Local SEO keyword research: A step-by-step guide

Effective local SEO keyword research reveals how nearby customers search for your products or services, from city and neighborhood terms to “near me” queries.

AI search has expanded how customers discover and compare local services, so keyword research now needs to account for ranked results and AI-generated answers.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to find and prioritize high-intent local keywords, map them to the right pages and profile optimizations, and track their impact on local visibility and conversions.

Local search now has two evaluators

A search for "best plumber in Denver" now gets judged twice. 

The first evaluator is the one you know: Google's organic rankings, which match your pages to the query, and the Local Pack, which matches your business profile to it.

The second is AI-generated answers: ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity recommending nearby businesses, or an AI Overview composing a response from a handful of cited sources. 

Both are active discovery surfaces for local customers. But each evaluator assesses a brand differently. 

Rankings reward how well your pages and profile match the words people search. AI answers weigh the details behind the decision: availability, service area, pricing, licensing, and recurring review themes.

Google Business Profile (GBP) data and your website content feed both, but ranking in one and appearing in the other are separate outcomes. One doesn't guarantee the other.

So local keyword research now has one list with two jobs: helping your pages rank, and surfacing the questions, service attributes, and location patterns AI systems draw on for answers like "best [service] near [location]." The steps below cover both.

What is local SEO keyword research?

Local SEO keyword research is the process of finding the search terms people use to discover businesses, products, or services in a specific area.

Optimizing your pages for these keywords increases your visibility in organic search results (SERPs), which drives more website traffic, inquiries, and sales. Maps visibility and AI-generated answers depend on more than page content, as the sections below explain.

Where local keywords appear in Google

A search for "[service] in [your location]" can trigger multiple result types at the top of the page, including:

• Local Services Ads: A row of paid provider cards (often with photos and a "Google Guaranteed" badge) that can appear at the top for service queries, depending on the searcher's location
• Businesses or Places: A map view with text links listed below, also known as the Google Local Pack. This section might be called "Businesses" or "Places," depending on the type of query used and the searcher's location.

• Organic results: Local businesses can also appear in the traditional organic results further down the page:

Local keywords can trigger both Local Pack and organic search results, but they rank differently.

Organic results rely on SEO strategies like on-page optimization and backlinks. Local Pack rankings rely more on GBP optimization, proximity to the searcher, and review signals: the inputs behind what Google calls relevance, distance, and prominence, its three official local ranking factors.

Effective keyword research for local SEO identifies which terms trigger the Local Pack, and informs both your website optimization and GBP strategies.

Local keyword examples

These local keyword examples show how search intent changes by location, urgency, and proximity, so you can choose the right keyword for specific pages and local SEO goals.

Implicit vs. explicit local keywords

Explicit local keywords include a location term like "plumber in boston" or "dentist near me," making the searcher's local intent clear. Implicit local keywords don't specify a location but still trigger local results because the intent is inherently local.

A London resident who lost their keys might search "locksmith in london" or "locksmith near me." Both are explicit: the query itself tells Google where to look.

"Locksmith london" drops the "in" but still names the city, so it's explicit too, and Google returns near-identical results for both versions.

Someone searching just "locksmith" expects nearby options too, but the query never says so. That's an implicit local keyword: Google infers the local intent entirely from the searcher's location.

Where results vary most is with the searcher's position. 

Google resolves every local query against where the searcher is standing, so two people searching from different neighborhoods, or even different postcodes, can see meaningfully different results, especially for implicit queries where location is the only signal Google has.

This matters for local SEO because it:

• Affects ranking eligibility: You can rank for implicit local queries even if your page doesn't use exact "in [city]" phrasing, as long as your GBP optimization, proximity, and review signals are strong. 
• Explains ranking volatility: When rankings change, it's often just Google resolving location intent differently based on user location. 
• Changes how you write copy: You don’t need to say “in London” everywhere on your website. Natural phrasing like “London locksmiths,” “trusted across London,” etc. still creates local relevance. The same logic applies to "near me": repeating the literal phrase in your titles and headers doesn't help you rank for "near me" searches. Google resolves that proximity signal from your Google Business Profile and location data, not from matching those two words on the page.
• Reinforces the importance of proximity in search: Implicit local searches depend more on distance and prominence, not just keyword matching. That’s why a small local shop can outrank a big brand two miles away.

Google uses algorithms to detect local intent and multiple methods to determine a user's location, and delivers local results whether the intent is explicit or implicit.

But implicit local keywords let Google decide how local the result should be at the time of the query, not just based on the words used. Because Google decides how local a result should be at query time, treating implicit terms like explicit ones leads you to misdiagnose ranking swings and over-optimize your copy.

How to do local keyword research

Follow these six steps to perform local keyword research for SEO and AI visibility:

1. List the terms customers use when searching for your solutions in specific locations
2. Find relevant local keywords using research tools
3. Verify local intent in the SERP
4. Analyze competitors to find keyword gaps
5. Map keywords to existing or new pages
6. Research for AI visibility

Let's take a closer look at each step.

Step 1: List terms for your solutions and locations

Before you open any keyword tool, gather the exact words customers use when they contact your business. 

Call logs, staff notes, and chat transcripts show how real people describe your services, problems, and locations in everyday language.

Keyword tools measure demand for phrases people already know to search, but they can't suggest wording they've never seen enough people use. 

For example, one person may search for "soda," while another looks for "pop": same search intent, different regional wording. A tool has no way of surfacing a variant you didn't already think to enter. 

Starting with your own customer language catches these variations before you ever open a tool to validate them.

Reviews and local community posts (Reddit, Quora, Facebook Marketplace) are worth mining the same way. People describe their needs in the language they'd use in a real conversation. 

The vocabulary carries across both evaluators, but the query format changes. Someone might type “24-hour plumber South End” into Google and ask ChatGPT, “Can you recommend a 24-hour plumber in South End who can come tonight?” Add both the compact search term and the fuller conversational question to your seed list.

List the following types of solution-related terms:

• General terms for your business type
• Products and services people are likely to search for
• Problems or pain points you solve
• Questions and qualifiers customers use when asking for recommendations

Next, list location-related terms at multiple levels of specificity (these make local intent explicit):

• City
• Neighborhood
• ZIP or postcode
• Landmarks, such as "near Fenway Park," "near downtown," or "near the airport"

Step 2: Find relevant local keywords

Use keyword research tools to expand your seed list, assess which terms are realistic to rank for, and see which queries surface local business results. 

If you're starting with a limited budget, Google Keyword Planner is a free local keyword research tool for basic keyword ideas and volume estimates.

In the “Discover new keywords” section, enter your seed keywords (from the first step) and location under “Start with keywords.” You can enter a city with Google Keyword Planner, but you can’t use hyper-local areas like neighborhoods or ZIP codes.

Click “Get results.”

Google provides broad volume ranges (e.g., "100-1K" instead of exact numbers).

For more precise data and local-specific features, use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.

Open the tool and enter one of your seed keywords. Add your site’s URL for domain-specific insights, choose your target country, and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of keywords containing your seed keyword or a variation of it.

Use filters to find keywords with local intent.

Select “Include keywords,” choose the “Any keywords” option, enter your location modifiers, and click “Apply.”

Review these keywords and select those that match your business and local audience needs. Click the checkboxes next to them, then click “Send keywords.”

Select “Keyword Strategy Builder”, name your list, and click “Apply.” The keywords you save here can be used in Keyword Strategy Builder in a later step.

If you entered your domain name in the Keyword Magic Tool, look at the Personal Keyword Difficulty (“PKD %”) column. That metric indicates the difficulty of ranking your specific website based on your site's authority and content relevance compared to top-ranking competitors.

Narrow your list by selecting the “Personal KD %” drop-down and setting a custom range of 0-49, which represents terms you have a good chance of ranking for. 

Then click “Apply.”

Aim for keywords with a good balance of search volume and feasible PKD%.

Add relevant keywords to your list by selecting their checkboxes and clicking “Send keywords.”

Next, find implicit keywords. 

Press the “X” on the “Include keywords” filter to remove your location modifiers, and now add those modifiers to the “Exclude keywords” filter to hide explicit keywords.

Click “Apply.”

Then, apply a filter to show only queries that trigger the Local Pack. 

Click “Advanced filters,” and from the drop-down below “SERP Features,” select the box next to “Local pack.”

Click “Apply.”

Review these implicit local keywords for search volume and Personal Keyword Difficulty, and send relevant terms to your list. You just filtered this list for the Local Pack. In Step 6, the same filter panel checks it against AI Overviews.

Step 3: Verify local intent in the SERP

Search the keyword in Google and look at what shows up before you invest time targeting it.

Here's what each of these looks like in an actual search.

If someone searches for "emergency plumber near me," they need a plumber now. The "near me" is a proximity signal that implies they want to contact a business.

This type of keyword shows transactional intent. Google typically responds to a query like this with a Local Pack.

Now, if someone wants to hire a plumber but is comparing options first instead of calling the nearest one, they might search "best plumber in Boston."

This type of search signals commercial intent. Google still shows a Local Pack for this query, since the searcher is choosing between businesses.

The difference from transactional intent is timing: transactional means ready to take action now, commercial means deciding between businesses.

By contrast, if someone is looking for DIY or step-by-step instructions, they would search "how to fix a leaky pipe." This search query indicates informational intent.

In this case, the search results would include written content (blogs, landing pages, etc.) and video guides, and increasingly, an AI Overview.

If you've published a blog post that directly answers this question, that post has a real chance of being one of the sources the AI Overview cites.

Informational queries also open up two more paths to visibility: a featured snippet or a People Also Ask box. Both pull directly from an existing webpage, so if a page on your site clearly answers the question, Google can surface it there, even without a Local Pack.

If a keyword's results are only guides, articles, or videos with no Local Pack, treat that as weak local intent.

Related read: Learn how to optimize your website for AI Overviews

Step 4: Find competitors’ keywords

Analyzing competitors' keywords helps you find local search opportunities your business isn't capturing yet.

The fastest way to identify your true local competitors is to search a local keyword in Google and see who appears in both the Local Pack and traditional organic results.

For example, the below search reveals competing auto shops in Philadelphia.

Businesses ranking for your target keywords are your real competitors. They're not just businesses in your category, they're the ones winning the visibility you want.

Look at each competitor's business category, shown right under their name.

For example, in the above image, Kens Automotive and Boulevard Auto Center are both listed as "Auto repair shop," while Pinnacle Auto Repair and Tires is listed as "Car inspection station."

If a competitor uses a relevant category your Google Business Profile doesn't have, add it to your profile and keyword list. 

That category serves both evaluators: it helps Google judge whether your profile matches a local search, and it gives AI systems a structured label for what your business does. 

In Step 6, you'll check these labels for gaps across every service you offer. 

Additionally, check the ratings and review snippets shown under each listing.

In the image above, Kens Automotive’s review snippet includes "the prices are fair and the work quality is excellent." For Boulevard Auto Center, it's "great service quality work very convenient."

These are customer words. Add any terms that repeat across listings to your keyword list too.

You can also use Semrush’s Domain Overview tool to find competitors.

Enter your domain, select your country, and click “Search.”

If you have location-specific pages, search those exact URLs (e.g., “site.com/locations/city”).

Change “Root Domain” to “Exact URL” and click “Search” again to find competitors for the location-specific URL you entered. 

Then, scroll down to “Main Organic Competitors” and note your top competitors’ domains or click “View details” to see more.

After finding your main competitors, use Semrush’s Keyword Gap tool to find keywords competitors rank for but you don’t. 

Enter your domain and location, add up to four competitors’ domains and locations, and click “Compare.”

Switch the “Device” to “Mobile”, since a lot of local searches happen on mobile devices.

Find terms your rivals rank highly for by going to “Position” > “Competitors” > “Top 10.”

Exclude competitors’ brand names since you typically don’t want to target them.

Go to “Advanced filters” and set the fields to “Exclude,” “Keyword,” and “Containing.” 

Put your competitor’s name in the last field, and click “Apply.”

Next, filter for explicit local intent using your location keywords.

Go to “Advanced filters” and set the fields to “Include,” “Keyword,” and “Containing.”

Put your location keyword in the last field, and click “Apply.”

Scroll down and look at the “Untapped” tab for keywords competitors rank for but you don’t.

Review the terms in the table and add relevant keywords to your list. Use the same Volume, KD%, and Intent columns from earlier steps to decide which of these are worth targeting.

Step 5: Map your keywords to URLs

Now that you have a comprehensive list of terms to target, map each local keyword to a specific page so every important search term is supported by a relevant, optimized URL.

The URL you choose is the one you'll optimize to rank, and the content should have a clear, retrievable structure to be cited in an AI-generated result.

For multi-location or service-area businesses, keyword mapping often means creating separate pages for city-level keywords (“plumber boston”) and neighborhood-level keywords (“plumber south end boston”).

Keyword Strategy Builder can group your keywords into pages automatically, based on relevancy and search intent, to make content planning easier.

Open the tool, and under “Keyword lists,” click to open the keyword list you created earlier.

Go to the “Pages” tab and click “Create list.”

You’ll see your keywords grouped into pages. Each page focuses on a primary keyword.

Click the arrow next to a page topic to see:

• Secondary keywords to target for that page
• Keyword information like search intent, volume, and keyword difficulty
• Top-ranking results for inspiration

Review the top-ranking results to get inspiration for the type of content you should create. Then, decide which pages you need to create and which pages you need to optimize.

If a page doesn’t exist yet, assign it a target URL and create a page that meets the keyword’s search intent.

For pages that already exist and need optimization, assign the existing URL.

A simple spreadsheet can help you assign URLs.

Download our free keyword mapping template, and use it to list all your pages, keywords, and target URLs.

Step 6: Research for AI visibility

Google's AI generates an AI Overview from a small retrieval set: a handful of pages judged clear and specific enough to answer the query directly. 

Clear structure, direct answers, and content that pairs your service with your location improve a page's odds of making that set.

To find out which of your pages have a shot at this, start with the keyword list you mapped in Step 5. 

Open Keyword Magic Tool, go to Advanced Filters, select "SERP Features," and check "AI Overview." 

Click "Apply" to filter your list down to only the keywords that trigger one. 

Informational, low-difficulty queries, ones with a clear, summarizable answer like a price range, show up here more often than urgent transactional queries, which trigger a Local Pack instead.

Open Keyword Overview for one of these keywords and scroll down to SERP Analysis to see exactly which pages made the retrieval set.

Six sources are cited here, before the numbered organic rankings even begin. Kwik-Fit appears thrice: twice in the AI Overview's citation list, and again as the #1 organic result with its own backlink and referring-domain data.

Click "View SERP" to see what Google generated from that retrieval set.

Here's what earned Kwik-Fit's page a spot in that retrieval set. 

That's a direct, specific answer to the search query (even if it is not the exact amount): what's included, when extra costs apply, and what happens if no adjustment is needed. 

Structure your own service pages and Google Business Profile descriptions the same way. State the specific answer plainly, and pair your service with your location directly, for example, "Wheel Alignment Services in Philadelphia."

Use this same check for entity gaps: service and location combinations your business offers but hasn't clearly labeled anywhere. 

Go through the pages you mapped in Step 5, and for each one, confirm its primary keyword's exact service and location appears, labeled as such, on your site or GBP. 

If a competitor's GBP lists "wheel alignment" as a named service (the same category check from Step 4) and yours doesn't, that's an entity gap: an AI system has no label connecting your business to that query, even if you offer the service.

To see how your business appears across AI platforms, open Semrush’s AI Visibility Overview and enter your domain. 

Set the location filter to your target country before reviewing results, since the report defaults to worldwide data.

The report shows your mentions and citations across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini, plus the specific topics and prompts driving them.

Run your top competitors' domains through the same report, and add any relevant prompts where they appear and you don't to your keyword list.

This last check ties the workflow together: the customer language you collected in Step 1 became a keyword opportunity in Step 2, was validated in Step 3, expanded in Step 4, assigned to a page in Step 5, and measured here against the pages already earning AI citations.

Optimize your Google Business Profile 

Local keyword research and optimization work best together. 

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a key place to apply your findings because it supports visibility in the Local Pack and Google Maps results.

Use relevant local terms naturally in your business description and service names so potential customers can quickly understand what you offer and where you operate.

Below is an example of a GBP description:

Local keyword research can also help you identify relevant business categories and services. The categories you select can influence local rankings.

Only choose categories that reflect your business accurately. Adding non-relevant categories for SEO is against Google’s guidelines.

Adding keywords to your GBP content isn’t guaranteed to improve rankings, but using the right terms can help potential customers understand what your business offers and whether it’s right for them.

How to handle multiple locations

If you have multiple business locations, local keyword research should be done separately for each location to capture differences in search behavior and ranking opportunities.

Replacing location names in keywords alone may not uncover all opportunities.

Once you have your location-specific keywords, map each relevant keyword cluster to the corresponding location page.

For example, the business below targets the specified keyword with one of its location pages.

And targets another local keyword on a different location page.

Create a separate Google Business Profile for each location too, through your local business listing, to strengthen Local Pack and Maps visibility for that area.

How to track your local search visibility

Tracking local search visibility helps you measure whether your local SEO efforts are working across Search, Maps, and AI-generated results and spot changes early.

Track your Google Search rankings

See how your pages perform in local organic results and whether you appear in the Local Pack.

Send the keywords you chose in Keyword Strategy Builder toPosition Tracking, and monitor your ranking for each one by device and location.

Track your Google Maps rankings

Understand how your visibility changes across different areas of your target location.

Enter the same keywords into Semrush's Map Rank Tracker to visualize rankings on a heatmap, compare performance across specific locations, and see which competitors appear alongside you.

Related read: 11 Tips to Improve Your Google Maps SEO

Track your AI visibility

See whether your business appears in AI-generated answers.

Use Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit to monitor the service, location, and comparison themes from your keyword list across platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Mode.

Improve your local visibility

Use local keyword research to turn local demand into visibility, inquiries, and sales.

Your next steps:

• Start with Keyword Magic Tool to build your initial keyword list
• Prioritize neighborhood-level keywords that match your service area and show favorable competition and conversion potential
• Map each keyword cluster to the right service page, location page, supporting content, or Google Business Profile field
• Apply relevant terms naturally across your Google Business Profile categories, services, and business description
• Create useful location pages with details specific to each genuine business location or service area
• Track organic rankings with Position Tracking and hyperlocal Maps visibility with Map Rank Tracker
• Check which target keywords trigger AI Overviews and audit whether your content is easy to retrieve. Use clear service-location pairings, descriptive headings, and direct answers instead of burying key information in dense paragraphs
• Measure calls, bookings, form submissions, and sales to identify which keywords create business value

Consistent implementation across your website and Google Business Profile turns keyword research into local visibility. Start with your highest-priority location or service cluster, measure the results, and expand from there.

Local keyword research FAQs

Does local SEO still work?

Yes, local SEO still works because customers continue to discover nearby businesses through Google Search and Maps, while AI-generated results add another visibility opportunity. 

Google Maps has more than 2 billion monthly users, and Google reported that AI Overviews reached more than 2 billion monthly users across over 200 countries and territories by July 2025.

Local businesses now need visibility across organic results, the Local Pack, Maps, and AI-generated answers. Semrush's AI Overviews study found that over 50% of AI Overviews on desktop and 60% on mobile didn't link to the top organic result. Most often our study saw less than 3 of the URLs from the organic top 10 repeated in the AI Overview. Organic rankings and AI citations are separate outcomes, so track them separately.

Can I use ChatGPT for keyword research?

Yes, ChatGPT is useful for brainstorming local keyword ideas, generating variations, and clustering topics. However, it doesn’t have a native keyword database or built-in search-volume and difficulty metrics. 

Use ChatGPT to build your initial seed list and explore subtopics, then validate and prioritize with a dedicated keyword research tool like Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, which provides search-volume estimates, keyword difficulty, and SERP feature data.

What are the best tools for local keyword research?

The best tools for local keyword research combine keyword discovery, location-specific metrics, and competitor insights.

Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool is one of the best tools for local keyword research because it supports large-scale keyword discovery, local filters, and competitive analysis.

Other good tools include Semrush’s Keyword Overview, Keyword Gap, and Google’s Keyword Planner.

How do local keywords affect AI Overview results?

Local keywords affect AI Overview results by revealing the service, location, and questions an AI Overview may need to answer. Pages most likely to get cited pair a specific service with a specific location, use structured content instead of dense paragraphs, and back that up with strong local signals like GBP data, consistent NAP information, and reviews.

Use Keyword Overview to find which of your local queries trigger an AI Overview, then check the cited sources for these same patterns. Ranking in the top 10 increases your odds of citation, but it isn't a guarantee, content structure and entity clarity matter on their own.

Does Google Business Profile optimization help with AI search?

Yes, Google Business Profile optimization helps with AI search by giving AI systems a structured, machine-readable source to retrieve directly, unlike a paragraph of website copy an AI has to interpret.

Pair your services with your locations in the business description, keep your categories accurate, and maintain consistent NAP information across every listing. These are the same entity signals from Step 6, strengthening them gives AI systems clearer grounds to include your business in a generated answer.

Learn more in our Google Business Profile guide.

This post was updated in 2026. Excerpts from the original article by Cecilia Meis may remain.