Do you have a business that has a beautiful physical storefront, an amazing product or service, and a team that is passionate about serving your community? Are your customers finding your online? Well, they are liking not finding you if your business is on page 10 of the Google search results. However, there is a way to resolve this dilemma and it is call local keyword research.
Local keyword research is the secret weapon that can bring your business to the top of the search rankings, thereby driving traffic to your website, and in the end customers through your doors. Local keyword research is the process of discovering specific words and phrases that people are using when searching online for businesses like yours in the local area. When you understand the search terms being used and then use them in your website and other online channels, such as social media, you can make sure your business appears at the top when potential customers are looking.
In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the ins and outs of local keyword research, even if you are a complete beginner to the world of SEO. We will look at the powerful tools and techniques you can use to find the best local keywords for your business, how to optimize your website for local search, and how to track your progress to ensure your efforts are paying off. Once read, you will be able to use the power of local keyword research to help your business thrive and grow.
What Exactly is Local Keyword Research?
Using local keywords is required for adequate online visibility for your local business. As stated in the introduction, these are the words and phrases that people in your area are using to search online for products and services. As an example, if you were looking for a nearby plumber, you probably would not just lookup “plumber.” The plumber could be from anywhere. It would be better to search in “plumber near me,” “plumber in [your city],” or “best plumber in [your neighborhood].” All of these terms are examples of local keywords.
Below are some reasons that local keyword research is so essential.
- It Leads to Increased Online Visibility: When you optimize your website and online presence with relevant keywords, search engines like Google and Bing can understand what your business offers and where you are located. As a result, it is more likely that your business will appear when people in the local area are searching for your products and services.
- Higher Search Rankings: When you have the right keywords targeted, your website’s ranking will improve in local search results. A higher ranking then leads to more visibility and more clicks to your website.
- More Organic Traffic: Organic traffic refers to the visitors who find your website through search engines. Ranking higher for local keywords means that your site will more easily be found by people searching for your business. As such you are bringing in highly qualified leads, who are more likely to convert into paying customers.
- Better Conversion Rates: Having people who are genuinely interested in your products and services leads to bettern conversion rates with sales, bookings, and inquiries for your business.
Types of Local Keywords
In order to effectively use local keywords, it is important to understand the different types and combinations. When you do your local keyword research, you can develop a comprehensive keyword strategy that targets a variety of search terms, thereby reaching a wider audience.
- Location-based: Keywords that include a specific location, like a city, neighborhood, or even a landmark. Some examples are:
- “coffee shop near me”
- “best restaurants in Seattle”
- “hair salon near Central Park”
- Business-type Keywords with Location: Keywords that combine your business type with a location. Some examples are:
- “plumber in Chicago”
- “dentist in Brooklyn”
- “marketing agency in London”
- Product/Service Keywords with Location: Keywords that specify the product or service with a location. Some examples are:
- “buy organic vegetables in Portland”
- “iPhone repair in San Francisco”
- “dog grooming in Austin”
Tools for Local Keyword Research
There are a number of tools available to help you uncover the best local keywords in your area. These tools are both free and paid, though you can generally do pretty well just using the free tools, as I do.
- Free Tools:
- Google My Business Insights: If you have a Google My Business profile (if you do not, you should), its insights section can show information about how people are finding your business online. You can see what keywords customers are using to find your profile, giving you valuable insights into their search behavior.
- Google Search Console: This is a free tool from Google that gives data about your website’s performance in search results. Here, you can see which keywords are driving traffic to your site, identify that are not, find technical SEO issues, and monitor the overall health of your website.
- Google Keyword Planner: Although this tool, through Google Adwords, is designed for paid advertising, the Google Keyword Planner can be an invaluable tool for local keyword research. You can use this tool to discover ideas for keywords, see search volumes for keywords (within a range), and see how interest varies by location.
- Google Trends: When you have your proposed keyword, you can use this tool to see how often it is searched for and where. It is also useful for finding trending keywords, comparing the popularity of different keywords, and to see how search interest varies by location. This is a tool that I use quite frequently to determine subject locations for posts.
- Moz Keyword Explorer: This tool by the Mozilla Foundation (Firefox) has a limited free version of their Keyword Explorer. The Keyword Explorer has helpful data on keyword difficulty, search volume, and related keywords.
- AnswerThePublic: AnswerThePublic shows the questions people are asking online about a particular keyword. Unlike the other tools, it can show the keyword search intent and help to elucidate long-tail keywords that address the specific needs of your audience.
- Searchvolume.io: Similar to Google Keyword Planner, this keyword tool gives an actual estimate of the montly searches for a particular keyword based on country location. It is helpful for getting an idea as to where in the range given by Google Keyword Planner, is.
- Paid Tools: Paid tools can help take your local keyword research to the next level. However, like I stated above, I have done quite well with just the free tools. So, if you cannot afford them, do not despair.
- SEMrush: This is a comprehensive SEO tool that offers a wide range of features, such as keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, and more. It can take you deeper into keyword difficulty, search volume, and SERP features.
- Ahrefs: This tool is similar to SEMrush and has a strong focus on backlink analysis. It can help identify the backlinks of competitors, discover new keyword opportunities, and track your website’s ranking performance.
- BrightLocal: This tool, unlike the others, is aimed primarily at local SEO. It offers features such as local rank tracking, citation management, reputation monitoring, and more. This can be a great tool for local businesses to keep track of their local SEO efforts.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Local Keyword Research
The following section presents the specific steps needed to excel in local keyword research.
Identifying Your Target Audience
This is the perennial section in a lot of my marketing posts, because it is so important. In order to select your keywords for use with any marketing material, you need to understand your target audience. You need to ask, “Who are your customers? What are their demographics, interests, needs and pain points? Instead of reiterating the specifics, you can read this post for more detail.
Brainstorming Seed Keywords
Seed keywords are the foundational aspect of your keyword research. They are the initial terms you will use to generate more specific keyword ideas. To begin, make a list of basic terms that are related to your business and its location. An example is below.
Let’s say you own a bakery in San Francisco, CA. You might need a seed keyword list of:
- bakery or you could take it further with “bake shop” or “artisan bakery.”
- San Francisco
- cakes of you could take it further with “cake shop.”
- pastries or you could take it further with “pastry shop.”
- cupcakes
- bread
Using the Keyword Research Tools
Once you have your seed keywords, it is time to use the keyword tools discussed in the last section. Things to look for are:
- Long-tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific phrases that people use when searching. Using the example above, instead of “cakes” you could use “custom birthday cakes San Francisco” or “vegan wedding cakes near me.” These long-tail keywords also do not have as much search competition, helping your content to rank higher.
- Search Volume: This is a measure of how many people are searching for a particular keyword each month. Those keywords with higher search volume generally mean more traffic, but they can also be more difficult to rank high.
- Keyword Difficulty: Keyword difficulty is a rank of how difficult it will be to rank for a particular keyword. Generally you want to aim for those keywords with lower difficulty scores, especially if you have a new website or are a small business.
- Search Intent: It is important to understand the intent behind the search. Are people looking for information, to make a purchase, or to find a specific location?
Analyzing Competitors
In your research, try to see what keywords your competitors are ranking for? Also, look at what content they are creating. Doing competitor analysis can reveal keyword opportunities you may have not thought of and may also help in finding places where you can outrank them.
Use the Power of “People Also Ask” Queries
When you perform a Google search, there is often a “People Also Ask” box with related questions. These questions can provide valuable insights into what people are curious about in your keyword selection. Without using the paid SEO tools, it can also help with search intent in some cases.
Going further, you can address the questions in “People Also Ask” in your website content or blog posts. Giving answers to these questions can provide more information to your audience and improve your chances of ranking for long-tail keywords.
Map Keywords for Your Website
This step is easy if you are already a blogger. Mapping keywords is creating dedicated pages for specific local keywords and optimizing existing pages with relevant local terms.
For example, let’s say you are a plumber in Chicago. You could create separate pages or posts for “drain cleaning Chicago,” “water heater repair Chicago,” and “emergency plumbing services Chicago.” If using these terms on your website, make sure your structure is easy to navigate. To avoid cluttering the website, though, it can sometimes be easier to include terms in blog posts. Just be sure to include the local keyword in the posts.
Optimizing Your Website for Local Keywords
Once you have your keywords in mind, it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty of incorporating them into your content. This is about making it clear to search engines and potential customers what you offer and where you are located. There are two major aspects in this process, on-page optimization and off-page optimization.
On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization is the process of shaping up your website and effectively using your local keywords. You want to have every element of your website working together to attract local customers and please the search engines as well. What you need to focus on is:
- Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: These HTML elements provide concise summaries of your webpages. Each page should have a unique title tag and meta description that accurately depicts the content and the local keywords. This information appears in search results, so make them click-worthy.
- Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.): Header tags help to structure your content and highlight important keywords. Your main headline should be an H1, with subheadings of H2, H3, and so on. Having headers also helps in readability and makes your website compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for screen-readers. Search engines are also helped in understanding the hierarchy of information on your page.
- Website Content: Naturally incorporate your local keywords throughout your website content, but do not overdue it and practice keyword stuffing (having too much of the keyword(s)). Instead focus on providing valuable, informative, and engaging content that satisfies the user’s search intent.
- Image Alternative (Alt.) Text: Be sure to have images in your content. However, be sure to describe the images with alt text, so those who are visually impaired can understand them as well. In addition, your alt text explains the image to search engines.
- NAP Citations (Name, Address, Phone Number): It is important to have your name, address, and phone number on your website and consistent across all of your platforms including social media and online directories. Consistency is paramount for local SEO and builds trust among the search engines and customers trying to find you.
Off-Page Optimization
This optimization is done off your webpage and helps to spread your message throughout the community. To do it consider:
- Local Citations and Directories: Beyond your webpage, list your business on online directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google My Business, Bing Places, and industry-specific directories. These citations help to boost your local visibility and provide backlinks to your website.
- Building Local Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. The trick here is to acquire backlinks from websites that are high-quality and reputable, such as local news sites, community blogs, and business associations. These backlinks are vote of confidence for your website, signaling to search engines that you are a trusted local business.
- Engage in Social Media: Be active in your local community’s social media platforms. Share valuable content, participate in local conversations, and encourage customers to leave local reviews. Social signals can influence local search rankings and help build brand awareness.
Measuring the Fruits of Your Success
Once your content is out in the wild, it is important to keep track of it and see how it is doing. By observing the content using the tools below, you can see what is working and what is not, and where you can improve as far as local keywords. Local SEO is an on-going process and not a one and done task. Here are some of the tools to help in measuring your local keyword success.
- Google or Matomo Analytics: These are platforms that provide data about your website traffic and user behavior. Metrics that can be measured include:
- Website Traffic: How many visitors are coming to your site, where they are coming from (search engines, social media, referrals), and which pages they are visiting.
- User Behavior: How users interact with your website — how long they stay, how many pages they view, and what actions they take (filling out a form or making a purchase).
- Conversions: Tracking specific goals, such as contact form submissions, online orders, or phone calls, to measure the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts in driving desired actions.
- Google Search Console: This is a free tool from Google that offers valuable information about your website’s performance. Here you can track:
- Search Rankings: Where your website ranks for specific keywords in Google search.
- Impressions: How often your website appears in search results for different queries.
- Clicks: How many times users click on your website in search results.
- Click-through rate (CTR): A measure of the percentage of users who click on your website in search results after seeing it.
- Rank Tracking Tools: These are often paid tools, such as SEMrush and Ahrefs, and provide more comprehensive tracking and reporting. Some SEO plugins also offer this data. The tools allow you to:
- Track Keyword Positions: Where your website ranks for specific keywords over time.
- Analyze Ranking Trends: Identify patterns and trends in your rankings to understand the impact of your SEO efforts.
- Compare your rankings to Competitors: See how your rankings stack up against your competitors.
Conclusion
To conclude, we have shown that local keyword research is the compass that guides your business to online success in your local area. By understanding how your customers search for your business and incorporating the relevant keywords you can get increased visibility, higher search rankings, more organic traffic, and in the end more customers.
Having success in local SEO may seem to be hard at first, but with an adequate amount of dedication and consistent effort, you can achieve remarkable results and dominate your market. If you need help along the way, do not hestitate to ask for help from the WebHeads at WebHeads United. Here is to your success in conquering your local market and your thriving business.
