How to do local keyword research for your small business

Executive overview

Most local businesses skip keyword research or do it poorly — missing services, ignoring search intent, or stuffing keywords onto pages. A five-step process fixes this: list your services, check for local intent, assess search volumes, group keywords by page, and find content angles from competitors.

Getting the grouping step right determines whether you need one page or five — and whether Google will rank you at all.

The goal isn't to mention keywords more — it's to create pages that match what searchers actually need.

Step 1: Build your services list

• Start by listing every service your business offers.
• Check competitor websites for services you may have missed.
• Use a keyword research tool (e.g. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer) to surface related terms from your initial list.
• Add any relevant services you offer that appear in the expanded results.

Step 2: Check for local intent

• Local intent exists when Google shows a map pack or local organic results for a query.
• Search each service in Google and look for a map pack or local business listings.
• Alternatively, use Keywords Explorer with a SERP features filter to bulk-check which keywords trigger a local pack.
• Only pursue pages for keywords that show local intent — otherwise, SEO value is limited.

Step 3: Check search volumes

• Local-level search volume data is rarely available; Google Keyword Planner is the only direct source, but shows only broad ranges unless you're an active advertiser.
• National-level volumes are a reliable proxy — patterns across cities within the same country are broadly consistent.
• Use national volume data to prioritise which service pages to create and rank first.

Step 4: Group keywords by page

• Analyse top-ranking results for each target keyword to determine whether it needs a dedicated page.
• If top results are specific to a sub-type (e.g. oil boiler installation), create a dedicated page for that sub-type.
• If top results for a specific keyword are served by a broader page, one combined page is sufficient.
• If a keyword shows no local pack and returns informational results, a services landing page is unlikely to rank — build it for business reasons only.

Step 5: Find content angles for each page

• Keyword stuffing is ineffective; instead, identify relevant talking points that improve topical relevance and answer visitor questions.
• Review top-ranking competitor pages for terms, topics, and questions they address (e.g. pricing, process, common concerns).
• Check the People Also Ask box for common questions tied to the service.
• Use a competitor's URL in Site Explorer to see what long-tail keywords their page already ranks for — these signal what to include in your own page.