Keyword Research for Local Search Terms (Local SEO Part 4)

For new websites and online shops, as well as for existing pages that need to be revised, content optimization should always be preceded by professional keyword research to uncover potentials and develop a general keyword strategy for the entire site. In the local area, there are some specific hurdles that need to be overcome. Simply the multitude of combinations for local search terms (“industry + location” or “location + industry” and other variations) sometimes presents a real challenge even for experts.

No search volume for local keywords?

A typical problem in local search engine optimization: To determine and compare the search volume for different local search terms, a keyword research is conducted using the AdWords Keyword Tool. A list of keywords is entered, with the settings set to exact. The result: no search volume. And now? Is local search engine optimization even worth it if the monthly traffic is so low, seemingly nonexistent?

Anyone using Google's free Keyword Tool must be aware that the numbers are never exact. Rounded results are displayed, showing an average over a period of 12 months. Especially in the long tail (which can include regional keywords), the tool proves to be very unreliable. How can you still obtain meaningful results and determine the most important keywords for the local website?

There are various options available as solutions to the problem:

• General keyword research without local reference using industry, product, or service terms helps in prioritizing and provides the most important search terms, synonyms, related terms, different spellings, as well as relevant long tail keywords with strong traffic. Supplemented with the local reference, these keywords provide a good starting point.

• Local keyword research in the tool with the setting “broad” yields ideas for local search terms. It is questionable anyway how relevant the “exact” setting truly is, as in the results of the increasingly semantic search, an “exact match” is becoming less important.

• Keyword research with the next larger city may provide more meaningful results while still maintaining regional relevance.

• To recognize trends, research with any larger city can also help. The danger here is that regional language differences might not be considered.

Alternatives to the AdWords Keyword Tool

As mentioned above, the Google Keyword Tool is sometimes very unreliable. However, there are other sources that can help identify and evaluate keywords. Some ideas:

• Google Analytics or another web analysis tool for existing websites (evaluation based on local keywords or visitor locations and organic search terms)

• Categories and tags from industry directories for related terms

• Google Insights: The heatmap of states can help identify regional vocabulary, but it is not available for all keywords

If there is budget available, the most reliable and important source is a professional Google AdWords campaign, which provides actual impressions (search volume) and ideas for new keywords (set booked keywords to “broad”). The risk here: If the budget is set too low, no meaningful figures result. A high budget could, however, quickly be consumed by irrelevant keywords booked with the “broad” setting. It is important to choose a very limited timeframe to keep costs manageable. The regional limitation of the target group should also be carefully checked. With too strict a location restriction, too few impressions and clicks might be generated, but a too large regional expansion could drive costs up significantly.

Local competitor analysis

When searching for suitable keywords, not only search volume or relevance is important but also the competitive situation. A competitive analysis should therefore always be part of a professional and comprehensive keyword research. The first step is to enter local keywords into the Google search in quotation marks. (A special consideration arises since the Google Venice Update. There are two options: Set the location to “Germany” and search for local keywords or set the location to the target region and search for global keywords.)

The following aspects are of interest in the results:

• How many search results does the query produce?

• To what extent is the top 10 of the search results optimized for local keywords?

• For which keywords are map results displayed, and which search queries deliver specific local results? For which keywords is there already a strong local provider?

• What is the competitive situation in Google Places (now Google+ Local)? How many serious entries with reviews and fully completed data are there?

It is generally a good idea to start with keywords that show low or weak competition but have high search volume and promise high conversions. It is evident that such an optimal situation cannot be found in every industry and target region. It is still worth paying attention to such opportunities.

Overview of the Local SEO seriesPart 5: Google Places becomes Google+ Local: What are the new developments at Google+ Local, and what are the ranking factors for local profiles?