How to do keyword research for local SEO

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Ever wondered why some businesses always pop up first when you Google something like "plumber near me" or "best tacos in Tucson"? It’s not luck. It’s local SEO, and behind that is some smart, strategic keyword research.

If you're running a local business, just having a website isn't enough. You need to be visible when and where people are searching for your services. That’s where local keyword research comes in, it’s the GPS that guides potential customers straight to your digital doorstep.

Let’s break it down.

Why it matters:

Over 80% of people search online to find local businesses.
Google uses things like your Google Business Profile, location-specific keywords, and review signals to decide who gets top billing in the local pack.
Without targeting the right search intent (think: “buy,” “find,” or “call now”), your site might rank but for the wrong audience.

What makes local keyword research unique? You’re not just targeting “dentist” or “furnace repair.” You’re looking to rank for:

Explicit keywords like “furnace repair in Austin”
Implicit queries like “furnace repair” (where Google uses the user’s location)

And don't forget the goldmine of long-tail keywords like “emergency AC repair open now near 85716.”

Bottom line? Local keyword research is the foundation of any successful local SEO strategy. Get it wrong, and your dream customers will end up knocking on your competitor’s door. Get it right, and they’ll find you fast.

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Understanding Local Search Intent (Explicit vs. Implicit)

Before we dive into tools and strategies, let’s talk about the brain behind the search: search intent. Knowing what people search for is one thing, but knowing why they search. That’s where the real power is.

In local SEO, understanding the difference between explicit and implicit local intent is crucial. These terms might sound techy, but they’re pretty simple once you break them down.

What’s the Difference?

Google’s algorithms are sharp. They can sniff out local queries even if the search doesn’t scream “local.” That’s implicit intent, and it’s incredibly common.

Why This Matters

If you ignore this, you might be:

Targeting broad keywords that don’t bring in foot traffic.
Missing out on high-converting searches like “best HVAC company near me.”
Not showing up in the local pack or Google Maps results, where most of the action happens.

People don’t just want information. They want solutions near them now. And whether they’re typing in “pizza on 4th Ave” or just “pizza,” Google’s goal is the same: deliver hyper-relevant, local results.

So, when doing local keyword research, always ask yourself:
Is this keyword tied to a place, a product, and a purpose?
Because when intent and geography align, that’s when conversions happen.

Mastering this distinction gives you a serious edge and helps your business show up at exactly the right moment.

Step 1: Identify Core Services & Business Areas

Before you open a single SEO tool or type anything into Google, you need to get one thing straight: What exactly are you trying to rank for?

That means getting super clear on your core services and the geographic areas you want to target. This first step in local keyword research isn’t flashy, but it’s foundational, and skipping it is like trying to build a house without a blueprint.

Start with a Brain Dump

Grab a notepad or open a doc and jot down:

Every service you offer (not just your main one go granular.
Any products you sell that have local demand
All locations you serve are cities, neighborhoods, ZIP codes, and even landmarks.

Let’s say you run a plumbing business in Austin. Sure, you’ll note "plumber," but what about:

Drain cleaning
Emergency pipe repair
Water heater installation
Gas line inspection

Each of these deserves attention. Why? Because people don’t always search for “plumber.” They often Google the exact problem they’re facing, so your keywords need to match their language.

Think Like a Local

People search based on how they talk. Someone might search:

“toilet leaking near Zilker Park”
“best drain cleaner in 78704”

Which means you should think in terms of:

Location modifiers (city names, neighborhood names, landmarks)
Service-specific keywords (not just the umbrella term)

Don’t Forget These Sources

To expand your list, you can:

Ask your team or customers what they searched for
Check Google Autocomplete and People Also Ask
Look at your Google Business Profile categories.
Browse competitor sites for hidden service gems

The goal here is to create a seed keyword list that reflects the real-world terms your customers use. This list will become the fuel for all the research, mapping, and optimization that follows. Get it right, and your content will hit the mark every time.

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Step 2: Find Local Keyword Modifiers & Variations

Alright, so you’ve got your core services and target areas locked in. Now it’s time to make those keywords more powerful and local. This is where keyword modifiers come into play.

Think of modifiers like seasoning for your SEO dish. They take a generic term like “AC repair” and turn it into something search-intent rich like “emergency AC repair in Tucson” or “affordable AC repair near me.”

What Are Keyword Modifiers?

Modifiers are the words that people naturally use when searching for services. These could relate to:

Location: "near me," "in Tucson," "in 85716"
Urgency: "24 hour," "same day," "emergency"
Descriptive qualifiers: "best," "affordable," "licensed"
Product or brand specificity: "Trane AC repair," "Rheem water heater"

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Why Modifiers Matter in Local SEO

Google is smarter than ever, and it’s obsessed with user intent. When someone adds a modifier like “same day” or “near Park Slope,” it signals what they need right now. That’s your cue to be visible.

Modifiers help:

Attract high-converting traffic
Improve your chances of showing in the local pack.
Match long-tail keywords with stronger buyer intent.t

Where to Find Modifiers

You don’t have to guess; Google and SEO tools do the heavy lifting:

Use Google Autocomplete: Start typing your service and see what finishes the sentence
Explore Ubersuggest or SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool to discover common modifiers in your niche.
Look at competitor Google Business Profiles and their review language.e
Check FAQs and “People Also Ask” boxes for phrasing.ng

Pro Tip: Stack Your Modifiers

You can often combine multiple modifiers to zero in on super-specific, high-intent searches:

“24-hour furnace repair Tucson”
“Best emergency plumber near Speedway Blvd”

This is how you turn a plain keyword into a laser-targeted search phrase that brings in leads who are ready to act.

So, stack your modifiers, speak the searcher’s language, and watch your local SEO visibility climb.

Step 3: Analyze Competitors’ Local SEO Keywords

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to peek under the hood of what’s already working. That’s where competitive keyword analysis comes in. Your local competitors are ranking for keywords right now, and with the right tools, you can find out exactly which ones.

Think of this step as digital eavesdropping,y ethical, highly effective.

Why Analyze Competitors?

Here’s what you gain from checking out the local SEO strategy of your rivals:

Discover high-performing keywords they’re targeting
Identify content gaps (keywords they missed that you can own)
See how they use keyword modifiers, locations, and search intent.
Benchmark your Google Business Profile visibility against theirs.

Tools to Spy Like a Pro

Use these platforms to dig deep:

Ubersuggest: Plug in their domain and look at top pages and keywords
Ahrefs Site Explorer: Great for pulling up Top Pages or using the Content Gap feature
SEMrush Keyword Gap Tool: Compare your domain with up to four competitors to find untapped keywords
Google SERPs: Manually check who's showing in the local pack for your target terms

What to Look For

Spot the Gaps

One of the biggest wins here is finding keyword opportunities your competitors missed:

Do they lack location-specific landing pages?
Are they ignoring long-tail keywords like “weekend AC repair in East Austin”?
Have they failed to optimize for voice search phrases?

This gap becomes your edge.

Step 4: Use Tools to Discover and Validate Local Keywords

Now that you’ve brainstormed your services, scoped out the competition, and stacked some solid keyword modifiers, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dig into the tools. This is where the data-driven magic happens.

You’re no longer guessing what keywords to target; you’re discovering exactly what your potential customers are typing into search bars every day.

Let’s break it down.

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The Must-Have Tools for Local Keyword Research

Here are the best tools to help you find location-specific keywords and measure their value:

1. Google Keyword Planner

Great for finding search volume in specific cities or ZIP codes
Enter a keyword like “HVAC repair” and set the location filter to “Tucson, AZ”
Look for related keywords, cost-per-click (CPC) estimates, and competition level.

2. Ubersuggest

Created by Neil Patel, this tool is beginner-friendly and powerful.l
Offers keyword ideas, trend graphs, and SEO difficulty
Use the “Questions” and “Comparisons” tabs to discover long-tail queries like:
- “What’s the best AC repair near Speedway Blvd?”
- “AC replacement vs repair Tucson”

3. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

Fantastic for drilling deep into search intent
Check out the “Also Talk About” and “Questions” reports to uncover semantic keywords.
Bonus: Use the Site Explorer to pull up competitors’ top keywords and traffic data

4. SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool

The most robust keyword database on the market
You can filter by local intent, modifier use, and even SERPfeaturesu.res
Use the Keyword Difficulty (KD%) and Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD%) scores to prioritize your list.

What Metrics Should You Care About?

Not every keyword is created equal. Here’s what to look at when deciding which keywords to keep:

Strategic Bonus Tips

Use Google Autocomplete and the People Also Ask box to mine natural queries.
Pair explicit and implicit keywords in your content (e.g., “plumber in Austin” and just “plumber”)
Don’t ignore voice search phrases like “who fixes leaking AC near me,” they’re growing fast.

The goal here isn’t just to get traffic, but it’s to get the right traffic.

By using the right tools and validating each keyword with real metrics, you can create a local SEO strategy that speaks directly to what your customers are already searching for. No fluff, no guessing, just results.

Step 5: Evaluate Search Volume & Keyword Difficulty for Local Use

So you’ve gathered a mountain of keyword ideas. Now comes the part where we separate the gold from the gravel. It’s time to evaluate search volume and keyword difficulty, but in a local context.

Here’s the kicker: most keyword tools give you national or global search data, which doesn’t always help if you're targeting leads in, say, Tucson’s 85716 ZIP code.

What Should You Look For?

Let’s break down the key metrics and how to read them for local SEO:

If a keyword like “emergency AC repair Tucson” has low volume but high CPC, that’s not a red flag; it’s a signal that buyers are ready to act fast. In local SEO, intent > volume every time.

Tools to Nail Local Evaluation

Google Keyword Planner: Set your targeting by city or ZIP to get local search data
SEMrush’s PKD%: Personal Keyword Difficulty helps gauge ranking potential for your site
Ahrefs Rank Tracker: Helps validate whether implicit keywords (like “furnace installation”) show local pack results.

Prioritize Based on Opportunity

Start ranking your keywords based on:

High intent (e.g., “open now,” “near me”)
Realistic KD scores (aim for under 50 if you’re a newer site)
Local pack presence (that map means high visibility)

Don’t be seduced by giant search numbers; you want precision, not popularity. That’s how your local business stands out in a crowded SERP.

By carefully evaluating these metrics, you're not just chasing clicks. You're targeting qualified traffic that turns into calls, bookings, and walk-ins.

Step 6: Map Keywords to URLs and Content Clusters

You’ve got the keywords. You’ve done the research. Now what?

Now it’s time to map those keywords to the right pages on your website, a process known as keyword mapping. Think of this step as building your site’s SEO architecture. If you skip it, you risk keyword cannibalization, weak topical relevance, or worse, confusing both Google and your customers.

Why Keyword Mapping Matters

Each page on your site should have a clear focus. That means:

One primary keyword (e.g., “furnace repair in Tucson”)
Several supporting keywords (e.g., “emergency furnace repair,” “24 hour heater service Tucson”)

Without keyword mapping, you might:

Overuse the same keyword across multiple pages
Miss opportunities to target long-tail keywords
Dilute your relevance and impact your local rankings.

Start With Your Site Structure

Think about the different types of pages you have or should have:

Homepage: Often targets your main service + city (e.g., “HVAC company Tucson”)
Service Pages: Each core offering deserves its page (e.g., “AC installation,” “furnace repair”)
Location Pages: If you serve multiple areas, make pages for each location
Blog Posts: Great for answering questions tied to search intent and targeting semantic keywords

Use a Simple Spreadsheet

Create a keyword map like this:

This will help ensure each keyword has a dedicated home and you’re not spreading the same intent across multiple pages.

Clustering for Topical Authority

With tools like SEMrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder or Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, you can automatically group keywords by intent and topic. That way, your content clusters naturally form, improving your E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

Pro tip: Don’t stuff keywords. Instead, use them to guide page structure, headings, and meta tags. The goal is clarity for both users and search engines.

Smart keyword mapping isn’t just a technical step; it’s the strategy that ties your entire local SEO campaign together.

If you're unsure whether your pages are fully optimized for their target keywords, you can run them through a free on-page SEO checker to identify quick wins and gaps in optimization.

Step 7: Optimize Your Google Business Profile with Keywords

Let’s be honest, if you’re doing local SEO and you’re not optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP), you’re leaving money on the table.

Your GBP is prime digital real estate. It shows up on Google Maps, powers the local pack, and is often the first impression people have of your business. So why not pack it with the right local keywords and boost your visibility?

Where to Use Keywords in Your GBP

No, we’re not talking about keyword stuffing. We’re talking about smart, natural integration of location-based search terms that tell both users and Google exactly what you do and where you do it.

Here’s where to work them in:

Business Description
Use 2–3 primary local keywords in the first few lines.
Example: “We provide 24-hour AC repair in Tucson, including emergency services for homes and businesses across the 85716 ZIP code.”
Services Section
Add services as custom entries and include keywords like “ductless AC installation” or “gas furnace repair in Tucson.”
Review Responses
This is a sneaky-good spot to reinforce relevance. Respond to reviews with subtle mentions:
“Thanks for trusting us with your furnace repair in East Tucson!”
Photos and Posts
When uploading images or Google Posts, use keyword-rich captions or titles like “Before & After: Heater installation near University of Arizona.”

Why It Works

Optimizing your GBP with local keywords helps you:

Show up in more ‘near me’ searches
Strengthen your business’s relevance and prominence in Google’s eyes.
Increase engagement with people already close to converting.

Plus, Google uses your GBP info alongside your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) and reviews to determine where you show up on Maps and the local pack.

Bottom line? Your Google Business Profile isn’t just a listing. It’s a high-converting SEO asset if you treat it right.

Step 8: Track Local Rankings & Iterate Strategy

Alright, you’ve done the work, identified keywords, mapped them to pages, optimized your Google Business Profile, and published great content. Now it’s time to ask the million-dollar question: Is it working?

Tracking your local keyword rankings is the only way to know if your strategy is delivering results or just making noise.

Why You Should Track Rankings

Without tracking, you’re flying blind. Monitoring keyword performance helps you:

Spot ranking improvements (or drops)
See if you’re appearing in the local pack.
Catch seasonal trends in local search.
Adjust content and SEO tactics based on real data.

This step isn’t optional, it’s how you stay ahead of competitors who might be targeting the same long-tail keywords or local modifiers.

Tools to Use

Here are the best tools for local rank tracking:

SEMrush Position Tracking
Great for tracking mobile rankings and “near me” queries
Ahrefs Rank Tracker
Let's you monitor keyword changes over time and track SERP features like map packs
.
Google Search Console
While not geo-targeted, it shows which queries bring traffic to each page.

Pro tip: Use Map Rank Trackers to visualize your visibility across your service area. Tools like Local Falcon and BrightLocal show how well you're ranking in hyperlocal grids.

What to Do With the Data

Double down on keywords, climbing the ranks.
Refresh content for the underperforming keyword.s
Adjust on-page SEO or strengthen internal linking for stuck pages.
Expand on related keywords that are starting to trend

Tracking isn’t about patting yourself on the back, it’s about constantly improving. Because in local SEO, even a small bump in rankings can mean a big jump in calls, clicks, and foot traffic.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Local Keyword Targeting

Even the best-intentioned local SEO strategies can fall flat if you’re making the wrong moves. The truth is, local keyword targeting isn’t just about stuffing city names into every paragraph; it’s about relevance, structure, and user intent.

Let’s go over some of the most common (and costly) mistakes so you can steer clear.

Mistake 1: Keyword Stuffing

Jamming “plumber in Tucson” into every sentence doesn’t help; it hurts. Google’s smarter now. It rewards natural language and penalizes over-optimization.

Better approach: Use semantic keywords and variations like “emergency pipe repair,” “licensed plumbing service,” or “24-hour plumber near me.”

Mistake 2: Ignoring Search Intent

Not all keywords are created equal. If someone searches “best AC brands,” they probably want a comparison guide, not your contact page.

Fix it: Match content type with search intent: informational, transactional, or navigational.

Mistake 3: No Location Pages

Serving multiple areas but only optimizing for one? You’re missing traffic. Each city or neighborhood deserves its location-specific landing page.

Pro tip: Customize each page. Don’t copy-paste and swap out the city name that’s called a doorway page, and Google doesn’t like it.

Mistake 4: Overlooking Google Business Profile

You can rank #1 on your site and still lose leads if your Google Business Profile is outdated or incomplete.

Solution: Optimize it with keywords, service details, and frequent updates. Include photos and respond to reviews.

Mistake 5: Not Tracking Performance

How will you know if your keyword strategy is working if you’re not measuring it?

Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console to track what’s climbing and what’s tanking.

Avoiding these pitfalls helps you build a long-lasting local SEO foundation that drives results, not just rankings.

Conclusion: Turning Searches into Store Visits & Sales

Let’s face it, local keyword research isn’t just an SEO checklist item. It’s the engine that drives your visibility, foot traffic, and phone calls. When done right, it connects your business to people who are actively searching for what you offer right in your service area.

Whether someone’s typing “best electrician in Tucson” or asking their voice assistant for “emergency AC repair near me,” your goal is the same: show up when it matters most.

By now, you’ve learned how to:

Identify your core services and geographic focus
Leverage keyword modifiers and match search intent
Spy on competitors and find content gaps
Use tools like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to validate data.
Build smart keyword maps and optimized location pages.
Track rankings and refine your strategy over time

And let’s not forget the power of your Google Business Profile, a key asset that can dominate the local pack when optimized properly.

Here’s the takeaway: This isn’t about chasing clicks. It’s about crafting a presence so relevant, so locally tuned, that Google and your customers can’t help but take notice.

Local SEO is where strategy meets location, and when you get your keywords right, everything else falls into place. So go on, build that digital footprint, one keyword at a time, and turn searches into real-world results.

Kyle Roof