There’s no doubt that keyword research is essential for any business with an online presence. By identifying the right keywords and using them effectively in your content, you can dramatically improve your website’s search engine ranking and attract more visitors.
But how do you identify the right keywords?
And once you have them, how do you make sure they are effective in driving traffic to your site? This article will show you how to get high-performing keywords for your business.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic from local customers. It typically involves improving the website’s visibility in Google Maps and organic search results for queries that include the keywords “near me.
Local SEO is an offshoot of traditional SEO, but it has its own unique strategies and tactics because it focuses on driving web traffic from people who are physically near your business. For example, if you own a pizza restaurant in Portland, Oregon, you would want to optimize your website for searches like “pizza near me” or “Portland pizza.”
Why is Local Search Important?
As the world becomes more and more digital, people are spending an increasing amount of time online. In fact, recent studies have shown that the average person now spends more time on their phone than they do sleeping! This means that businesses need to be where their customers are, and that’s increasingly online. One of the most important places for businesses to be is in local search results.
People use local searches to find businesses near them. They might be looking for a restaurant, a plumber, or a store to buy something from. If your business isn’t appearing in local search results, you’re losing out on potential customers
Here are some figures showing the continued value of local search for businesses:
- Google reports that 28% of local smartphone searches result in a purchase, and 76% of those searches lead to a visit to a business.
- Google estimates that geography is a factor in 30% of the searches it processes.
- In a recent poll on local search, 61% of customers stated that they conduct daily local searches.
- According to a recent local SEO survey, 82% of customers who are conducting a local search read online reviews of businesses and take close to 14 minutes to do so.
What are Local Keywords?
Local keywords are those that are specific to your area. They might be the names of towns, streets, businesses, or other places in your area.
They can also be words that describe the type of business you have or the services you offer. For example, a plumber might use the keyword “plumbing” as a local keyword, while a dentist might use the keyword “dental”.
How to Do Keyword Research for Local Business Listings
When it comes to local business listings, doing your keyword research is essential. By finding the right high-intent keywords and phrases to target, you can make sure that your business listing will show up in relevant searches. And by targeting the right keywords, you can attract more of the right customers to your business.
So how do you go about doing keyword research for local business listings? There are a few different methods you can use:
1) Brainstorming: This is a great way to come up with a large list of potential keywords. Start by thinking about all the things that people might search for when looking for your type of business. Write down all of the words and phrases that come to mind, no matter how silly they may seem.
2) Keyword tools: There are a number of different tools available online that can help you find keywords related to your business. These tools will give you information on how often particular keywords are searched for, as well as related terms and phrases.
Check for local intent
The goal of local SEO is to rank for keywords that have local intent, which means that the searchers are specifically looking for local services.
Therefore, the next step is to make sure that those looking for these services truly want to support local businesses.
The simplest way to do this is to conduct a Google search for your services if you reside in the same region as the company for whom you are conducting local keyword research. Google will use your location to customize the results, therefore by looking for two items in the SERP, you can determine if there is local intent.
Local companies that are ranked in the organic results form a “map pack.”
Check search volume
It can be challenging to obtain accurate local search volumes for local keywords because nearly every significant SEO tool only displays national and international volumes.
But the truth is, people worry way too much about local SEO search numbers.
You should almost always develop a page describing your services for your visitors, even if there aren’t many people searching for them.
Add things to mention
However, even though you shouldn’t overuse keywords, it is still important to hunt for pertinent “things to mention” for a few reasons:
It might enhance “topical relevance.” If a page regarding boiler installation includes information about the different types of boilers you provide, your rates, and the areas you service, Google will probably be more confident that it understands the page’s main subject and will give it a higher rating.
It may help in your positioning for long-tail keywords. Not everyone conducts their searches in the same manner. It benefits guests. Most likely, those are curious about the services you provide and their potential costs.
Competitor research
Another great way to find keywords is to look at what your competitors are targeting. See which keywords they’re using in their website copy and advertising campaigns, and then target those same words and phrases yourself.
Check other common questions
Before hiring you, people looking for your services are likely to have certain inquiries. Therefore, it is important to find these queries and address them on your page.
There are a few options for doing this. The first approach is to conduct a search for your service and scan the search results for a “People also ask” box. This displays comparable queries that users also submit to Google.
Why is Performing Local Keyword Research Necessary?
Performing local keyword research is necessary for small businesses because it allows them to focus on the keywords that people in their area are actually using when they search for products or services. This type of research can help businesses determine what types of products and services to offer, as well as what keywords to use in their marketing materials in order to reach more customers.
What Local Keyword Research Tools Are the Best?
When it comes to local keyword research tools, there are a few different options available.
Each tool has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to understand what each one can offer before deciding which is the best for you.
Some of the most popular local keyword research tools include Google AdWords Keyword Planner, UberSuggest, and Moz Local. Let’s take a closer look at each of these tools to see how they work and what kind of results you can expect from them.
How Can I Track Local Keyword Rankings?
One way is to use a tool like Google Search Console. This free service from Google provides webmasters with lots of useful information, including data on how often your site appears in search results, and the average position of your site for certain keywords. In order to track how well your website is doing in terms of local keyword rankings, you can use a tool like Google Search Console. This free service from Google provides webmasters with lots of useful information, including data on how often your site appears in search results, and the average position of your site for certain keywords.
GeoRanker
You can track your website ranking by ZIP code, or heck exact pin point using a Geo grid Rank tracker. Rankings from other search engines, such as Google Maps and Bing Maps, are included. Additionally, you can employ tools for local SEO, such as citation finders, competitor analysis, keyword research, and others.
Whitespark
Long established as a complete local marketing platform, Whitespark. With the help of its Local Rank Tracker tool, you can get complete ranking data on Google and Bing, which includes information about maps, listings, citations, and the local pack. It’s excellent for determining how people arrive at your website.
Cognitive SEO
Another full-service SEO platform, CognitiveSEO, offers features for tracking local rank. To assist you in boosting ranks, it has features including a local rank tracker, keyword research tools, and content improvement. Results can be tracked across different locations and on desktop and mobile devices. Additionally, daily or weekly automated reporting can be set up.
Moz Pro
One of the biggest and most popular SEO tools available is Moz Pro. Both SEO companies and small enterprises use it. You can use their complete reporting dashboard or a helpful extension for your browser to view information while you’re on the go. Included in it is search visibility.
Pro Rank Tracker
A rank-tracking tool primarily made for SEO specialists is called Pro Rank Tracker. It includes a number of tools for professionals and agencies, such as tracking global rank. Their in-depth analysis and local SEO keyword research tools can also be used to thoroughly plan or monitor your campaigns.
How to Find Search Volume for Your Local Keywords
When it comes to marketing your local business, one of the most important things you need to know is how to find search volume for your local keywords.
This information will help you determine which keywords are most relevant to your business, and whether or not there is enough demand for them to be worth targeting.
There are a few different ways you can go about finding this data, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the most common methods:
Google Trends
A free tool called Google Trends shows a keyword’s popularity over time in a graphic manner. Simply go to the Google Trends portal, enter the keyword you’re interested in, and you’ll obtain a line chart with search volume highs and lows.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner, formerly known as Google Keyword Tool, is another free resource provided by the industry leader in search.
In order to use Keyword Planner:
- Click “Go to Keyword Planner” on this page.
- After setting up, select “Tools” from the menu bar.
- the “Switch to expert mode” option.
- The main menu page will then display a link to the Keyword Planner.
- “Discover new terms” and “Get search volume and forecasts” will be the two alternatives.
Google Search Console
Another free tool you should use to monitor how well your website performs in terms of natural search engine traffic is Google Search Console.
It can be used to discover new keywords and obtain information on those for which you are currently ranking, enabling you to assess their utility.
Visit the Google Search Console website, click the blue “Start now” button, and then input your domain name to get started.
Either by submitting an HTML file to your website or via DNS verification, you must demonstrate that you are the owner of the domain.
As an alternative, you can use your Google Analytics or Google Element Manager account or add an HTML tag to your website. Your dashboard will be visible once you’re logged into the system.
Download your search results report to check how your keywords are doing. Sort the report’s click-through rate (CTR) from low to high to locate new keywords. You’ll see unanticipated keywords that you rank for but don’t actively seek as a result.
Targeting keywords with plenty of impressions but a low CTR might be worthwhile (for example, by building a new page of content around that keyword).
Local Keyword Research Tools
If you’re looking to do some local keyword research, there are a few tools that can help you get started.
Google AdWords Keyword Planner
The first tool is Google AdWords Keyword Planner. You can use this tool to find out how many people are searching for a particular keyword each month, and also see related keywords that you may not have thought of.
UberSuggest
Another great tool for local keyword research is UberSuggest. This tool will show you not only how many people are searching for a particular keyword each month, but also give you some ideas for related keywords.
Google Trends Tool
Another great tool is the Google Trends Tool. This tool lets you see how popular a particular keyword is over time. You can use this information to determine whether or not a particular keyword is worth targeting.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer tool is a wonderful place for beginners to start because it is one of the biggest and oldest SEO tools available. Tens of thousands of keywords are available in its database from 171 nations and 10 search engines. Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, and other sites are among them.
SEMRush
Although SEMRush is perhaps the most effective keyword research tool available, it is also the most expensive. It has a feature for topic research, a tool for long-tail keyword research, and a content idea generator. There are a lot of semrush alternatives out there too.
Keyword Finder
A more sophisticated tool for keyword research is KW Finder. Finding long-tail keywords that are less difficult to rank for than more popular but difficult seed keywords is a great use of this tool. The greatest free local keyword tool for your study is undoubtedly this one.
Answer the Public
Answer the Public contains attractive features that are useful for topic research. Based on the subjects and keywords you select, it concentrates on the questions that people ask. Along with the recommendations it makes, it contains the typical set of characteristics, such as search traffic and competitiveness.
Keyword planning tools
There are a number of different tools you can use for keyword research, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some are better for discovering new keywords, while others are better for analyzing competition or estimating traffic potential. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular keyword research tools available today.
QuestionsDB
The sourcing is what makes QuestionDB special. While many tools may display keywords based on questions that have been taken from Google or Bing, QuestionDB pulls questions from a wide range of websites, including Reddit, Quora, and Stack Exchange—which are, of course, gold mines of questions.
Jaaxy’s
Simple to use, Jaaxy’s keyword research tool will provide you with a list of related and suggested keywords, along with some basic keyword statistics, once you enter a term, topic, or URL (think average monthly search volume and traffic to page 1 results).
Keyword Surfer
An easy approach to conducting keyword research without ever leaving the search engine results page is through browser extensions. Separate from the whole SEO package, Surfer SEO’s Keyword Surfer add-on for Google Chrome provides a free, restricted version of the platform.
Cheap SEO tools
There are a number of great SEO tools out there that don’t cost a lot of money. In fact, some of them are free! So if you’re looking to save some cash, here are some great options:
Google Analytics
You may get all the data about your website’s performance with Google Analytics. You can see how your website actions affect traffic and conversions by tracking each activity you take using Google Analytics, for instance. For tracking downloads, clicks, email signups, conversions, and keywords, I strongly suggest using Google Analytics.
Google Keyword Planner
When you sign up for a Google Ads account, you can use the free Google Keyword Planner tool to find widely searched terms or keywords that are simple to rank for. In addition, Google can propose keywords depending on your current keywords. Additionally, some proposed keywords have important metrics!
PowerSuite SEO
Every stage of an SEO campaign is covered by SEO PowerSuite, an all-in-one SEO tool. Even if the SEO PowerSuite has a premium edition, the free version is still among the best SEO site suites on the market.
Screaming Frog
A great website crawler called Screaming Frog examines and analyses the on-site SEO for the URL of your (or your competitors’) website. Finding broken links, errors, and redirects, reviewing page titles and metadata, looking into meta robots and directives, finding duplicate pages, and creating XML sitemaps are all possible here.
Although the Screaming Frog offers a free and a premium edition, the free version only supports 500 URLs.
How to Deal with Multiple Locations When Doing Local SEO
It can be a lot of work to keep track of all of your locations and make sure they’re correctly listed in all the relevant directories. But with a little bit of effort, and some helpful tools and tips, it can be done:
One Page for One Location
- You must make distinct, optimized pages for each location of your firm. They shouldn’t be the same. Include:
- Name, address, and phone number of that place (NAP).
- content unique to a location (staff information, testimonials, news, etc.).
- Google Map
- Detailed directions to your place of business, including mentions of nearby locations that Google can link as entities.
- Client feedback and comments that are specific to a location.
- Title Tags and Meta Descriptions with local specificity.
- Images of the people who work on your team and the interior of your company.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Consider creating a Google Business Profile if you haven’t already. You can make listings for certain business locations here. In your company profile, include the URLs for each of your location pages. For each of your location pages, optimize it according to Google’s recommendations. guidelines consist of:
- Check each place.
- List the precise hours.
- Add images
- Organize and reply to evaluations
- Manage Citations
- Multi-location Along with on-page optimization, SEO comprises monitoring your company’s online mentions.
- Google uses your name, address, and phone number (NAP) to determine how to rank your business in local searches. This includes both links and no links.
- Your SEO may suffer from inconsistent listings.
How to Use Your Competition in Your Local Keyword Research
One way to use your competition in your local keyword research is by looking at their website. Chances are, they are targeting some of the same keywords that you are. By analyzing their website and seeing what words and phrases they are targeting, you can get a better idea of which keywords are worth targeting yourself.
Another way to use your competition in your local keyword research is by looking at their advertising. If they are running ads in your area, there’s a good chance they are targeting some of the same keywords that you are. By taking a look at their ads, you can get an idea of which keywords have the highest commercial value.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get traffic to my keywords?
One way to get traffic to your keywords is by optimizing your website for search engines. This means including the keywords in the title tags, meta descriptions, and in the content itself. You can also submit your website to directories and use social media to spread the word.
Another way to get traffic is by using paid advertising. You can buy ads on Google or other search engines, or you can use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising services like Google AdWords or Bing Ads.
You can also try out different methods such as article marketing, link building, and email marketing. The key is to experiment until you find what works best for you.
What is the easiest way to find keywords?
There are a few different ways to find keywords, and the easiest way to find them is by using Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner. This tool is free to use and can help you find keywords related to your topic. Simply enter a few words or phrases related to your topic, and the planner will return a list of relevant keywords as well as information on how often each keyword is being searched for.
What is local SEO for example?
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website for Google search results that are specific to a geographic location. When implemented correctly, local SEO can help businesses attract more customers from their local area.
One of the most important components of local SEO is creating a Google My Business account and claiming your business listing. Once you’ve claimed your listing, you can add information like your business hours, contact information, and even photos. You can also add keywords related to your business to help improve your ranking in localized search results.
Another important factor in local SEO is building links from other websites with high authority to yours. You can do this by adding links from your website to others in your industry, or by contributing guest posts to relevant blogs. You can also get involved in online directories and social media platforms that are popular in your area.
Which is an example of a local search?
A good example of a local search is when someone is looking for a specific business in their city. For instance, if someone wants to find a plumber, they might do a local search for “plumbers in Los Angeles.” This would return all the plumbers located in the city of Los Angeles.
