalDatabase

Listing your pet business in these directories is like getting a thumbs-up from popular and trusted websites. These directories have high Domain Authority (DA), which is a score that shows how strong and trustworthy a website is.

When your business is linked on these high DA sites, it makes your website look reliable to Google. This helps your site rank higher in search results, making it easier for customers to find you.

Tip #3 Improve your Website Performance

Having a website that loads quickly and works smoothly is essential for attracting and retaining customers. Here’s how you can make sure your pet business website performs at its best:

Optimize Images

• Use image editing tools to resize and compress images without sacrificing quality. For example, if you download a png file on Canva, check “Compress file (lower quality)
• Aim for image file sizes of less than 100KB
• Consider using image formats like JPEG or PNG for better compression

Delete Unused Files

When using and editing templates for your web pages, various files may accumulate in your media library that are no longer needed. To remove these unnecessary files:

• Navigate to your WordPress dashboard and go to Media.
• Use the bulk select option to choose the files you no longer use.
• Click on Delete Permanently to remove these files from your media library and free up space on your server.

Use Less Plugins (WordPress websites)

• Review your current plugins and deactivate any that you don’t need.
• Limit the number of plugins you use to essential ones that add value to your website.

Update Plugins

Regularly updating your plugins ensures that your website remains secure and optimized. Here’s how to do it:

• Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Dashboard.
• Click on Updates.
• Look for any available plugin updates and click on Update to ensure you have the latest versions installed, enhancing your website’s performance and security.

Add Your Pet Business Information Everywhere

Make it easy for customers to find and contact you by adding your business information throughout your website. Here’s how:

• Footer: Edit your website’s footer by going to Appearance > Customize > Widgets > Footer. Include essential details like your business name, address, phone number, and email address and social media accounts

• Homepage: Consider adding a section on your homepage that highlights key information about your pet business. This can include a brief description, contact details, and links to important pages.

• Contact Page: Create a dedicated contact page where visitors can easily reach out to you. Include a contact form, your business address, phone number, email address, and links to your social media accounts.

• Social Media and Email: Don’t forget to include links to your social media profiles and your primary email address on every page of your website. This makes it convenient for visitors to connect with you through their preferred channels.

Have a Good Contact Us Page

Having a well-designed Contact Us page is essential for pet businesses to encourage customer inquiries and engagement. Follow these steps to create an effective Contact Us page:

• Navigate to Your Website Editor: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Pages > Add New to create a new page specifically for your contact details.

• Add Essential Information: Start by adding essential information such as your business name, address, phone number, and email address. Be sure to include a clear call-to-action prompting visitors to get in touch with you.

• Include a Contact Form: Utilize a contact form plugin like Contact Form 7 or WPForms to embed a contact form on your Contact Us page. Customize the form fields to gather relevant information from visitors. You can also use the contact page templates provided by your WordPress theme. First, go to your WordPress dashboard and click Pages. Then, click Add New Page. Next, add a title for example, Contact Us, click Design Library and these templates will show up. Choose one that fits your needs and edit accordingly.

• Provide Alternative Contact Methods: In addition to the contact form, offer alternative ways for visitors to reach you. This can include your business hours, social media links, and a map displaying your location.

• Optimize for Mobile: Ensure that your Contact Us page is mobile-friendly by testing its appearance and functionality on various devices. Mobile responsiveness is crucial for providing a seamless user experience.

• Add Trust Elements: Instill confidence in visitors by incorporating trust elements such as customer testimonials, certifications, or awards that showcase your credibility and reliability.

• Regularly Update Information: Periodically review and update the information on your Contact Us page to ensure accuracy. This includes verifying your contact details, business hours, and any additional contact methods.

Pro tip: Another way of adding a really good Contact Us page is by using pre-designed contact page templates by your theme. I’m using Kadence. This is how I did it.

First, go to your WordPress dashboard and click Pages. Then, click Add New Page. Next, add a title for example, Contact Us, click Design Library and these templates will show up. Choose one that fits your needs and edit accordingly.

Organize Your Main Menu

A well-organized main menu is crucial for helping visitors navigate your pet business website easily. Follow these simple steps to organize your main menu in WordPress:

1. Access the WordPress Dashboard: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Menus.

2. Select Pages: On the Menus page, you’ll see a list of available pages on your website. Select the pages you want to include in your main menu by checking the corresponding boxes next to their names.

3. Arrange Menu Items: After selecting the desired pages, arrange them in the order you prefer by dragging and dropping each item into position. You can create sub-menus by dragging a menu item slightly to the right beneath another item, indicating a hierarchy.

4. Customize Menu Settings: Explore additional menu settings to customize the appearance and functionality of your main menu. Depending on your theme and plugins, you may have options to add custom links, categories, or even specific post types to your menu.

5. Preview and Save: Once you’ve organized your menu items to your satisfaction, preview how they’ll appear on your website. Make any necessary adjustments, then click the “Save Menu” button to apply your changes.

Organize Your Content Categories

Organizing your content into categories helps visitors navigate your pet business website more efficiently. Follow these steps to create and manage content categories in WordPress:

1. Access the WordPress Dashboard: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Posts > Categories.

2. Create a New Category: On the Categories page, you’ll see an option to add a new category. Enter a name for your category, ensuring it aligns with the keywords you’ve researched earlier. You can also add a brief description to provide context for the category.

3. Set Parent Category (Optional): If your new category falls under an existing parent category, you can select the appropriate parent category from the dropdown menu.

4. Click “Add New Category”: Once you’ve filled in the necessary details, click the “Add New Category” button to create your new category.

Tip # 4. SEO Content Writing

Before diving into writing, it’s important to validate your content ideas. Validating means figuring out if your idea is worth the time and effort.

Good content can attract visitors, make sales, or get more people to sign up for your emails. Since creating content for local SEO can be expensive, we need to make sure every piece of content counts. To help decide if an idea is good, ask yourself these questions:

1. Will this topic help bring in more revenue for my business?

Think about if the content will encourage people to buy your products or services.

2. Will this topic attract more people to visit my website (and come back for more)?

Consider if the topic is interesting or useful enough to bring more visitors.

3. Is this topic something my target audience is interested in?

Focus on what your potential customers care about or need help with.

4. Can this content idea increase my email subscribers?

Think about if you can include a call-to-action (like a signup form) that convinces readers to join your email list.

5. Does this topic align with my business goals?

Make sure the content supports what you’re trying to achieve with your business.

6. Can I provide valuable and unique information on this topic?

Ensure you can offer something different from what’s already out there.

7. Is this content likely to get shared on social media?

Consider if the topic is engaging enough for people to share with their friends and family.

8. Will this content help me rank for my target keywords?

Think about if the topic includes important keywords that you want to rank for in search engines.

9. Can I repurpose this content idea in different formats (like blogs, videos, reels or infographics)?

Check if the idea can be expanded into various types of content to reach a wider audience.

10. Is this topic relevant to local searchers?

Make sure it’s something people in your area would find useful or interesting.

By asking these questions, you can ensure your content isn’t just good but also beneficial for your business. Remember, every piece of content should serve a purpose and help you achieve your business goals.

Optimizing content for local SEO

Optimizing your content for local SEO means making sure that it’s easy for both search engines and potential customers to find and understand your content. Here’s a list of actionable steps you can take to optimize your content effectively:

1. Use Relevant Keywords in the Title, Headings, and Throughout the Content: Place your primary keywords naturally in your page titles, headings, and body text to signal to search engines what your content is about.

2. Write Clear and Engaging Product Descriptions: Provide detailed, keyword-rich descriptions for your products or services that answer potential customer questions.

3. Include Images and Videos: Use relevant and quality images or videos to make your content more engaging. Visuals can also rank in search results, driving more traffic to your site.

4. Install the Rank Math Plugin: This plugin helps with SEO tasks on your WordPress site, providing guidance and tools to optimize your content.

5. Ensure Primary Keyword is in the Permalink (URL) and Meta Description: Include your main keyword in the URL structure and meta description for better visibility in search results.

6. Update Image File Names: Rename image files to include relevant keywords that describe the image and your content. This helps with image search optimization.

7. Use a Table of Contents: Adding a table of contents makes long content easier to navigate and can improve your chances of getting featured in search snippets.

8. Optimize Meta Titles and Descriptions: Write compelling and keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions to improve click-through rates from search engine results pages (SERPs).

9. Include Location Information: Make sure to mention your business location in your content, titles, and meta descriptions to help with local search visibility.

10. Create Content Based on Local Events or News: Writing about local events or news can help attract local traffic and improve your relevance to local searchers.

11. Use Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your site to help search engines understand the structure of your site and improve navigation for users.

12. Optimize for Mobile: Ensure your content is mobile-friendly since many local searches happen on mobile devices. This includes responsive design and fast loading times.

13. Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Profile: Make sure your business profile is complete and up-to-date to appear in local search results and Google Maps.

14. Encourage Customer Reviews: Positive reviews can improve your local SEO and attract more customers. Display reviews on your website and link to your review profiles.

15. Add Business NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) Consistently: Include your business name, address, and phone number on every page of your site, preferably in the footer.

16. Create Localized Content: Write blog posts or create pages that focus on local topics, attractions, or services that appeal to your community.

17. Monitor and Fix Broken Links: Regularly check for and fix any broken links on your site to ensure a smooth user experience and maintain SEO integrity.

18. Use Alt Text for Images: Describe your images with alt text that includes relevant keywords to help search engines understand the content of the images.

19. Add Social Sharing Buttons: Make it easy for visitors to share your content on social media, which can increase exposure and drive more traffic to your site.

20. Optimize Content Length: Ensure your content is thorough enough to cover the topic in-depth but concise enough to keep readers engaged.

21. Use Bullet Points and Lists: Format your content with bullet points and lists to make it easier to read and scan, improving user experience and potentially increasing time on page.

22. Create Evergreen Content: Write content that remains relevant over time to continue attracting traffic long after it’s published.

23. Focus on User Intent: Write content that answers the questions or needs of your potential customers, making it more likely to rank for relevant searches.

24. Regularly Update Content: Keep your content fresh and relevant by periodically updating it with new information, keywords, or improved readability.

25. Utilize Local Keywords: Include local keywords (like neighborhood names or local landmarks) in your content to capture more localized search traffic.

26. Use Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Encourage visitors to take action (like contacting you or making a purchase) with clear and compelling CTAs in your content. Other forms of CTA’s would be texts found in buttons on your website. For example, Shop Now, Book Now, Don’t miss out, Limited stocks only, etc.

Tip #5: Monitoring and Analysis

Once you’ve optimized your pet business website for local SEO, it’s crucial to track and understand how well your site is performing.

This is where monitoring and analysis come into play. By keeping an eye on your website’s performance, you can see what’s working and what needs improvement. Here’s how you can do it, step-by-step:

Using Google Search Console and Google Analytics

Google Search Console and Google Analytics are powerful, free tools that help you understand your website’s performance and the behavior of your visitors.

Earlier, we’ve already talked about how to connect your website to Google Search Console. Once verified, explore your dashboard to see how your site is performing in Google search, which keywords are driving traffic, and if there are any issues Google has detected.

This time, let’s proceed to Google Analytics.

Setting Up Google Analytics:

1. Sign Up: Go to Google Analytics and sign up with your Google account.
2. Set Up Property: Create a new property for your website and get a tracking ID.
3. Install the Tracking Code: Add the tracking code to your website so Google Analytics can start collecting data. For WordPress users, you can use plugins like Google Site Kit to simplify this process.

Now that we’ve connect our website to Google, it’s time to gather those data.

For me, there are only 3 metrics that I needed most. These are:

1. How many visitors are coming in to my website

Google Analytics provides a lot of information about your website traffic. Here’s how to check your visitor count:

1. Open Google Analytics: Go to the dashboard and select your website property.
2. Navigate to Reports: And see a snapshot of how your website is doing ie. how many users you have and where are they coming from
3. Under Acquisition > Overview: Here, you can see the number of visitors, their sessions, and the page views. Look at these numbers to see if your traffic is increasing over time.

2. Where are website visitors coming from

Understanding where your visitors are located helps tailor your content and services to your audience:

1. Navigate to Acquisition: In Google Analytics, go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition > Session source / medium
2. Check Data: This report shows where visitors clicked to go to your website ie. Facebook, Linkedin, Google (organic), Bing, Duckduckgo, etc.

3. What customers are doing on my website

Knowing what pages your visitors are exploring and how long they stay helps you identify popular content and areas for improvement:

1. Navigate to Engagement: In Google Analytics, go to Reports > Engagement > Pages and Screens.
2. View Page Performance: This section shows which pages are the most visited, how long visitors stay, and the bounce rate (how often visitors leave after viewing just one page).

Final thoughts

Congratulations on making it through our local SEO guide for pet businesses!

Remember, taking these steps can be overwhelming at first, but just take it one step at a time.

By researching the right keywords, listing your business in directories, improving your website performance, writing great content, and monitoring your progress, you’ll be well on your way to attracting more local customers.

With a little effort and consistency, your pet business will become more visible online, helping you connect with more pet lovers in your community. Keep at it, and you’ll see the results!