6 Easy Keyword Research Tips

Effective keyword research is the foundation of every successful Local SEO strategy, but it isn’t rocket science. Truthfully, other than an SEO expert, no one is more qualified than you to do keyword research for your business. With the help of a free keyword research tool and understanding a few tips and strategies, you can begin to implement effective keyword research into your business’s Local SEO strategy today.

Check out these 6 simple and valuable keyword research tips that will take you less than 10 minutes to put into action:

Step number one is to use a keyword research tool. There are a number of really good options available, both for free and with paid subscriptions. The Google Ads Keyword Planner can be used for free to provide search volume and competition data. It is also a great tool to generate new ideas for keywords based on the ones you already have. Just choose “Discover new keywords” and enter up to 10 of your existing keywords. A minor issue is that the data is displayed in a range, however it still gives you a good idea of whether a keyword is worth targeting. You can also see more exact data if you are actively running a Google Ads campaign. Another great tool is SEMrush. This tool is available for a monthly subscription, however it also comes with a ton of power and allows you to see incredible amounts of data including keyword rank tracking, content topic generators, site health audits, and basically anything you could ever need to manage your business’s online presence.

At the bottom of Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are related search suggestions from Google based other people’s searches. This is literally a look at what your potential customers are searching for help with. Enter one of your main services into Google and click search. Scroll to the bottom of the page and there will be a section that says, “Searches related to…” and then your search query. These related searches can be great keywords to target for your business because they are exact searches within your industry or practice. To find additional keywords, copy and paste these queries into a keyword research tool to see if their volume and competition level is worth targeting.

When you begin typing into the Google search bar, Google will automatically recommend searches based on what you are typing. These recommendations are search queries that Google recognizes as frequent searches, thus is why they are being recommended. Take these suggestions and enter them into your keyword research tool to determine the search volume and competition, and target them in your SEO strategy if the volume is sufficient.

Every Google Business Profile (GBP) listing on Google has a primary business category. For the categories that are relevant to your industry, use them as keywords and as a base for additional keywords. Discover categories when setting up your own GBP, or by searching for your services and looking at the categories that your competition is utilizing. Then, take these categories and enter them into your keyword research tool to find even more keywords.

If you’re unfamiliar with what Google Business Profiles are, they are the listings that appear in the map results at the top of Google searches, usually in the form of a three pack. Learn more about GBP listings in our post on how to optimize your Google Business Profile.

A long-tail keyword typically contains three or more words, while a short-tail keyword is a keyword of just one or two words. Long-tail keywords are usually less competitive than short-tail keywords, thus they are easier to gain rankings for. The more specific you can be with a keyword, the better. Experiment with your keyword research tool to find which variations of long-tail keywords generate the most traffic without too much competition, and target these as part of your SEO strategy.

This is specific to businesses operating in a local area. Once you identify keywords related to the products or services you provide, attach your targeted location to the keywords. For example, if you are a general contractor that remodels kitchens in Charlotte, NC, a good keyword is “kitchen remodeling charlotte nc”. This is a long-tail keyword and it is targeted specifically to the area where you do business.

NOTE: It is important to target your physical location first. To learn how and when to target locations outside of your physical location, check out our post on how to expand the reach of your Local SEO efforts.

Give these 6 quick and easy keyword research tips a try, and begin implementing them into your business’s Local SEO strategy today. When properly executed, you are sure to gain a leg up on your competition.

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