How to Do Local Keyword Research: Step-by-Step Guide

Local keyword research is essential for businesses that want to attract customers from a specific geographic area. By focusing on location-based keywords, you can improve your visibility in local search results and drive more targeted traffic to your website. In this article, I’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to conduct local keyword research effectively.

Step 1: List Your Services and Locations

Before diving into keyword research, start by listing the services or products your business offers. These will serve as your ‘seed keywords’. For example, if you run a bakery, your seed keywords might include:

- Bakery

- Custom cakes

- Gluten-free bread

- Wedding cake design

Next, identify the locations you serve. This could be cities, towns, or neighborhoods where your business operates. For instance, if your bakery is located in Minneapolis, you might target:

- Minneapolis

- St. Paul

- Maplewood

- Brooklyn Park

Combining your services with location names will help you generate relevant local keywords.

Step 2: Check for Local Intent

Local SEO focuses on keywords that have ‘local intent’, meaning users are actively searching for services in their area. To identify whether a keyword has local intent:

- Perform a Google search for your seed keywords and check if a map pack (a set of local business listings with a map) appears at the top of the results.

- See if local businesses rank in the organic results.

For example, if you search for “bakery Minneapolis,” and see a map pack with nearby bakeries listed, it confirms that this keyword has strong local intent[1][2].

Step 3: Find Relevant Local Keywords

Now that you have your seed keywords and locations, it's time to find specific local keywords. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEO platforms like Ahrefs or Semrush to discover relevant keywords that people in your area are searching for[2][3].

Here’s how to do it:

- Open Google Keyword Planner and select Discover new keywords

- Enter your seed keywords (e.g., “bakery,” “custom cakes”) and set your location filter to the geographic area you serve (e.g., Minneapolis).

- The tool will generate a list of related keywords with metrics like search volume and competition level specific to your location.

Look for both explicit keywords (those that include location modifiers like “bakery in Minneapolis”) and implicit keywords (those without location modifiers but still relevant locally, such as “best bakery”).

Step 4: Evaluate Local Metrics

Once you have a list of potential local keywords, prioritize them based on key metrics:

- Search Volume: Indicates how often people search for the keyword in your target area.

- Keyword Difficulty: Reflects how competitive it is to rank for that keyword.

- Cost-per-click (CPC): Useful if you're running paid ads alongside organic SEO efforts.

Focus on low-difficulty keywords with decent search volume—these are often referred to as low-hanging fruit and are easier to rank for.

Step 5: Analyze Competitors’ Keywords

To gain an edge over competitors, analyze which local keywords they’re ranking for:

- Search for one of your target keywords in Google and note which businesses appear at the top.

- Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to conduct a competitor analysis. These tools allow you to see which keywords drive traffic to competing businesses.

By identifying gaps—keywords that competitors aren’t targeting—you can find opportunities to rank higher in local search results.

Step 6: Group and Map Keywords to URLs

Not all keywords should be targeted on the same page. Group similar keywords together based on themes or services and map them to specific pages on your website:

- For example, group all cake-related terms (e.g., “wedding cakes Minneapolis,” “custom cakes near me”) under a single page dedicated to cakes.

- Ensure each page is optimized with the appropriate target keyword in its title tag, meta description, headers, and throughout the content[1][6].

This approach helps ensure each page ranks well for its specific set of local keywords.

Step 7: Track Your Progress

After implementing your local keyword strategy, it’s crucial to monitor its performance. Use tools like Google Analytics or Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker to track how well your pages are ranking for the targeted local keywords. Adjust your strategy based on what’s working or not working.

Learn more:

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