Have you heard the line โ if you build it, they will comeโ? In case you donโt know, itโs from the late 80s Kevin Costner movie โField of Dreams.โ
Itโs an inspiring quote, but when local business owners set up their websites, it doesnโt really hold true. They believe once theyโre set up online, prospects start flocking to their doors wanting quotes, making orders, or signing up for their mailing lists. However, that isnโt the case for many people.
Thatโs not just conjecture on my part. Research shows that 77.23 percent of local business owners surveyed struggled to get online visibility.
According to the same survey, 42.85 percent believe that Google favors larger brands. Now, donโt get me wrong. High-profile businesses do tend to perform better online simply because more people are looking for them. However, that doesnโt mean your local company website canโt compete for local keywords.
All it takes is some careful local keyword research and a detailed local SEO strategy, and thatโs exactly what Iโm going to talk about today.
Why Is Local SEO Important?
Local SEO is valuable because it helps small companies reach potential customers who are looking for products or services in their area.
For example, if you own a home repair business, you would want to target people in your local area who may need your services. In other words, local keyword research targets potential customers who are already interested in what you have to offer.
When done correctly, local keyword research:
- Generates more leads and sales.
- Helps you rank higher in local search results, increasing website traffic.
- Makes it easier for searchers to find you when theyโre searching for local businesses on their mobile devices.
- Builds trust and credibility with potential customers through reviews.
Research also supports the importance of local SEO. According to Statista, 35 percent of consumers go online multiple times weekly to find local businesses.
Thatโs not all, though. The research shows that 21 percent of consumers use the internet daily to find local businesses.
These stats demonstrate that as a local business, you need to be visible online, but perhaps you need some more evidence? Okay, here goes.
There are plenty of case studies showing how small businesses can benefit from local keyword research and SEO optimization. Just search for โlocal SEO case studiesโ, and you can see what I mean.
What Makes Local Keyword Research Unique
As Iโve already detailed, the main focus of local SEO and local keyword research is attracting more leads and gaining more customers.
However, aside from using local SEO to target a particular geographic area, thereโs plenty more that makes local SEO different.
The most obvious is Googleโs ranking factors. With local searches, the search engine giant considers several vital areas, such as:
- The searcherโs location
- The sentiment and keywords in online reviews
- Name, address, and phone number quotations
- A Google My Business profile and relevant keywords
- Your Google Maps star rating
- Social media interest
To improve your local SEO further, Google offers these tips:
- Verify your location, to help improve visibility in local search.
- Keep your opening hours up to date, especially around holiday times. This lets local consumers know youโre open, so they donโt have a wasted visit.
- Manage/respond to reviews, to show you appreciate and act on feedback. Review management is also essential as positive reviews inspire consumer confidence, and can enhance business visibility.
- Add photos and in-store listings. Images showcase your store and products, to give customers a deeper understanding of what youโre selling and whether the products are right for them.
Google also considers relevance, distance, and prominence (your overall web presence), including content, backlinks, and directory listings.
Another factor that makes local keyword research unique is the emphasis on modifiers. The search terms you integrate into writing must be super specific to your location. For example, if youโre a business in Austin, Texas, you would want to use keywords like โAustin restaurantsโ rather than just โrestaurants.โ
Additionally, voice search is essential to local SEO. Research shows that 74 percent of people use voice search at least weekly to find local businesses, while 76 percent of voice search users choose smart speakers at least once a week, with most searching daily.
A further survey from SEMrush suggests optimizing voice search for each smart speaker (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, etc.) and has some helpful tips to enable you to do this:
The above graphic also includes some useful tips you can introduce into your local keyword research strategy.
How To Find The Best Local Keywords
You know the importance of local keyword research, but how do you discover the best ones to use? Fortunately, itโs not as complicated as it may seem. Just follow these tips.
Find Industry-Related Local Keywords
To do this, first, consider what you offer and what services or products you want to promote; then brainstorm a list of keywords related to your business.
Alternatively, a simple way to find local-based keywords is using Google search results. Type in your main keyword and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, youโll see a section called โrelated searches.โ For example, a small business located in Miami could target the keyword โMiami dentist.โ
Then:
- Once you have a list of keywords, do online research to see how popular they are. You can use tools like Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner, or Google Trends to get this information. You could also use tools like Ubersuggest to analyze competitor keywords and see if itโs feasible to overtake them in the rankings.
- Another way is to type a keyword into the Google search bar and watch as the autocomplete suggestions appear, giving you some great ideas for related local keywords.
Use Keyword Modifiers
Using keyword modifiers lets you focus your efforts on specific areas or types of searches for targeted traffic and better results from your local SEO efforts.
These modifiers can include location-based terms like โnear me,โ โin my area,โ or โlocal.โ Or you might use โcar mechanic Cincinnatiโ or โlocal mechanic Cincinnati.โ
Again, use Autosuggest, related search, or competitive keyword research to see the terms others are using.
Consider Keyword Intent
What are your prospects looking for? Are they looking to buy a product or service, find out more information, or just browsing? Once you know the searcherโs intent, you can better target your keywords and content to meet their needs. Use the same techniques, like Autosuggest, to get an idea of the keywords users are typing in.
Google Places Search Bar
Another great tool for finding local keywords is the Google Places search bar.
When you do a geographical search by entering a location in the search bar, you get a โpick list,โ which includes places and likely search terms.
Once you have a list of keywords, itโs essential to analyze them and determine which ones are the best fit for your business.
Implicit Vs. Explicit Local Keywords
When doing local keyword research, there are two main ways to target your audience: implicit and explicit.
Implicit targeting is when a user searches for a term like โhardware storeโ or โDIY.โ but doesnโt include specifics like location.
In simple terms, Google basically guesses what youโre looking for and offers your location-based results.
To find out what implicit local keywords might be important to your business, do some research online and talk to your customers. Ask them how they would search for a company like yours if they were looking for one in their area.
On the other hand, explicit local keyword targeting involves search terms that people use when looking for your product or service. For example, โDentist in Santa Barbaraโ or โHairdresser in Venice Beach.โ
How To Use Your Competition In Your Local Keyword Research
Can you really steal your competitorsโ keywords? Absolutely! Just use a tool to conduct competitive research to find out what keywords theyโre using.
There are a few ways to assess and use your competition in your local keyword research:
1. Look at the keywords they are targeting and see if there are any that youโre also targeting. Chances are, if your competitors are targeting a keyword, itโs because itโs profitable and has a lot of search volume.
2. See what their website looks like and how they rank for their target keywords. This can give you ideas on how to improve your website and rank higher for your target keywords. For less competition, you could take the opposite approach and target keywords your rivals arenโt using. Just make sure theyโve got a worthwhile search volume.
3. Review what content they are creating around their target keywords.
4. Look at the SERPs and pay attention to keywords. These terms are usually in bold.
Now letโs look at some tools to make your local keyword research easier.
The Best Local SEO Keyword Research Tools
Iโve already referenced my tool. Ubersuggest, but itโs worthy of another mention here. Itโs an easy-to-use tool that delivers:
- Keyword and content ideas
- Keywords by traffic
- Similar websites
- And plenty more besides
For example, if I search for โdigital marketing agencies California,โ I get:
You can also choose from โprepositions,โ โrelated,โ โcomparisons,โ and โquestions,โ to get a better idea of search intent.
Other tools to consider:
- Google Keyword Planner. With this tool, you can see competitive keywords and get ideas for other related keywords.
- Moz Local to get a free listing score and see where you stand.
- SERPStat to help you further analyze your competition and for SEO purposes.
Ultimately, the best way to find the right keywords for your business is to experiment with different tools and techniques and analyze what works for you.
FAQs
Local keyword research aims to identify relevant keywords that people are likely to use when searching for businesses like yours online.ย
Using the right tools is essential. After all, if potential customers canโt find you in your area, youโre missing out on a lot of business. Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner, and Mozโs Keyword Planner all get you off to a great start. Then thereโs competitive analysis, viewing the SERPs to see whatโs ranking, and using autocomplete.
When it comes to doing local keyword research, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Consider what your customers might search for when they want to find your business and brainstorm. Then, conduct local keyword research with tools like Ubersuggest, Googleโs Autosuggest, or People Also Ask. You can also view the SERPs and look for keywords.
Conclusion
Local keyword research should be an essential part of any small business marketing plan.
By understanding the keywords people in your area are searching for, you can create content and advertising that speaks to them directly, and by using the right tools like Ubersuggest, itโs easy to find out what those keywords are.
Search intent is also a vital part of online visibility, so donโt overlook that area if you want local customers to discover you online.
Do you use local keyword research? Share how you got your business on the map below.