Local SEO, Keyword Research & SEO Tools with Katie Stone

02/12/25 • 34 min

In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, host Crystal Waddell sits down with Katie Stone, SEO Lead at LeadHub, to discuss local SEO strategies, keyword research, and essential SEO tools.

Katie shares her insights from Brighton SEO, her journey in the industry, and practical tips for leveraging Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and keyword gap analysis to gain a competitive edge.

Key Takeaways:

Google Search Console can be a free and powerful tool for uncovering content ideas and improving topical authority.
Hyperlocal SEO is critical for small businesses, focusing on local pain points and industry-specific challenges.
Keyword gap analysis helps identify content opportunities and outrank competitors.
Competitor research is key—using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and DragonMetrics to analyze backlinks and search visibility.
SEO tools with AI integrations need improvement, but Screaming Frog’s AI and Lighthouse integrations offer actionable insights.
Zero-click searches are reshaping SEO metrics—impressions and visibility will play a bigger role in future rankings.

Memorable Quotes:

🗣️ “Your website should answer the questions your users are asking. Google Search Console can show you exactly what those questions are.” – Katie Stone
🔍 “Hyperlocal content helps you dominate local search—understand your community’s unique challenges and address them in your content.” – Katie Stone
📊 “SEO isn’t just about reacting to Google updates. You can go on the offensive and overtake competitors with the right strategy.” – Katie Stone
🚀 “The future of SEO tools lies in tracking brand visibility, not just rankings, because zero-click searches are taking away our clicks.” – Katie Stone

Listener Action Items:

✅ Analyze your website’s top queries in Google Search Console to find content opportunities.
✅ Perform a keyword gap analysis using your preferred SEO Tool to identify topics your competitors rank for that you don’t.
✅ Experiment with SEO tools like Screaming Frog, SEMrush, and Google Trends to improve technical SEO and keyword research.

Resources Mentioned:

🔗 Google Search Console Enhanced Analytics Extension (for deeper query insights)
🔗 Dragon Metrics (SEO research tools)
🔗 Screaming Frog SEO Spider (for sit

Send me a text!

Support the show

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!

AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!

Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!

Key Takeaways:

Google Search Console can be a free and powerful tool for uncovering content ideas and improving topical authority.
Hyperlocal SEO is critical for small businesses, focusing on local pain points and industry-specific challenges.
Keyword gap analysis helps identify content opportunities and outrank competitors.
Competitor research is key—using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and DragonMetrics to analyze backlinks and search visibility.
SEO tools with AI integrations need improvement, but Screaming Frog’s AI and Lighthouse integrations offer actionable insights.
Zero-click searches are reshaping SEO metrics—impressions and visibility will play a bigger role in future rankings.

Memorable Quotes:

🗣️ “Your website should answer the questions your users are asking. Google Search Console can show you exactly what those questions are.” – Katie Stone
🔍 “Hyperlocal content helps you dominate local search—understand your community’s unique challenges and address them in your content.” – Katie Stone
📊 “SEO isn’t just about reacting to Google updates. You can go on the offensive and overtake competitors with the right strategy.” – Katie Stone
🚀 “The future of SEO tools lies in tracking brand visibility, not just rankings, because zero-click searches are taking away our clicks.” – Katie Stone

Listener Action Items:

Resources Mentioned:

🔗 Google Search Console Enhanced Analytics Extension (for deeper query insights)
🔗 Dragon Metrics (SEO research tools)
🔗 Screaming Frog SEO Spider (for sit

Send me a text!

Support the show

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!

AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!

Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!

Previous Episode

SEO For Brands: If You’re Not Something, You’re Nothing (ft. Mordy Oberstein)

In this episode of Simple and Smart SEO, Crystal Waddell sits down with the one and only Mordy Oberstein—Head of Brand at Wix, founder of Unify Brand Marketing, and self-proclaimed SEO contrarian (with a soft spot for brutal honesty).

If you think SEO is just about keywords and backlinks, Mordy is here to obliterate that notion faster than an algorithm update can tank your rankings.

They dive into how businesses should stop trying to be everything (because newsflash: that means you’re nothing), and why SEOs should stop acting like lone wolves and start sitting with the comms team.

💡 Key Takeaways:

Branding is a Mindset: If your brand is just ‘meh,’ then congrats—you’ve successfully made yourself forgettable.
Empathy & Nuance in Marketing: Understanding your audience is not just a trendy phrase—it’s literally the difference between a brand that connects and one that screams into the void.
SEO & Branding Are Now Besties: Gone are the days of SEO being just about technical hacks. If you don’t integrate branding, you’re just playing whack-a-mole with rankings.
Positioning > Messaging: If you skip positioning and jump straight to messaging, you’re basically a minivan company trying to sell “coolness” (spoiler: it’s not working).
Vulnerability in Branding: Yes, making a bold brand choice means some people won’t like you. No, you cannot please everyone. Yes, that is actually a good thing.
Welcome to the Digital Winter: There’s too much noise, too much content, and too many companies trying to be everything. The winners? Brands that actually resonate.

🔥 Memorable Quotes:

“If you aren’t something, then you’re nothing. And if you’re something, then you’re for somebody.” – Mordy Oberstein
“No risk it, no biscuit.” – Mordy (channeling his inner Todd Bowles while explaining brand strategy)

🛠 Resources & Mentions:

Mordy’s brand consultancy: Unify Brand Marketing
Follow Mordy for more hot takes: LinkedIn
Connect with Crystal (aka the one who survived this interview): Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
Avoid SEO disasters and brand identity crises—subscribe to the Simple and Smart SEO Show on your favorite podcast platform!

👉 Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review and tell us which of Mordy’s takes made you laugh, c

Send me a text!

Support the show

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!

AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!

Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!

Next Episode

Organic SEO Tips: How to Create Problem Solving Content [Featuring Guest Hosts Celeste Gonzalez and Melissa Popp]

In this guest-hosted episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Celeste Gonzalez (Director of Roo Labs at Rickety Roo) and Melissa Popp (Content Strategy Director at Rickety Roo) dive deep into local SEO strategies.

They explore the power of problem-solving content for small businesses and how local companies can stand out against larger competitors. The discussion covers how to identify local pain points, create community-driven content, and balance SEO with engagement-focused strategies.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Problem-solving content builds trust: Addressing real-life local issues makes your brand more credible and relevant to your community.
✅ Go beyond keyword research: Your own team, customer inquiries, and community forums are valuable content sources.
✅ Multi-location businesses must localize content: Even national brands need to engage with community-specific challenges.
✅ Community engagement fosters long-term brand awareness: Covering local issues—even those indirectly related to your business—helps position you as a trusted resource.
✅ Diversify beyond SEO: Businesses that rely solely on organic traffic risk losing visibility. Multi-channel marketing is essential.

Episode Highlights & Memorable Quotes:

📊 On balancing SEO and branding:
"Too many businesses focus only on SEO content. But content should build trust first and rank second."

💡 On social media’s role in local SEO:
"Why are SEOs suddenly ‘discovering’ branding? Multi-channel marketing has always been vital—businesses need to go where their customers are."

Listener Action Items:

✅ Audit your content strategy: Are you focusing too much on generic SEO content? Find ways to localize and address specific pain points.
✅ Mine insights from your team: Ask your customer service reps and technicians what common issues they encounter. These real-world problems make excellent content topics.
✅ Tap into local community discussions and Expand Beyond Organic Search: Monitor Nextdoor, Facebook groups, and local news to identify trending topics that relate to your industry.
✅ Balance SEO with engagement content: Don’t just chase keywords—focus on building relationships through helpful, trust-building content.

Connect With Celeste and Melissa:

🔗 Rickety Roo
🔗 Melissa Popp & Celeste Gonzales

Send me a text!

Support the show

Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!
Join the SEO Squad
Apply to be my podcast guest! 🎙️ Don't forget to Put your pitch topic in the subject line!

AFFILIATE LINKS:
Start your Shopify Store!
Get SurferSEO!

Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)

Note:
If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money.
But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!

The Simple and Smart SEO Show - Local SEO, Keyword Research & SEO Tools with Katie Stone

Transcript

[00:00:00] Crystal Waddell: Welcome back to the simple and smart SEO show podcast. I'm your host, Crystal Waddell. And I am here with a new friend, Katie Stone, who is an SEO lead over at LeadHub.

[00:00:11] And Katie and I met at Brighton SEO in San Diego.

[00:00:14] Katie gave an amazing talk all about local SEO. And so she's here today to share more of that knowledge with us. So Katie, thank you so much for being here. Welcome to the Simple and Smart SEO Show P