Ranking high on local search results for your products or services is one of the main goals of a Local SEO strategy.
When it comes to such local SEO services, Philadelphia local businesses can rely on the expertise and experience of some of the best digital marketing agencies in the state.
When the right target keywords are implemented, not only can your business rank higher on search engine results pages (SERP) but you will also boost your website traffic significantly.
That is why the first step to designing an effective digital marketing campaign is usually creating a proper local keyword research strategy.
Pages that rank high on search engines do so because their content contains the right keywords in an optimal volume.
In this article, you will learn all there is to know about keyword research and how this can be the cornerstone of all your digital marketing strategies.
What Is Local Keyword Research?
Keyword research is a simple process used by businesses to discover what keywords their target audience is using when conducting searches online.
When combined with Local SEO, which aims to improve local visibility for your business online, you get local keyword research.
When you want to focus on only the relevant keywords that drive search volumes up by targeting organic audiences within your business’ catchment area, local keyword research can be the best weapon in your arsenal.
Explicit vs. Implicit Local Keywords
Before going further, it is important to learn the different types of local keywords used in search queries.
In this case, you need to know the following:
- Explicit local keywords – Keywords that are used in a local search and specifically include a location or spatial term, such as “near me”
- Implicit local keywords – Implicit keywords are still used when searching for a nearby product or service but the users do not specify the location. In this case, the users assume that Google will automatically focus on search results that are close by
A good digital marketing strategy needs to include both implicit and explicit keywords in its content to make the webpage relevant to a wider audience in multiple locations.
Importance of Local SEO Keyword Research to a Local Business
When successfully implemented in a search engine optimization strategy, local keyword research will help you to attract more customers.
As a small business owner trying to compete in the Philadelphia area, you need to make sure your local landing pages are properly optimized using the right keywords.
If Google cannot align your web pages to a specific location, you will miss out on a large pool of customers that are close enough to do business with you.
This is why you need to insist on using the right target keywords when you hire local SEO services.
Philadelphia is a tough place to do business, and without a good strategy, business owners will find it difficult to flourish.
How Local Businesses Can Conduct Local Keyword Research
Here are some of the ways that a local business can conduct local SEO keyword research in such a way that improves online visibility and attracts a lot more potential customers:
- Consider Your Audience and Your Goals
Think carefully about how your audience is likely to conduct search queries and try to align this with your business goals.
If people in your area have a different way of talking when refereeing to the products you supply, consider how this can impact local searches.
Ask yourself questions that will put you in your audience’s shoes and then design Local SEO strategies based on the answers you come up with.
- Determine the Keywords Most People Search For
When you have developed an understanding of what your audience is searching for, you will be able to come up with a list of keywords that they are likely to use.
These are called seed keywords and should be included in your content in the right volumes.
- Use Free Tools To Expand Your Keyword List
Most digital marketing experts rely on specific tools to help them come up with the right keywords to use when creating organic content.
You can do the same too by using free online keyword research tools that are designed to make the process easier and more efficient.
- Analyze Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume
Try plugging the keywords that you have settled on into the search bar on Google and see what comes up in the results.
Keywords with a high search volume will make it more difficult to rank high on those particular pages.
However, you will also have to avoid keywords with very low search volumes because you will not be able to generate enough traffic from these. A good balance of the right keywords is the key to achieving proper online visibility.
- Conduct a SERP Analysis for Your Keywords
Lastly, you need to look at your SERP features to make sure your webpage addresses the searcher’s intent.
Consider whether the search intent is transactional or investigational and work on your web development based on that.
Six Tips To Implementing Your Keywords
When you know what your target keyword is, the implementation part should be very easy. There are many strategies used to boost local keyword rankings on Google search results, such as:
- Include the target keyword in the title tag, H1 tag, and meta descriptions
- When dealing with a business with multiple locations, you can include the target keyword in the website URLs
- Try to use the best combination of target keywords throughout your content in the right volume and keyword density that does not compromise quality work
- Consider including your target keywords in the “alt text” of your images, which is the description that you can choose to include on an image
The Right Digital Marketing Services Can Help Your Local SEO Efforts
While you can get by using a good keyword research tool, if you want to stay ahead of your competition, hiring the best SEO company in Philadelphia is the best way to go.
There are a lot of tips and strategies for attracting local customers that you can only get from SEO consultants. Make the right choice and hire a reputable Philadelphia SEO agency today.