Staying ahead of the competition is crucial in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. One of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal is keyword research, and SEMrush is a leading platform for this purpose. However, many businesses need to pay more attention to the importance of local keyword research, which can be a game-changer for attracting local customers and boosting online visibility.
Imagine you’re a small business owner in Sydney, Australia, offering plumbing services. While you may rank well for general plumbing-related keywords, your potential customers are more likely to search for “plumbers in Sydney” or “emergency plumber near me.” By optimising your website and content for these local keywords, you increase your chances of being found by the right audience at the right time. So, How to Search Keywords Locally in SEMrush? Let’s find out.
Local keyword research is a powerful tool that can significantly boost a business’s online visibility and attract more local customers. By understanding and targeting the specific keywords that people use when searching for products or services in their area, businesses can increase their relevance, improve conversion rates, and gain a competitive edge over larger, national competitors.
One of the primary benefits of local keyword research is increased relevance. When a business optimises its website and online content for local keywords; it becomes more visible to users searching for products or services in their geographic area. This heightened relevance ensures that the business appears prominently in search results for local queries, making its offerings more appealing and accessible to potential customers.
For example, a plumbing company in Sydney that optimises its website for keywords like “emergency plumber Sydney” or “plumbers near me” is more likely to appear in search results when local residents are looking for plumbing services in their area. This increased relevance can lead to higher click-through rates and more website traffic from local users actively seeking the business’s services.
Local keyword research can also improve business conversion rates. When users find businesses that cater to their local needs, they are more likely to convert into paying customers. Local businesses are perceived as more convenient, accessible, and trustworthy than non-local ones.
Businesses can attract users actively seeking their products or services in a specific geographic area by optimising for local keywords. These users are often further along in the buyer’s journey and are more likely to convert into customers as they intend to purchase or engage with a local business.
One of the most significant advantages of local keyword research is the ability to outrank larger, national competitors who may not have a strong local presence. While national brands may have more resources and broader reach, they often need to pay more attention to the importance of local keyword optimisation, leaving an opportunity for smaller, local businesses to dominate their specific geographic markets.
By conducting thorough local keyword research and optimising their online presence, local businesses can position themselves as the go-to solution for users searching for products or services in their area. This can give them a significant competitive edge over larger competitors who may need a localised strategy, allowing them to capture a larger share of the local market.
Now, let’s walk through the process of using SEMrush to find valuable local keywords for your business.
Start by logging into your SEMrush account and navigating to the “Keyword Overview” tool. This powerful feature allows you to explore keyword data, search volumes, and competition levels.
In the “Location” field, enter the specific city, state, or region you want to target. For example, if you’re a plumber in Sydney, you would enter “Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.”
Next, input a few broad keywords related to your business or industry. These “seed keywords” will serve as a starting point for SEMrush to generate more relevant and localised keyword suggestions.
SEMrush will provide a comprehensive list of keywords, along with valuable metrics such as:
To narrow down the list and focus on the most relevant local keywords, use SEMrush’s powerful filtering options. You can filter by:
Analyse the filtered list of keywords and look for opportunities to optimise your website, content, and local listings. Pay attention to keywords with high search volumes and moderate difficulty levels, as these can provide the best return on investment.
Once you’ve identified your target local keywords, incorporate them into your website’s content, meta tags, and local business listings. Monitor your rankings and website traffic over time to gauge the effectiveness of your local keyword strategy and make adjustments as needed.
By following the steps outlined in this guide and leveraging the power of SEMrush’s local keyword research capabilities, you’ll be well on your way to dominating your local market and attracting more customers than ever before.
It’s recommended to perform local keyword research at least once a year, or whenever you expand your business to new locations or introduce new products or services.
While SEMrush offers a free trial, the full functionality of the Keyword Overview tool and advanced filtering options are only available with a paid subscription.
Absolutely! Local keyword research is valuable not only for organic SEO but also for paid advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads or social media advertising, to ensure your ads are reaching the right local audience.
Up until working with Casey, we had only had poor to mediocre experiences outsourcing work to agencies. Casey & the team at CJ&CO are the exception to the rule.
Communication was beyond great, his understanding of our vision was phenomenal, and instead of needing babysitting like the other agencies we worked with, he was not only completely dependable but also gave us sound suggestions on how to get better results, at the risk of us not needing him for the initial job we requested (absolute gem).
This has truly been the first time we worked with someone outside of our business that quickly grasped our vision, and that I could completely forget about and would still deliver above expectations.
I honestly can’t wait to work in many more projects together!
Disclaimer
*The information this blog provides is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as financial or professional advice. The information may not reflect current developments and may be changed or updated without notice. Any opinions expressed on this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s employer or any other organization. You should not act or rely on any information contained in this blog without first seeking the advice of a professional. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this blog. The author and affiliated parties assume no liability for any errors or omissions.