You should track SEO metrics that tell you whether search visibility is producing qualified leads like calls, form submissions, and booked appointments.
Start by writing one plain sentence that defines a lead for your business, for example “a phone call longer than 60 seconds or a completed appointment request.” Then track leads by source, mainly organic search (your website) and your Google Business Profile (Maps). In Orlando and Central Florida, that split matters because a lot of “near me” demand happens in the map results, especially for dentists, law firms, and home services.
What we track for local businesses
We keep the dashboard simple: lead actions first, then visibility signals that explain why leads moved. If traffic is up but leads are flat, the issue is usually page intent, trust, or a slow or confusing mobile experience, not “needing more blogs.”
| Metric | Where you check it | How to read it | What to do if it’s off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads (calls, forms, bookings) | Phone logs/CRM + GA4 events | The real scoreboard, trend month to month | Tighten service pages, add stronger proof, fix contact flow, verify tracking |
| Organic clicks | Google Search Console | Shows demand you actually captured | Improve titles, page intent, internal links, and local trust signals |
| Queries that trigger your pages | Search Console | Tells you what people type before they call | If queries look wrong for your offer, rewrite page copy and headings to match buyer intent |
| CTR (clicks ÷ impressions) | Search Console | Shows how appealing your listing is for searches you already show up for | Rewrite title and meta description, add clearer service + location language, use stronger page angles |
| GBP actions (calls, website clicks, direction requests) | Google Business Profile Performance | Maps and local pack behavior, track as a trend line | Improve categories/services, add fresh photos, reply to reviews, clean up hours and contact info |
| Indexing and coverage | Search Console | Pages can’t win if they aren’t indexed | Fix noindex mistakes, redirect chains, sitemap issues, and thin or duplicate pages |
| Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) | Search Console + PageSpeed tools | Field data health, “good” targets are LCP 2.5s or less, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1 | Compress and lazy load images, cut heavy scripts, fix layout shifts, improve hosting and caching |
| Landing page engagement | GA4 | Which pages hold attention and lead to contact actions | Add clearer above the fold copy, shorten forms, add click to call, add FAQs that match sales calls |
| Reviews momentum | Google Business Profile | Recency and steady volume usually beat big bursts | Build a simple review ask habit after good jobs and reply to every review |
| Referring domains and link quality | SEO link tools | Slow, steady growth from real local sources is a good sign | Pursue local partnerships, associations, sponsorship pages, and PR that fits your market |
How often should you look
Weekly, take 10 minutes: check lead count, scan for anything broken (forms, call links), and glance at GBP for odd edits. Monthly, spend 30 to 45 minutes: review Search Console clicks, top queries, and the pages that drove leads, then pick one page to improve. Quarterly, do one deeper check like indexing cleanup, citations consistency, or a site speed pass.
If you want help setting tracking up cleanly and tying it to lead quality, our SEO services include conversion tracking, reporting, and page fixes that move the phone and the calendar.
For a step by step walkthrough of the tools, see our guide to SEO tools like Search Console and Google Analytics.
If site speed or Core Web Vitals are holding you back, our WordPress hosting work is usually the fastest path to better load times without rebuilding the whole site.
If you want a plain English breakdown of LCP, INP, and CLS and what they mean for rankings and calls, our Core Web Vitals FAQ covers it.
One local tip we use in Orlando: tag leads by service and by area (Winter Park vs Lake Nona vs Kissimmee, for example). That keeps SEO focused on the work you want more of, not just more traffic.
