Local keyword research

Local keyword research is similar to national but has its own patterns: modifier-heavy (city names, neighborhood names, "near me"), lower absolute volume per keyword, higher intent, different SERP features.

Local query patterns

Modifier-based

• [service] + [city]: "dentist dallas"
• [service] + near me: "dentist near me" (implicit location via user's GPS)
• [service] + [neighborhood]: "dentist uptown dallas"
• [service] + [zip code]: "dentist 75201"
• Best [service] + [city]: "best dentist dallas" (commercial investigation)
• [specific service] + [city]: "emergency dental dallas"
• [service] + open now / today / weekend: "dentist open saturday dallas"

Seed + expansion for local

Seeds

1. Your core services (list of 5-15)
2. Your cities/neighborhoods/zip codes
3. Modifiers (best, near me, emergency, top, cheap, 24-hour)

Expansion

Combine: [service] × [location] × [modifier]. You'll generate hundreds of variations. Many will have 0 volume; some will be golden.

Tools for local keyword data

• Google Keyword Planner, filter by location
• Ahrefs/SEMrush, export keywords, filter for location + modifiers
• GSC for existing ranking data, see actual queries your site gets impressions for
• BrightLocal's Local Rank Tracker, specifically for local keyword tracking
• AnswerThePublic + Also Asked, question variations

Volume realities

Local keywords often show 10-1,000/mo volume vs, national keywords in the thousands. Don't dismiss low-volume local queries:

• High commercial intent (local = ready to call)
• Low competition (easier to rank)
• Cumulative volume across many variations is substantial

"Near me" queries

Growing share of local search. Users typing "near me" have GPS-enabled intent, they want results close to them right now. You can't optimize for "near me" directly; you optimize for the underlying service + proximity.

Geo-specific content

Local keyword research feeds local landing pages. For each major city/neighborhood you serve, create a dedicated page targeting that location's variation of your core services.

Example structure:

• /services/plumbing/ (general service page)
• /dallas-plumber/ (Dallas-specific)
• /fort-worth-plumber/ (Fort Worth-specific)
• /plano-plumber/ (Plano-specific)

Avoid thin location pages

The temptation: create one page per zip code with 95% identical content + a different city in the H1. Google detects this pattern (doorway pages). Penalty risk.

Good location pages:

• Unique content per location (service details, local references, local testimonials)
• Location-specific signals (address schema, embedded map, local photos)
• Links to local resources or landmarks where relevant
• Only create pages for locations you actually serve + want to rank in

Competitor analysis for local

Search your target queries from the location you want to rank in. (Use a VPN or Google's location override tool.) See who's in the Local Pack + organic. Those are your local competitors.

Check their:

• GBP completeness
• Number + recency of reviews
• NAP consistency
• Citations (BrightLocal can show competitor citations)
• On-page optimization of location pages
• Backlinks from local sources