How to do local keyword research to make your store visible and boost your sales

‍ Do you have a local business and don't know where to start? Start with a list of 10 keywords with local intent. Google them from your mobile phone, ask your customers and give them an incentive. Analyze their behavior, I must incorporate these keywords in your GMB profile and in the titles of your website

1. Start by understanding the type of local keyword

Not all local keywords are the same. They can be grouped or at least I like to group them into two fundamental types:

Explicit keywords: they include a clear location, digging deeper they can become hyper-clear.

Example: “dentist in Valencia”, “24-hour locksmith Madrid” “erotic accessories store near the Avenida América stop in Madrid”
Easy to identify and optimize and believe that many of your competitors are overlooking them.

Implicit keywords: they don't mention the location, but Google understands that the user is looking for something close, let's say that these keywords are much more competitive and have more difficulty.

Example: “bakery near me”, “mobile phone repair”.
This is where the user's geolocation comes into play. Google already knows that if someone searches for “plumber”, they probably want one thereabouts.

My tip of experience: A lot of customers tell me: “But if I'm already on Google Maps, why do I need this?” The answer is simple: the local pack (the 3 results with a map) and the organic results are influenced by the same signals. If you don't optimize your content for implicit keywords, you're leaving out valuable traffic that doesn't even include your city in the search.

2. Use tools with a real geographical focus

Not all SEO tools measure the same. Many show you national data or averages that don't reflect local reality. And that's dangerous.

Tools like Semrush, DinoRank or Moz Local allow you to filter by specific location. You can simulate searches from a city, neighborhood or even GPS coordinates. This is key because:

• The search volume varies dramatically between cities.
• The competition in the Local pack it can be very different. In fact, it's a different algorithm.
• Some keywords only make sense in certain geographical contexts.

Technical tip: Use the “local search” filter in your tool. In Semrush, for example, you can use the “Include keywords” filter and add modifiers such as Close to me, in [city], Next to, etc. But don't stop there: analyze real SERPs as well. Search for yourself on Google from a mobile device with an active location. That will give you a real picture of what the user sees.

3. Analyze your local competitors (not just at the national level)

One of the most common mistakes: focusing on big competitors at the national level and forgetting who is winning in your city.

A restaurant in Seville doesn't compete with El Celler de Can Roca, competes with La Bodeguita del Centro.

So do this:

1. Search for your target keywords from the location of your business.
2. Look who appears in the Local pack and in the first organic positions.
3. Analyze your content: what keywords do they use in titles, descriptions, and content?
4. Review their Google profiles (GBP): how do they describe their services? What categories do you use?

Field tip: Many local businesses have poorly optimized Google profiles: generic categories, empty descriptions, low-quality photos. If you do this well, you already have an advantage. And yes, the keywords in the description of the GBP do matter, especially for implicit intent.

4. Create optimized location pages (not generic pages)

If you have multiple locations, don't copy and paste the same page for each city. Google detects it, and so do users.

Each page must be unique and specific:

• Title and meta description with city and service.
• Content that talks about the area: local references, neighborhoods, common problems in the area.
• Real contact details: address, local phone number, schedules.
• Images of the actual location.

And most importantly: map each keyword to a specific page. Do not try to position “pizzeria in Bilbao” and “pizzeria in Donosti” in the same URL. Use separate pages: /pizzeria-Bilbao, /pizzeria-san-sebastian.

Real example: A client of mine had a chain of gyms. In the beginning, I used a single page for all cities. After dividing content and doing keyword research by location, local traffic increased 140% in 4 months.

5. Don't forget the informational and intentional background content

Local keyword research isn't just for service pages. You should also think about content that answers common questions in your area.

Examples:

• “How much does a filling cost in Barcelona?”
• “Where to repair electric bikes in Malaga?”
• “What to do if the basement floods in winter in Galicia?”

These searches have local intent and can bring you highly qualified traffic. Use them to create blogs or local guides.

6. Keep track of your positions... from the right place

Here comes another key that few apply: ranking tracking must be geolocalized.

If you use a tool that tells you that you are in position 3 to “laundry in Zaragoza”, but that data comes from a server in the US, is false. You need a tool that simulates the search from Zaragoza, with local IP and simulated GPS.

Tools like DinoRank or Local Falcon are great for this. They show you a Heatmap of your positions by zones, allowing you to see exactly where you are visible and where you are not.

Local SEO starts with good keyword research

You can't optimize what you don't understand. And if you don't know what keywords your ideal customer uses when searching for your service In your city, you're working blindly.

Do the fieldwork:

• Identify explicit and implicit keywords.
• Use tools with a real geographical focus.
• Analyze your real competitors: those in your area.
• Create location-specific content.
• And measure your results from the right place.

Local traffic is some of the most valuable traffic you can get. Because whoever is looking for “locksmith near me at 2 AM” is not passing through: they need a solution, and they need it now.

And if your page is well-positioned, you'll be that solution.

Do you have a local business and don't know where to start? Start with a list of 10 keywords with local intent. Search for them on Google from your mobile phone. Analyze who appears. And then act. The rest is execution.

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