How to Use Google Search Console to Improve Local SEO

Discover how Google Search Console helps improve local SEO with keyword tracking, indexing reports, and actionable insights to attract nearby customers.

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Local SEO Services and share actionable strategies on How to use Google Search Console to improve Local SEO so you can monitor rankings, identify trends and grow your presence in your region.

Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most valuable tools for businesses looking to improve their local SEO. It provides detailed insights into how your website appears in Google search results, which keywords drive local traffic, and what issues might be preventing your site from ranking higher. By learning how to use Google Search Console effectively, you can identify opportunities to improve visibility, fix technical issues, and attract more local customers.

Setting Up Google Search Console

Before using GSC for local SEO, you need to make sure your account is set up correctly.

  1. Visit the Google Search Console website and log in with your Google account.

  2. Click “Add Property” and enter your website’s URL.

  3. Choose “Domain” for full website tracking or “URL prefix” if you only want to track a specific version (for example, https vs. http).

  4. Verify ownership through DNS settings or an HTML file upload.

Once verified, GSC will begin collecting data. Allow a few days for accurate results to appear.

Understanding How Search Console Helps Local SEO

Local SEO focuses on helping your business appear in geographically relevant searches. Google Search Console supports this by showing you how users in your region find your website, which pages perform best, and which search terms trigger impressions for your business.

The insights you gain can be used to refine your website’s content, target specific keywords, and resolve technical issues that may limit your local search performance.

Analyse Performance Reports for Local Keywords

The “Performance” report in Search Console shows which queries, pages, and locations generate clicks and impressions. This is one of the most useful sections for local SEO.

To make the most of it:

  • Filter by location to identify how your website performs in your target region.

  • Look for search queries containing local modifiers, such as your city or area name.

  • Review click-through rates (CTR) for your key local pages and identify which keywords could benefit from better optimisation.

For example, if you run a bakery in Bedford and see that “Bedford birthday cakes” has high impressions but low clicks, you can improve your title and meta description to make it more engaging and relevant.

Identify Which Pages Rank for Local Searches

Search Console allows you to see which pages are driving impressions and clicks from local searches. This helps you understand which parts of your site are performing well and which need more attention.

  • Go to the “Pages” tab in the Performance report.

  • Filter by location or query to identify top-performing local pages.

  • Ensure that your contact page, service pages, and local landing pages appear in this list.

If they don’t, it may indicate that you need to add more local keywords or improve internal linking to strengthen those pages.

Optimise for Local Click-Through Rates

The CTR metric in GSC shows how often people click your website after seeing it in search results. A low CTR suggests your page title or description isn’t compelling enough.

To improve CTR:

  • Use your business name and location in titles.

  • Add strong calls to action like “Book Now” or “Visit Us in [City Name].”

  • Make sure meta descriptions highlight local relevance, such as your proximity or area of service.

Even small improvements in CTR can lead to more local visitors and higher engagement.

Monitor and Fix Indexing Issues

If your local pages aren’t being indexed, they won’t appear in search results. The “Coverage” and “Pages” reports in GSC show whether Google is successfully crawling and indexing your site.

Check regularly for errors such as “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Duplicate without user-selected canonical.” These can prevent important pages, like your location-specific service pages, from ranking.

You can request indexing directly through GSC after making fixes to ensure Google recognises your updates quickly.

Track Mobile Performance

Since most local searches happen on mobile devices, mobile optimisation is essential. The “Page Experience” and “Mobile Usability” reports in GSC show whether your site performs well on smartphones.

Look for common problems such as small text, clickable elements being too close together, or slow loading times. Fixing these issues improves both user experience and local search rankings.

Improve Local Backlinks and Internal Linking

Search Console’s “Links” report helps identify which websites link to yours and which pages have the most internal links. For local SEO, backlinks from nearby businesses, directories, or local media outlets are particularly valuable.

Review your top-linked pages and ensure that key local pages (for example, your “About” or “Service Area” page) receive enough internal links. This signals to Google that these pages are important and relevant to your local audience.

Use the Search Appearance Report

This report helps you see how your site appears in Google search results. Structured data and rich snippets can make your listing more appealing and clickable.

If you operate locally, implementing schema markup such as “LocalBusiness” can help Google understand your address, business hours, and service area. Search Console will show you whether this data is working correctly or if there are errors that need fixing.

Evaluate Queries by Device and Location

By breaking down data by device type or geographic region, you can understand where your strongest opportunities lie. For instance, if mobile users in your city generate most of your traffic, you may want to focus your efforts on improving mobile speed and experience.

Similarly, if neighbouring towns are generating significant traffic, consider creating dedicated local landing pages to capture those markets.

Submitting a Sitemap for Better Local Indexing

Submitting an XML sitemap through Google Search Console ensures that all your local pages are discovered and indexed efficiently.

To do this:

  1. Go to the “Sitemaps” section in GSC.

  2. Enter your sitemap URL (for example, “yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml”).

  3. Click “Submit.”

This is especially useful for new businesses or websites with recently added local pages.

Monitor Changes Over Time

Local SEO is not a one-time task—it requires ongoing monitoring and optimisation. Use GSC to track your progress over time. Watch how rankings, impressions, and clicks change after making updates to your content or metadata.

You can also compare data from different periods to see how local SEO campaigns or seasonal promotions have performed.

Final Thoughts

Google Search Console is one of the most effective free tools for improving local SEO. It provides actionable insights into how your business appears in search results, highlights technical issues, and helps you optimise for your local audience.

By regularly reviewing reports, tracking keyword performance, and fixing errors, you can strengthen your online presence and attract more local customers. When combined with consistent content and citation management, GSC becomes a key driver of long-term local SEO success.

We have also written in depth articles on How to submit a sitemap in Google Search Console and How to use the URL inspection tool effectively as well as our Google Search Console Hub to give you further guidance.