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 site audits and AI integrations)

🎥 Watch Kati

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