How to do local SEO keyword research in 2021

Start by understanding what people in your client's service area are actually searching for. Pull your search query data from Google Search Console filtered by location if you're working with a location-specific site, then cross-reference it with Google Ads Keyword Planner. Set the location targeting to your client's service area and look for keywords that have decent search volume but low competition—this is where local businesses can actually win. Use the "Get search volume and trends" feature to identify seasonal patterns specific to that region. Don't just rely on national keyword tools; they often miss regional variations and colloquialisms that locals actually use. For a plumber in Denver, people might search "emergency plumber near me" but they might also search "24-hour plumbing Denver" or "same-day drain cleaning south Denver." These variations matter because they indicate intent specific to your geography.

Next, analyze what's currently ranking in the local pack and organic results for your target keywords. Look at the top 10 results and see what your actual competition is—are they bigger companies, local competitors, or franchise operations? This tells you if a keyword is actually winnable for your client. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz's local SEO features to check the difficulty scores, but also manually review what's ranking because the algorithms don't always account for Google's local preference algorithm. Pay attention to businesses that are ranking well with limited backlinks; this signals opportunity.

The third layer is understanding search intent by location. A search for "best Italian restaurant" versus "Italian restaurant delivery" versus "Italian restaurant near me" represents different user needs, even if they're all local searches. Use Google's "near me" searches to understand immediate-need queries, review competitor websites to see what they're targeting, and look at People Also Ask sections to understand related questions your client could capture. Create a spreadsheet mapping keywords by intent type—informational, navigational, and transactional—because this drives your content strategy. Your local SEO keyword research should feed into whether you're building location pages, optimizing Google Business Profile content, or creating neighborhood-specific blog content. That alignment between research and execution is what actually moves the needle for local clients.