Local SEO Keyword Research

When it comes to SEO, there’s one component that is arguably more important than all others: keyword researchKeyword research helps websites unearth the best keywords to drive traffic and visibility. This research is supported by a number of powerful web-based tools, the best of which we’ve listed here..

It may not seem that essential on the surface. However, if you get the research wrong, your business will waste a lot of time, money, and energy on keywords that are simply not worth the effort.

Rather than spending months to land that #1 position on Google with a term that isn’t generating any traffic, ensure your keywordKeywords are the words and phrases that potential customers might search for to find your business. research strategy is firing on all cylinders from the outset.

While this is an ethos every business should follow, it’s especially pertinent for a business that relies on local trade. If you get the local SEOLocal SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank on the 1st page of Google for a search term and geographic location that is relevant to your business. keyword research right, your company could instantly become an industry leader in your area.

What is local SEO keyword research?

Before diving into the world of local SEO keyword research, it’s essential to understand what local SEO actually entails.

In essence, local SEO is the process of refining your online presence to entice relevant searches from local consumers. The strategy involves playing ball with the search engines – aka Google – and optimizing content to fall in line with their guidelines.

As for the keyword research part, the clue is in the name. This is a method of finding relevant search terms, the type that relates to your business, and are receiving regular enquiries from potential customers. When you add local SEO to the mix, the research revolves around keywords that specifically focus on a location. For example, “bookstore” is a general term that is effectively open to the world. “Nottingham bookstore”, however, is a local search that revolves around finding a bookstore in Nottingham – obviously.

If you want to know your website’s current SEO status, it’s highly recommended to perform a local SEO audit. This will reveal any errors that might be holding your site back, and these can be rectified before going all-in with your local SEO endeavour.

The importance of the Google Snack Pack

…The what now?

If you’ve never heard of the Google Snack Pack, you shouldn’t worry too much. It’s really only a system that search nerds and business leaders know about. Nevertheless, don’t let that fool you into downplaying its importance. Plus, even if you haven’t heard the name before, you have definitely seen the “snack pack” in action.

So what is it?

The Google Snack Pack, also known by its more descriptive name of “3-pack”, is the grouping of three local businesses. This group is placed in a boxed area at the top of the first page of search results. So if you were to type into Google, say, “hairdressers near me”, the “snack pack” of hairdressers will be the first you lay eyes on.

The selection is based on Google’s criteria. They will simply list the top three local business listings which they deem to be most relevant – and useful – to the search enquiry. The implementation of relevant local keywords can play a big part in securing this sought-after spot with Google.

To land in this inner circle, you have three options. One is to sell your soul. The other is to enlist the services of a specialist local SEO company. Thirdly, you can put in a considerable amount of effort over several months and years.

If you’re going with the latter, read on.

Local keyword research methods

Now you’re fully aware of the significance of local SEO, it’s time to start putting a plan into action. This begins by knowing how to research relevant local keywords. Fortunately, there are various ways in which this can be done.

Think logically

Simply put, local keyword research is not difficult. It may seem complicated to an outsider, but all you need to do is think logically about the situation.

For your business, you will likely already know the type of primary keywords to target. If you were running an Italian restaurant, for instance, the main keyword would be “Italian restaurant” – nice and easy, right?

The hard part, however, would be trying to get a high ranking on Google with only “Italian restaurant” as the search term. Think about all the Italian eateries on the planet – that’s the competition you’re going up against with such a general keyword.

Before getting into the local search aspect, it’s also vital to know those keyword modifiers should be added to the equation. By keyword modifiers, this means words such as:

• Best
• Inexpensive
• Buy
• Top
• Delivery
• Emergency

Now instead of simply being the “Italian restaurant”, you can transform into the “best Italian restaurant”. Okay, this term will again be one that’s broad with a large amount of competition. Yet these modifiers are worth keeping in mind when it comes to local-based keywords.

Speaking of which, let’s say the Italian restaurant is in Liverpool. By doing a keyword search by city, this can throw up various Local SEO-based terms, including:

• “Italian restaurant in Liverpool”
• “Liverpool best Italian restaurant”
• “Italian restaurant that delivers in Liverpool”

With these search terms, you have a fighting chance of hitting the Google rankings jackpot. You’ll only be up against other Italian restaurants in Liverpool, which means there’s much less competition to get onto the first page of search results – and even among the Google Snack Pack dignitaries.

Use a generator

Here’s a quick tip. If you’re struggling to come up with your own combinations of keywords, modifiers, and local search terms, receive a helping hand from technology.

You can place your keywords in a local SEO keyword generator, press the “Generate keywords” button, and let the magic commence. Within seconds it’ll fire out an extensive list of local SEO keywords you can put into action.

Google Autocomplete

Here’s another easy method to land some juicy local keywords. You know when you type a query into Google, and it pops up with various autocomplete suggestions? Well, you can utilise this for your research.

Simply take one of your local SEO keywords – let’s say “Liverpool Italian restaurant” – and type this into Google. Once the autocomplete kicks into action, it will suggest a range of additional words that can be added to “Liverpool Italian restaurant”. In our search, it came up with recommendations like “Liverpool Italian restaurant Duke Street” and “Liverpool best Italian restaurants.”

It’s not only recommended to do this to add a few more local keywords to your repertoire. It also supplies an insight into what people are searching for right now. Google Autocomplete effectively works in real-time, so it reacts to current search terms. This means if there’s a sudden spike in popularity for a specific keyword, you can spot the current trend change.

Analyse the competition

Okay, we have finally reached the stage where you might want to enlist a marketing agency that offers a local SEO service. Why? Well, now you have to start utilising specialist technology to get the most out of this method.

With that said, even this is still fairly straightforward to do. You will just need to set aside ample time to not only research your local competitors but also to extract and analyse the keywords they use.

As a starting point, you can use Google to study the top-ranking local keywords for your target area. However, there are specialist tools available where you can measure what common keywords are used among multiple competitors.

It can also pay off to do this type of search in a different, larger city. If you search for keywords relating to an Italian restaurant in, say, London, it could produce different results than if you only stick in Liverpool. As a result, you could spot keyword variations that are not being used by the competition – low-hanging fruit that could produce a decent level of traffic with minimal work involved.

Deciding on the right keywords to use

Once you have conducted your research, it’s all about picking the right local SEO keywords to focus on. You may want to try and encompass all of them as part of your content strategy, but this typically isn’t feasible. Plus, you want to avoid stretching yourself too thin in that regard; otherwise, you will likely fail to rank for any targeted keyword.

The decision will also depend on your competition. If you feel that specific keywords are too competitive, you may opt against trying to target them. On the flip side, you may feel that, because they’re so popular, it’s worth attempting to upset the apple cart and get in on the action.

When it comes to implementing the keywords, ensure you have the right page structure on your website. For example, for specific terms, you will want to create an entire landing page dedicated to the keyword. By doing this, you will have a higher chance of landing on the first page of Google.

Still, confused?

If you’re still not quite sure how local SEO keyword research works, don’t worry. You can always enlist the services of a local SEO agency to do the heavy lifting. They will have a range of local SEO services – including keyword research – to ensure your website maximizes its visibility to your local audience.