Marketing in the digital space is fierce. No matter what your industry, there’s guaranteed to be another business in competition. This means that maximizing your SEO is vital to boost website traffic, convert sales, and amplify your business’s overall success.
But it’s not as simple as choosing a few words and hoping they stick, and many overlook the importance of honing in on local keywords.
So, what does all this mean and why are keywords crucial to local search?
Let’s find out what keywords are and how they work for your SEO.
What are local keywords?
In relation to SEO, keywords are simply the words and phrases that someone might type into a search engine to find entertainment, information, products, and/or services. For example, a customer craving a latte might type in “coffee shop,” making that the keyword phrase.
But what constitutes local SEO? As it implies, these keywords identify a specific area in which the user is looking. For example, that same user might more specifically type in “coffee shop near me” or “coffee shop New York City.” The addition of “near me” or a city name is considered part of the keyword phrase.
Why are Local Keywords Important?
Local keywords are vital to reaching potential customers that are right in your own backyard. If residents can’t find you, then how will they ever patronize your business? Local keywords instruct the search engine algorithms to bring up map results,
It’s also been found that, in many cases, people who utilize local keywords in their searches are more likely to actively book a service or purchase a product than those who are performing general searches. In other words, you’re missing out on a lot of potential sales if your local keyword strategy isn’t up to par.
Types of Local Keywords
Local keywords can be divided into different categories. The most obvious are known as explicit keywords, and they include terms like city name, neighborhood, state, geographic region, or zip code. Basically anything that explicitly states where someone is looking!
However, implicit keywords are just as powerful. These include common phrases like “near me,” “close by,” or “nearest” and also let the algorithms know that the user is looking for local results, which will bring up map information. The only difference here is that that location is determined by the user’s GPS location, not the actual terms they search.
Keyword Characteristics & Research
There’s an art to keyword research and selecting the combination that makes you competitive but also helps you stand out. What exactly does that mean?
Keywords have different metrics that can be helpful to understand when choosing how to create your content. For example, search volume is the amount that the keyword or phrase is searched in a given time period.
Terms with high search volume are great because they’re popular, but that also means they’re competitive and often broad, meaning it can be hard to get promising traffic.
Keywords with a lower search volume but that may fit your niche better, may have less overall searches, but could lead to more sales or bookings because they’re attracting the right customers.
There is also a difference in what are known as short-tail and long-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords tend to be more competitive and broader, whereas long-tail keywords include more detail that might not be searched as frequently, but target the right users. For example, “coffee shop” versus “coffee shop specializing in matcha near me.”
Keyword relevance is also crucial. This means that the keywords match the content on the page. While it seems silly, making this mistake (or sometimes doing it intentionally to gain traffic) loses the trust of the user, or at the very least, frustrates them.
Keywords Overall
Formulating a keyword strategy may seem simple and straightforward, but it’s actually a complex web of balancing broad, popular search terms while also highlighting your niche and maximizing local SEO to get users who are actually near your business!
Rather than tossing up content and hoping, utilize some of the many free online tools that allow you to research different keywords and their volume, difficulty, relevance, and more! And don’t forget, your business is your livelihood, so reach out to the experts with help with your local SEO strategy.
Build a Smarter Local SEO Keyword Strategy
Web Fox Marketing in Livonia helps small businesses throughout Michigan get found in local search with smarter SEO strategies. By targeting the right local keywords, we help improve visibility, attract nearby customers, and support long-term online growth. Call today to get started with an effective digital marketing strategy and grow your online presence.