Local SEO Keyword Research: 15 Steps to Follow

If you want your business to appear when people nearby search for what you do, you need to understand the words they use.

That is where local SEO keyword research comes in.

It helps you find the search terms people type into Google when they are looking for local services, products, shops, trades, restaurants, clinics, or businesses.

For example, someone might search:

• “Web designer in Nottingham”
• “Electrician near me”
• “Accountant Newark”
• “Dog groomer Southwell”
• “Emergency plumber Nottinghamshire”

These are not random searches. They usually come from people who need something specific, in a specific area. That makes them valuable.

In this guide, we’ll walk through a simple step-by-step process for finding local SEO keywords for your business.

What Is Local SEO Keyword Research?

Local SEO keyword research is the process of finding the search terms people use when looking for businesses like yours in a specific area.

It helps you understand three important things:

• What your customers are searching for
• How they describe your services
• Which locations they include in their searches

Instead of guessing, you can build your website around real search behaviour.

For example, you might describe your service as: “bespoke digital marketing support”.

But your potential customer might search: “small business website designer near me”.

That gap matters, and good local SEO keyword research helps you close that gap, so your website uses the same type of language your customers use.

Why Local Keyword Research Matters

Most small businesses don’t need to rank across the whole country.

If you run a local service business, you need to appear in the areas you actually serve.

A hair salon in Newark does not need traffic from Edinburgh. A builder in Nottingham does not need enquiries from Cornwall. A local café does not need to rank nationally for “coffee”.

You need to show up for searches that are relevant to your business and your location. Instead of having a general “Services” page that tries to say everything, you can build pages around specific services, locations, and customer needs.

That is much more useful for Google, and more importantly, it is much more useful for people.

Step 1: List Your Main Services

Start with your core services, don’t think about keywords yet, just write down what your business offers.

For example, a digital marketing business might list:

• Web design
• SEO
• Branding

A trades business might list:

• Plumbing
• Boiler servicing
• Emergency plumbing

A beauty business might list:

• Hair colouring
• Bridal hair
• Facials

At this stage, keep it simple. Write down everything you offer, even if some services are small add-ons.

Step 2: Break Each Service Into Specific Search Terms

Once you have your main services, break them down into more specific phrases.

This is important because people often search for the exact thing they need, not just your broad service category.

For example, “web design” could become:

• WordPress web design
• Small business web design
• E-commerce web design

“Plumbing” could become:

• Emergency plumber
• Boiler repair
• Leak detection

“Photography” could become:

• Wedding photography
• Family photography
• Newborn photography

These more specific phrases are often easier to rank for and more likely to attract the right people.

Someone searching “photographer” could be looking for anything, but Sbmeone searching “business headshot photographer Nottingham” has a much clearer idea of what they need.

That is the sweet spot.

Step 3: List the Locations You Want To Target

Next, write down the places your business serves.

This might include:

• Your town
• Nearby towns
• Your city
• Your county
• Surrounding areas
• Neighbourhoods
• Regions

For example, a business based in Newark might target:

• Newark
• Southwell
• Nottingham
• Mansfield
• Lincoln
• Nottinghamshire
• East Midlands

A business based in Nottingham might target:

• Nottingham
• West Bridgford
• Beeston
• Arnold
• Mapperley
• Mansfield
• Derby
• Nottinghamshire

Be realistic here. Don’t target every town within a 100-mile radius just because you technically could travel there.

Focus on the locations where you genuinely want more customers.

This is especially important if you plan to create location pages later. A strong page for a real service area is much better than 20 thin pages for places you barely serve.

Step 4: Combine Your Services and Locations

Now you can start building keyword ideas.

Take your services and combine them with your locations.

For example:

• Web design Newark
• Web design Nottingham
• SEO Nottinghamshire

A plumber, this might look like:

• Plumber Newark
• Emergency plumber Nottingham
• Boiler repair Southwell

A photographer:

• Wedding photographer Nottingham
• Family photographer Newark
• Business headshots Nottinghamshire

This gives you a strong starting list of local SEO keywords.

You don’t need to use every keyword. You are just building a useful pool of options.

Step 5: Add Different Keyword Variations

People do not all search in the same way.

One person might search “web design Nottingham”, another might search “website designer Nottingham”, and a third might search “web design company near me”

All three could be looking for the same thing, which is why you need to think about keyword variations.

For each service, consider different ways people might describe it.

Using our website design example you may end up with phrases like:

• Web designer Nottingham
• Website designer Newark
• Web design agency Nottinghamshire

This helps you avoid focusing too narrowly on one version of a phrase.

However, do not create separate pages for every tiny variation.

A page targeting “web design Nottingham” can naturally include related phrases like “website designer in Nottingham” and “Nottingham web design agency”.

Google is clever enough to understand related wording, so your job is to make the page helpful and clear.

Step 6: Use Google To Find Real Search Ideas

Google itself is one of the easiest keyword research tools.

Start typing your service and location into Google and look at the suggestions.

For example, type: “web design Nottingham”

You might see suggestions such as:

• Web design Nottingham prices
• Web design Nottingham small business
• WordPress web design Nottingham

These suggestions can help you spot the phrases people are already searching for.

You can also look at:

• People also ask
• Related searches
• competitor page titles
• autocomplete suggestions
• Google Maps results

These areas are especially useful because they show how people phrase their searches in real life. If Google repeatedly shows similar questions or phrases, that is usually a sign worth paying attention to.

Step 7: Check Your Google Search Console Data

If your website already gets impressions, Google Search Console is one of the best places to look. It shows the real queries people use when your website appears in search results.

Open Google Search Console and look at:

• Queries with high impressions
• Queries with low clicks
• Pages with visibility but poor click-through rates
• Searches that include your service areas
• Searches that include your services
• Keywords ranking between positions 5 and 20

These are often strong opportunities.

For example, if a blog post gets thousands of impressions but hardly any clicks, that tells you something useful.

It might mean:

• The title is not strong enough
• Meta description is too vague
• Content does not match the search intent
• The page needs more detail
• Introduction does not answer the query quickly enough
• Competitors have more useful search results

This is not a failure. It is data, and data is much better than guessing.

If a keyword already brings impressions, Google has started associating your page with that topic. Your job is to improve the page so it deserves more clicks.

Step 8: Check the Search Intent

Search intent means the reason behind the search.

Before choosing a keyword, ask “What does this person actually want?”

For example:

• “Local SEO keyword research” – This person probably wants a guide, process, tools, examples, or a simple explanation.
• “SEO agency Nottingham” – This person is probably looking for someone to hire.
• “How much does SEO cost?” – This person wants pricing guidance.
• “Google Business Profile not showing” – This person has a problem and wants a fix.

Different keywords need different types of content:

• Service keyword usually needs a service page.
• Question keyword usually needs a blog post.
• Comparison keyword may need a guide or landing page.
• Problem keyword may need a troubleshooting article.

This is where many businesses go wrong. They find a keyword, add it to any old page, and hope for the best. But if the page does not match what the searcher wants, it will struggle.

Good SEO is not just about using the keyword. It is about answering the search properly.

Step 9: Decide Which Keywords Deserve Service Pages

Some local keywords should become service pages.

These are usually keywords where the searcher is looking for a business to contact.

For example:

• Web design Newark
• Accountant Nottingham
• Emergency plumber Southwell
• Wedding photographer Nottinghamshire

These keywords have commercial intent, which means the person searching may be comparing providers, checking prices, reading reviews, or getting ready to enquire.

For these keywords, a service page should clearly explain:

• What you offer
• Who the service is for
• Where you offer it
• What is included
• Why someone should choose you
• Examples of your work
• Testimonials or reviews
• A clear call to action

Don’t bury important service keywords inside one generic page. If a service is important to your business, it probably deserves its own page.

Step 10: Decide Which Keywords Should Become Blog Posts

Not every keyword should become a service page. Some searches are more informational.

For example:

• How to do local SEO keyword research
• How much does a website cost
• What is Google Business Profile
• How often should small businesses post on social media
• SEO vs Google Ads for small business
• Why is my website not showing on Google

These are better suited to blog posts or guides.

Blog posts are useful because they help you reach people earlier in the buying journey.

Someone reading a guide may not be ready to enquire today. But if your content is genuinely helpful, they may remember you later.

That is especially useful for small businesses. People often need to trust you before they contact you. Helpful content helps build that trust.

Step 11: Map One Main Keyword to Each Page

Once you have a list of keyword ideas, you need to organise them, which is called keyword mapping.

It simply means deciding which page should target which keyword.

For example:

Each important page should have one clear main keyword. That doesn’t mean you only use that exact phrase. It means the page has one clear focus.

For example, a page targeting “web design Newark” might also include:

• Website designer in Newark
• Newark web design
• Small business website design
• WordPress web design Newark

That is fine. In fact, it is natural.

What you want to avoid is having five different pages all fighting for the same keyword, which can confuse Google and weaken your rankings.

Step 12: Check the Competition

Before you commit to a keyword, search it yourself.

Look at the pages currently ranking on page one.

Ask:

• Are they service pages or blog posts?
• Are they local businesses or national directories?
• Do they include reviews, examples, or FAQs?
• Are the pages actually useful?
• Are they targeting the location clearly?
• Could you create something better?
• Are they answering the search properly?

You don’t need to copy competitors. In fact, please do not. The internet has enough copy-and-paste sludge already.

Instead, use competitor pages to understand what Google is rewarding, then look for gaps.

Maybe your competitors have weak content, or they don’t explain pricing or show examples. It could be that your competitors don’t answer common questions or their pages feel cold and generic.

Those gaps are opportunities.

Step 13: Prioritise Your Keywords

At this stage, you may have a long list, and you now need to decide what to focus on first.

Prioritise keywords based on:

• Relevance to your business
• Local intent
• Likelihood of enquiries
• How important the service is to you
• How competitive the search looks
• Whether you already have a suitable page
• Whether Google Search Console shows impressions

A simple scoring system can help. Give each keyword a score from 1 to 5 for:

• Relevance
• Intent
• Opportunity
• Business value

Then start with the keywords that score highest overall.

You don’t need to optimise your entire website in one afternoon while fuelled by coffee and blind panic.

Start with the pages that are most likely to bring in relevant enquiries.

Step 14: Use Your Keywords Naturally on the Page

Once you choose a keyword, use it in the right places.

For a blog post or service page, include the main keyword in:

• Page title
• SEO title
• Meta description
• The introduction
• At least one heading
• The body content
• Image alt text, where relevant
• The URL, if it makes sense

But keep it natural, and don’t force the keyword into every other sentence.

For example, this is not good:

“Local SEO keyword research is important because local SEO keyword research helps with local SEO keyword research for local businesses.”

No one wants that. Not Google, nor your customers, nor humanity.

A better version would be:

“Local SEO keyword research helps you understand how people search for businesses like yours in your area.”

Clear. Useful. Human.

That is the aim.

Step 15: Review and Improve Over Time

Keyword research is not a one-time job.

Your services may change. Your local area may change. Search behaviour may change. Your website may start ranking for unexpected terms.

So review your keyword performance every few months.

In Google Search Console, look for:

• Keywords gaining impressions
• Pages with low click-through rates
• Keywords close to page one
• New local search terms
• Blog posts that could be improved
• Service pages that are not getting visibility

Then update your content.

You might need to:

• Rewrite the SEO title
• Improve the meta description
• Add clearer headings
• Answer more questions
• Add examples
• Improve internal links
• Split one broad page into separate service pages
• Refresh outdated sections

This is often where small businesses can get quick wins.

You don’t always need brand new content. Sometimes, you need to make existing content work harder.

Local SEO Keyword Research Template

You can use this simple structure to plan your own keywords.

You can keep this in a spreadsheet and update it over time.

It does not need to be fancy.

It just needs to help you make better decisions.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Final Thoughts

Local SEO keyword research does not need to be complicated.

Start with what you offer. Add where you offer it. Think about how your customers search. Then map those keywords to the right pages.

That is the basic process.

The businesses that do this well usually have clearer websites, stronger service pages, better blog ideas, and more relevant organic traffic.

You don’t need to chase every keyword, you just need to choose the right ones.

And if your website already gets impressions but very few clicks, that is a sign there may be an opportunity. The search demand is there. The next step is making sure your content, titles, and pages are strong enough to earn the click.

Need Help Finding the Right Local SEO Keywords?

If you know your website should be bringing in more local traffic, but you are not sure where to start, we can help.

At 404 Marketing, we help small businesses improve their websites, SEO, content, and local visibility without making things more complicated than they need to be.

Whether you need keyword research, better service pages, or a clearer SEO plan, we can help you work out what to focus on next.

Get in touch and let’s make your website easier to find.