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Marina Lippincott
When someone searches “plumber near me” at 10 PM with water flooding their basement, they’re not browsing. They’re buying. Local keyword research helps you find these high-intent searches and position your business to capture them before competitors do.
The difference between showing up for “best pizza” versus “best pizza in Brooklyn Heights” is the difference between competing globally and dominating locally. Local keyword research identifies the specific terms your nearby customers use when they’re ready to act, giving you a roadmap to visibility in the searches that actually drive foot traffic, phone calls, and sales.
This guide walks through the complete local keyword research process, from building your seed keyword list to analyzing competitors, validating search volumes by location, and mapping keywords to pages. You’ll learn which tools actually work for local search, how to understand search intent, and how to build a keyword strategy that turns local searches into local customers.
of Google searches have local intent
of local searchers visit within 24 hours
of local searches result in purchase
growth in “near me” searches since 2015
What Makes Local Keywords Different
Local keyword research focuses on finding search terms people use to find businesses, products, or services in specific geographic areas. Unlike general keyword research that targets broad audiences regardless of location, local keyword research connects you with nearby customers who have immediate needs and high purchase intent.
Consider the difference in these searches:
| General Keyword | Local Keyword | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| best breakfast recipes | best breakfast downtown Austin | Recipe seeker vs. hungry customer looking to eat now |
| how to fix a leaky faucet | emergency plumber near me | DIY researcher vs. ready-to-hire customer |
| running shoe reviews | running shoe store Portland | Product research vs. ready to buy locally |
| divorce process explained | divorce lawyer Chicago consultation | Information gathering vs. seeking legal help |
Local keywords signal urgency and purchase readiness. Someone searching for a general term might be weeks or months away from buying. Someone adding a location or “near me” to their search typically needs something within hours or days.
Types of Local Keywords
Understanding the different categories of local keywords helps you build a comprehensive strategy that captures searches across the entire customer journey.
🎯 Explicit Local Keywords
These include a specific location in the search query. The searcher is deliberately looking for something in a particular area.
“coffee shop downtown Seattle”
“HVAC repair Austin TX”
📍 Implicit Local Keywords
These don’t mention a location but have clear local intent. Google uses the searcher’s location to serve local results.
“restaurants open now”
“emergency vet nearby”
🏪 Service-Area Keywords
Target broader geographic regions rather than single points. Useful for businesses serving multiple neighborhoods or cities.
“delivery service Greater Boston”
“pool cleaning Orange County”
🏆 Comparison Keywords
Searches comparing local options or looking for the best in an area. Strong commercial intent.
“top rated dentist near me”
“cheapest oil change Phoenix”
Understanding Search Intent
Local keywords carry different levels of intent. Matching your content to the right intent improves rankings and conversions.
Informational
Seeking information about local topics or services
“do I need permit for deck Miami”
Commercial
Researching options before making a decision
“best wedding venues Dallas reviews”
Transactional
Ready to purchase or contact a business
“book massage appointment downtown”
Building Your Seed Keyword List
Effective local keyword research starts with seed keywords, the core terms that describe your business, services, and what customers look for. From these seeds, you’ll expand into hundreds of targetable local keyword variations.
Categories of Seed Keywords
- Business type keywords: What people call businesses like yours (bakery, law firm, auto repair shop, dental clinic)
- Service keywords: The specific services you offer (oil change, root canal, wedding cake, personal injury)
- Product keywords: Products you sell (running shoes, office furniture, organic produce)
- Problem keywords: Pain points that lead people to your business (car won’t start, tooth pain, leaky roof)
- Solution keywords: How you solve problems (24-hour towing, same-day crown, emergency roof repair)
Location Modifiers to Combine
Once you have seed keywords, combine them with location modifiers to create your local keyword list. Use multiple types of geographic terms to capture different search behaviors.
City & State
Austin Texas
Miami FL
Neighborhoods
River North
Pearl District
Zip Codes
10001
60611
Counties & Regions
Bay Area
Tri-State
Landmarks
by the airport
University District
Proximity Terms
nearby
close to
Local Keyword Research Tools
The right tools reveal search volumes, competition levels, and keyword opportunities you’d never find manually. Here are the most effective tools for local keyword research.
Google Keyword Planner
Filter by specific cities, regions, or custom radiuses to see localized search volumes. The only tool that shows true local volume for implicit keywords.
Semrush
See which keywords competitors rank for, find keyword gaps, and track local rankings. The Keyword Magic Tool generates thousands of local variations.
Ahrefs
Analyze competitor backlinks and keywords. Site Explorer shows exactly which pages drive organic traffic to local competitors.
BrightLocal
Purpose-built for local SEO with local rank tracking, citation audits, and Google Business Profile management.
KWFinder (Mangools)
Location-specific search volumes with keyword difficulty scores. Great for smaller businesses with limited budgets.
Google Search Console
Shows which queries already drive traffic to your site. Discover local terms you’re ranking for but haven’t optimized.
Using Google Keyword Planner for Local Research
Google Keyword Planner is uniquely valuable for local keyword research because it shows search volumes filtered by specific locations. Here’s how to use it effectively:
Set Your Location Filter
Before entering keywords, adjust the location settings to your target city, region, or custom radius. Without this step, you’ll see national averages that don’t reflect your local market.
Enter Seed Keywords
Start with your core services and business type. Google will suggest related keywords along with their local search volumes.
Analyze Suggested Keywords
Review Google’s suggestions for relevant terms you might have missed. Pay attention to both volume and competition level.
Export and Organize
Download your keyword list and organize by search volume, intent, and which page should target each term.
Analyzing Local Competitors’ Keywords
Your local competitors have already done keyword research, whether they know it or not. Analyzing their rankings reveals which terms drive traffic in your market and exposes gaps you can exploit.
Finding Competitor Keywords
Use Semrush, Ahrefs, or similar tools to reverse-engineer competitor keyword strategies:
- Enter competitor URLs: Plug in the homepage or specific location pages of top local competitors
- Filter by position: Focus on keywords where competitors rank in the top 10-20 positions
- Add location filters: Include your city or region as a filter to focus on local terms
- Analyze traffic estimates: See which keywords drive the most estimated traffic to competitors
- Check content types: Note what type of page ranks for each keyword (service page, blog post, location page)
Finding Keyword Gaps
Keyword gap analysis compares your site against competitors to find keywords they rank for that you don’t. These represent immediate opportunities:
Keyword Gap Analysis Process
- Enter your domain and 2-4 competitor domains in the gap tool
- Filter for keywords where competitors rank but you don’t appear in top 100
- Exclude competitor brand names (you typically won’t target these)
- Filter for local modifiers to focus on geographic terms
- Sort by search volume or competitor position
- Identify clusters of related keywords to target with single pages
Evaluating and Prioritizing Keywords
Not all keywords deserve equal effort. Prioritize based on metrics that predict success and business value.
Key Metrics to Evaluate
| Metric | What It Tells You | How to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Search Volume | How many people search this term monthly | Higher volume = more potential traffic, but often more competition |
| Keyword Difficulty | How hard it is to rank on page one | Start with lower difficulty (0-49%) keywords to build momentum |
| Cost Per Click | What advertisers pay for this keyword | Higher CPC indicates commercial value and purchase intent |
| Search Intent | What the searcher wants to accomplish | Match keywords to appropriate page types and content |
| Relevance | How well the keyword matches your business | Only target keywords you can genuinely serve |
Prioritization Framework
Score keywords on a simple high/medium/low scale across three dimensions:
- Business value: How valuable is a conversion from this keyword? (High for “emergency plumber,” lower for “plumbing tips”)
- Ranking potential: Can you realistically rank for this term given competition and your site’s authority?
- Search volume: Is there enough search demand to justify the optimization effort?
Prioritize keywords that score high across all three. A keyword with massive volume but impossible competition isn’t worth targeting. A keyword you could rank #1 for but gets 5 searches per month won’t move the needle.
Mapping Keywords to Pages
Keyword mapping assigns each target keyword to a specific page on your website. Good mapping ensures every important keyword has a dedicated, optimized page while preventing multiple pages from competing for the same terms.
Keyword Mapping Guidelines
- One primary keyword per page: Each page should focus on one main keyword theme
- Group related keywords: Secondary keywords that share intent can support the primary keyword on the same page
- Match intent to page type: Transactional keywords go on service/product pages; informational keywords go on blog posts
- Create location pages for geo-keywords: Each target location should have its own dedicated page
- Identify content gaps: Keywords without matching pages need new content created
Example Keyword Map Structure
- Homepage: Primary brand + main service + city (e.g., “Smith Plumbing Portland”)
- Service pages: [Service] + [city] (e.g., “drain cleaning Portland OR”)
- Location pages: [Service area] + [service] (e.g., “plumber Lake Oswego”)
- Blog posts: Informational local keywords (e.g., “how to winterize pipes Portland”)
- FAQ page: Question-based local keywords (e.g., “do I need permit for water heater Oregon”)
Optimizing for “Near Me” Searches
“Near me” searches have exploded, growing over 500% in the past decade. But ranking for these queries requires a different approach than traditional keyword optimization.
You don’t need to stuff “near me” into your content. Google determines proximity based on the searcher’s location, not whether your page contains the phrase. Instead, focus on signals that tell Google where your business is located and what areas you serve.
Ranking Factors for “Near Me” Searches
- Google Business Profile: Complete, verified profile with accurate address and service areas
- NAP consistency: Identical Name, Address, Phone across all citations and directories
- Local content: Location pages, local blog posts, community involvement mentions
- Reviews: Recent, positive reviews that mention your location and services
- Local backlinks: Links from local businesses, news sites, and organizations
- Mobile optimization: Most “near me” searches happen on mobile devices
Seasonal and Trending Local Keywords
Local search demand fluctuates throughout the year. Understanding seasonal patterns helps you prepare content and optimize pages before demand spikes.
Identifying Seasonal Patterns
- Google Trends: Compare keyword interest over time and by region
- Historical Search Console data: Review which queries drove traffic in previous years
- Industry knowledge: Know your busy seasons (tax prep in spring, HVAC in extreme weather)
- Local events: Festivals, sports seasons, conventions that drive related searches
Create or update content 2-3 months before seasonal peaks. A page about “snow removal Minneapolis” optimized in July will have time to rank before winter hits.
Tracking Local Keyword Performance
Local rankings vary by location. Someone searching from downtown might see different results than someone in the suburbs. Track performance accurately with location-specific monitoring.
What to Track
- Local Pack rankings: Your position in the 3-pack for target keywords
- Organic rankings by location: How you rank from different areas within your market
- Traffic from target keywords: Actual clicks and visits from local searches
- Conversions by keyword: Which keywords drive calls, form fills, and sales
- Ranking changes over time: Are you gaining or losing ground on key terms?
Common Local Keyword Research Mistakes
- Using national search volumes: A keyword with 10,000 monthly searches nationally might have only 50 in your city
- Ignoring implicit keywords: “Plumber” has local intent even without a location, don’t skip these terms
- Targeting only high-volume keywords: Lower-volume local keywords often convert better with less competition
- Keyword stuffing locations: “Denver plumber Denver CO plumbing Denver” hurts more than it helps
- Forgetting service areas: If you serve multiple cities, research and target each one
- Not updating keyword strategy: Local markets change; review and refresh quarterly
- Ignoring competitor research: Competitors reveal which keywords actually work in your market
Need Help With Local Keyword Research?
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