Keyword research is the most crucial part of every SEO strategy. Many SEO experts and content strategists spend a lot of time researching the relevant local business search terms and keywords. This process is pretty time-consuming, and sometimes it takes weeks until completed.
When we need to optimize a local business website, we must focus on particular keywords but also on the localized part of the query. When done correctly, the implementation is more manageable, and results are measurable in just a few weeks.
But how to determine which keywords are relevant to our business? What do we have to do to track down the most competitive ones without getting too generic?
You first need to know that keyword research is topic research and determining how it affects your site’s ranking.
What is Local SEO, and why do you Need it?
It’s not enough just to submit your website to Google Business Profile to rank in local searches. You also must tailor your content appropriately and give the site visitors information and value.
Local SEO is important to small and local businesses, so they won’t spend resources on promoting their job outside the area they cover right now.
Why Do I Need Local SEO Keyword Research?
When you submit your business with Google My Business, you already appear in local Google Maps Results. When you add the address and phone number to your physical store, you indeed have a precise location listed.
This way, you also check on what your competition is doing and which keywords they use in their content. Sounds like an easy thing to do, but it’s time-consuming and requires a lot of work until done.
So, let’s get to the point.
How to do Local Keyword Research?
Let’s suppose your business is based in Austin, Texas. You surely have a lot of competitors in Texas or the USA, but if you need to keep things local, you have to focus on Austin.
First, determine what your business focuses on. If you own a coffee shop, you must know what you provide, like cold brew, freshly baked coffee beans, pumpkin spice lattes, etc.
So, you need to classify your products as your keyword groups. Examples of good keywords are:
- coffee shop austin
- fresh coffee austin
- austin cold brew coffee
- pumpkin spice latte near me, etc.
Even the queries without the local element will work if you already have your site registered on Google My Business.
We suggest using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to conduct keyword research, especially when you want to know which one is your target. These tools let you see how competitive your local target keywords are and how to use them to give you an advantage over the competition.
At this point, you will get lists of hundreds or thousands of keywords, so you first need to filter out the irrelevant ones while keeping those that can be used.
Every tool lets you use filters, but you still have to manually check the lists.
Additionally, use the Google Search Console to get the most relevant data for the particular site.
Then, you need to compare the results from the other tools and see which keywords stay relevant for your content localization.
One way is to learn this process yourself. You also can find an SEO agency like Alpha Victor Charlie that covers the specific area, or in this case, Austin.
Enhance the Website With Localized FAQs
As you run the keyword analysis and research, you will be able to spot some queries that ask a question. So, you can directly use them to optimize the answers and include an FAQ section on your website.
Depending on your keyword research tool, you can filter out all the queries with a question mark and then fill up the report with them.
For example, if there is a query asking, “Where to find the best latte in Austin?” you can immediately answer it, explaining how you prepare your latte and why it’s great.
Repeat the process with all other questions that appear as queries.
Additionally, you can use the keyword report to create questions alone and then answer them for the FAQ section.
Also, don’t feel an urge to answer all the questions listed in the reports. Choose the relevant ones, and keep them simple, straightforward, direct, and concise.
Bottom Line
Local and small businesses must pay attention to all aspects of local SEO. Keyword research is the most time-consuming step, but it is vital to properly implement the strategy.
Of course, it is not at all terrible if a keyword is missed at the moment. In fact, it is very easy to re-optimize content if other high-ranking keywords appear. It’s much easier than over-optimizing and overusing keywords.
Keep these things in mind if you want to rank higher in local results, or let the professionals do that for you.
