How do I know if my local SEO is working?

Watch calls and form fills first. Everything else is a proxy. After that, the useful numbers are in two free tools: your Google Business Profile shows calls, direction requests, and website clicks from the listing, and Google Search Console shows which searches you appear for, how often people click, and where you sit on average. Those two together tell you whether more of the right people are finding you.

The metric that misleads people is your own position when you search your business from your own phone. Google already knows who you are and where you are standing, so it shows you a flattering result that no customer sees. Check rankings from the towns you actually serve instead, and give it a few months before judging, since local SEO compounds rather than switching on. Our how long SEO takes answer covers the timeline, and a monthly report on exactly these numbers is part of cheap local SEO in Louisville.