How to Use Keyword Research to Optimize for Local Search Intent

As an SEO professional, you must know about search intent as the expectation behind a user’s search query whenever they use a search engine. Is a local search intent different? Not really.

Local search intent means focusing on searches based on a user’s area. Local search intent often falls in the commercial and transactional category since most people restrict searches to their local area when actively looking for products and services.

So, local search intent is behind search queries such as “restaurants near me” and “gym centers around me.” How do you maximize your understanding of search intent through keyword research if you run a local business? That is what this article is all about.

Local Search Intent: How Does it Work?

How do Google and other search engines handle local search intent? Because queries with local search intent are location-specific, some factors that most significantly affect the returned results include proximity, relevance, and prominence. All these factors work together to produce an optimized list of results. 

• Proximity: when you search for “restaurants near me,” the search engine prioritizes businesses that are within the shortest distance from you.
• Relevance: This determines how well the business matches the user’s search queries. So, searching for restaurants near you should not return results about gyms. But also, more specifically, searching for Chinese restaurants should not return results for Indian outfits.
• Prominence: the search engine also prioritizes the business’s visibility and reputation. Reviews, citations, testimonials, etc., could influence this.

On Google, local search results are displayed in various formats, including local packs, Google Maps, Google My Business, and knowledge panels.

More so, when a search query has a clear local intent, the results for that query often appear above the organic search results. Thus, optimizing for local search intent goes a long way in enhancing your profile.

Understand Your Target Audience

Like in most SEO efforts, you must understand your target audience. This means identifying the keywords they use when searching for products or services in your local area, the types of content they engage with, and their general search behaviors. This will enable you to identify the most relevant keywords for your business.

Also, because we deal with local SEO, you must understand that search behaviors vary by location. This is particularly noticeable if you run a business in several locations.

The behavior of coffee consumers in Portland differs from that of coffee consumers in Detroit. So, you have to consider these distinctions, even the subtle ones, when determining your target audience’s features.

Use a Keyword Research Tool

It’s easy to sit down and start brainstorming keywords. But at some point, you’ll discover that you are stuck. This is where a keyword research tool comes in handy.

When you use the Eye10 Keyword Planner to research keywords, you’ll first see the keywords your website is already ranking for. Then the system offers suggestions and ideas for further keywords to focus on for ranking.

More so, the Eye10 Keyword Planner integrates results from Google’s Keyword Planner. So, you can rest assured that you are getting comprehensive results.

Hence, the Eye10 Keyword Planner allows you to set the country of your search and specific locations. This is very important since we are dealing with local search intent here. So, your keyword research must include location-specific terms that show how your business or product is relevant to users in your local area.

Analyze Search Intent

Ideally, your keyword research should lead to you producing a list of relevant keywords. This list should be diverse, including long-tail and short-tail keywords. 

From the Eye10 Keyword Planner and every other Eye10 SEO tool, you get to export your keyword list automatically as a CSV or PDF file. You can even send the same to the email addresses of your team members for more collaborative analysis.

Once you have the list, the next step is to organize the keywords by the search intent of each one. There are four popular types of search intent: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional.

However, the commercial and transactional keywords are the most popular in local SEO because most people are at the purchase stage already. However, don’t underestimate the effect of using informational and navigational keywords.

Prioritize Keywords

Before you begin keyword optimization, the final stage of keyword research is prioritizing keywords based on various factors. These factors include search volume, relevance to your business and product, competition, and difficulty level.

Here, the focus is on the keywords most likely to drive traffic and conversions. This is why prioritization is important. The best keywords are not necessarily the ones with the highest search volumes.

After all, even those come with the stiff competition that may minimize the results of your efforts. Instead, prioritize keywords based on your business goals and objectives.

Conclusion

Optimizing local search intent is crucial for businesses that want to attract customers from their local area. Hence, you must put a lot of effort into understanding your target audience, conducting keyword research, and improving your local visibility.

Regarding keyword research, the Eye10 Keyword Planner is your most reliable companion. For an affordable price, you get real-time data and insights into your keyword profile and potential ranking suggestions. Hurry now, sign up, and take advantage of the $3 trial.