Keyword Research for Local SEO

July 18, 2016 0 comments

Keyword research has been always a crucial part of search engine optimisation, higher search rankings, and more organic traffic.

However, for some unexplainable reason, whenever we discuss local SEO, keyword research apparently takes a backseat. But that should never be the case.

Even in case of local SEO, keyword research is extremely important, and it can easily be the difference between a top search engine listing and being forgotten in thousands of search engine results.

In this post, we will discuss a few useful tips and important concepts on keyword research should be done for local SEO.

Head Keywords vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Keywords are generally divided into two broad categories: head keywords and longtail keywords.

And almost all of us know that long-tail keywords should often be preferred because they are easier to rank and can bring more targeted traffic and potential customers. On the other hand, “head” keywords can be very difficult to successfully target.

However, when it comes to SEO, the competitional difference between these two categories are often not that highlighted.

It is because you are often competing against fewer companies that are in your local area and targeting the same audience as you. Therefore, it is relatively easier to target a head keyword and still get ranked higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Does it mean that you should not target long-tail keywords?

No.

You should still not discard long-tail keywords because they have their own value in local SEO. It is true that some “head” keywords may bring you some extra amount of traffic, but long-tail keywords often deliver the most targeted visitors and potential customers if you integrate them right.

More targeted visitors lead to a better ROI and more sales.

Keywords and Local Areas

Another important concept is that you should often consider adding the name of your local area — or city — when coming up with keywords.

It is especially helpful when you are brainstorming different keywords and have yet to find the exact search volumes.

Here is an example that will further clear its importance.

Suppose you are a “travel agency” in Brooklyn. If somebody is specifically looking for a travel agency business in the area of Brooklyn, they might add the keyword “Brooklyn” in there.

So, instead of targeting “travel agency”, targeting “travel agency in Brooklyn” makes more sense for you and your business. It is more likely to bring you targeted traffic.

Think Like Your Potential Customers

The key to keyword research is to think like your potential customers who are searching for your business online.

Which keywords do they use?
How do they usually refer to your type of business?
What are they most interested in?
Do they want to search for the best quality or the cheapest rates?

When you know the answers to these questions, you can think like the potential customers you want to target.

For example, they might be searching for “best insurance agent in Scranton”. They would only find your business if you are targeting those keywords.

Note: Notice when you start incorporating all these tips, your keywords automatically start becoming long-tail keywords (which is a good thing).

The Lingo

Don’t underestimate the power of technical lingo.

The way you refer to your business may be completely different than what your potential customers use for searching. For example, your customers might be searching for the keyword “garbage disposal” while you think of your business as a “waste management service” provider.

The concepts are the same — the services would be exactly the same — but the keywords aren’t. And that will make the entire difference. Your potential customers will not be able to find you.

So, make sure that you know the language and the exact keywords your customers and target audience use. To do that, you will have to manually search for all the potential phrases by which one can find your business.

Also, hang out on Quora, Reddit, and relevant forums to find what people are usually saying.

Don’t Forget the Tools

You can do all the research and brainstorming, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t have exact numbers and data.

That’s where the tools come in.

And there are plenty of them; you just need to know which tools to use and when. Some of the popular ones that can greatly help your keyword research for local SEO are:

Google Keyword Planner (for finding search volume)
io (a great keyword scrapper tool)
SEMRush (a slightly expensive tool with wealth of knowledge)
Google Trends (yes, Google Trends can be a handful. Here is a brief guide on how to use it for local SEO).

Final Words

Google has recently started using several different factors in local SEO. However, keyword research still remains a very integral and important part in gaining higher search engine rankings and organic local traffic.

Make sure that you are carefully following the tips mentioned in this blog post if you want better local SEO results.

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