You are currently viewing How to Find the Best Keywords for Your Local Business: A Simple Guide to Hyperlocal SEO

How to Find the Best Keywords for Your Local Business: A Simple Guide to Hyperlocal SEO

As a small business, one of the targets you set when starting out was to become the go-to spot for customers in your immediate neighborhood—the kind of place they think of first when they need a service or product you offer. A few months down the line, you should have achieved this if you did everything right. But if you haven’t, you need to take your hyperlocal SEO efforts seriously. Conduct hyperlocal keyword research and use these keywords properly to market your business.

If you are not familiar with the term hyperlocal SEO, think of it as your key to reaching nearby customers (your neighbors). It is powerful because it focuses on ensuring that your business shows up when people in your area search for what you do. By narrowing your SEO focus down to specific streets, zip codes, or neighborhoods, you’re not just targeting a city but connecting directly with those who are only steps away.

Why Keyword Research Matters for Local Businesses

Effective keyword research is essential for any successful SEO strategy. For small businesses, the right keywords can do wonders, leading to more visits, calls, and ultimately more customers. Hyperlocal keywords allow you to connect with a highly targeted audience, driving those who are looking for exactly what you offer straight to your door. It’s all about being relevant in the right place at the right time. After all, isn’t that what you aim for in business?

Understanding Hyperlocal Keyword Research

What is Hyperlocal Keyword Research?

Hyperlocal Keyword Research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that potential customers in very localized areas—down to neighborhoods, streets, or even landmarks—enter into search engines. This strategy differs from standard local SEO, which focuses on broader geographic regions, enabling businesses to connect with users searching for products or services “near me” or within specific locations.

It involves finding search terms that a business’s prospective customers in specific locations use in search. It’s the difference between someone looking for “restaurants in Chicago” and “Italian restaurant near Lincoln Park.” The more precise you can be, the more likely you are to connect with a local audience.

How Does Hyperlocal SEO Differ from General Local SEO?

1. Level of Geographic Focus:

The primary difference between hyperlocal SEO and local SEO lies in the geographic precision of the targeting. Local SEO focuses on optimizing for broader areas such as entire cities or regions. For example, businesses use this strategy to rank for keywords like “plumber in San Francisco” or “dentist in Miami.” In contrast, hyperlocal SEO narrows down the focus to smaller, more specific locations, such as neighborhoods, streets, or landmarks.

Businesses that implement hyperlocal SEO aim to capture search traffic related to precise locations like “pizza on 5th Avenue” or “coffee shop near Central Park.” This strategy is highly effective for businesses that rely on nearby customers or foot traffic.

2. Keyword Strategy:

Local SEO uses broad location-based keywords, often focusing on the city or region as the geographic anchor. For example, a bakery might target “top 5 bakeries in Chicago” or “best cake shop in Los Angeles.” Hyperlocal SEO, however, employs more focused keywords that target smaller geographical areas, incorporating neighborhood names, streets, or landmarks into the search phrases.

For instance, a hyperlocal strategy would target keywords like “bakery in SoHo” or “cake shop on Elm Street.” This way, the business competes for highly specific searches and connects with customers searching for products or services in their immediate vicinity.

3. Target Audience:

The target audience for local SEO includes anyone within a broad geographic region who might be looking for a business’s services, often within a driving radius. For example, a car dealership or a law firm might attract customers from various parts of a city or nearby suburbs. In contrast, hyperlocal SEO targets customers who are either in the immediate vicinity or actively searching for services that are very close by. This makes it ideal for brick-and-mortar businesses such as restaurants, gyms, or convenience stores, where customers often make decisions based on proximity.

4. Content and Listings Optimization:

Both SEO strategies require optimizing business listings and website content, but they differ in execution. Local SEO usually involves optimizing the Google My Business profile, using city-based keywords in meta descriptions, and gaining backlinks from regional sources. Hyperlocal SEO, however, goes further by optimizing content with neighborhood-specific terms, creating location-specific landing pages, and adding geotagging.

Hyperlocal SEO also places a strong emphasis on community-level engagement, such as participating in local events, listing in neighborhood directories, and including hyperlocal details in online profiles. These efforts help businesses become more relevant to a nearby audience.

5. Use Cases:

Local SEO is ideal for businesses that serve a wider area, such as car dealerships, law firms, or large retail stores that can attract customers from various parts of a city or region. This strategy helps such businesses maintain a presence in local search results for city-wide or regional queries. Hyperlocal SEO, on the other hand, is particularly suited for businesses where proximity is crucial, such as cafes, gyms, or convenience stores. These businesses benefit most from targeting customers who are searching for services “near me” or are within walking distance, which is where hyperlocal SEO excels.

6. Search Intent:

General local SEO addresses broader search intents, such as users looking for a specific type of business in a city or region, for example, “best hotels in Miami” or “plumber in Los Angeles.” Hyperlocal SEO, however, caters to the “micro-moment” search intent, where users need immediate solutions that are nearby. These searches are often conducted on mobile devices and include phrases like “restaurants near me” or “pharmacy on 7th Street.”

Hyperlocal SEO helps businesses capture these micro-moments by ranking for highly localized search queries, providing an advantage in attracting customers who are close by and ready to make a purchase.

Benefits for Small Businesses

Hyperlocal SEO offers two main benefits: increased visibility in local searches and a greater connection with the immediate community. When someone nearby searches for the services you provide, using hyperlocal keywords makes it far more likely that your business will appear. This means that potential customers who are literally around the corner can easily find you—translating into more visits, calls, and sales.

How to Use Google Keyword Planner for Hyperlocal SEO Keyword Research

Having explained what hyperlocal SEO is, how it differs from local SEO, and its benefits to small businesses, let’s dive into how to find these keywords. I will demonstrate using Google Keyword Planner, which is a free tool, so as a small business, you don’t have to worry about costs.

Conduct Hyperlocal Keyword Research

Understanding the specific search terms your audience uses is vital for an effective digital marketing effort. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify hyperlocal keywords that potential customers are using. If you do not already have an account, here are the steps to create one.

If you already have an account, let’s continue with how you can get the necessary keywords for your hyperlocal SEO efforts.

Start Your Research

Log into your Google Keyword Planner account and navigate to the Google Ads dashboard. Click on the tools icon in the top right corner and select “Keyword Planner” under the “Planning” section. Now, choose your keyword research goal: “Discover new keywords” to start your research.

Homepage of Google Keyword Planner account

In the search box, input terms related to your business. Let’s say you own a coffee shop in Los Angeles County. You would enter terms like “coffee shop,” “cappuccino,” or “best espresso.” Be specific about the services or products you offer. These are also known as short-tail keywords. You can also add specific services like pour-over, compostable packaging, or open mic nights.

Using the discover new keywords option in Keyword planner

Remember, your goal is to dominate neighborhood searches. So it’s essential that you filter the location and narrow down to hyperlocal areas. On the keyword results page, click on the “Location” filter and set it to your location, say Los Angeles County, or more specific neighborhoods like Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills. This ensures your keyword suggestions are specific to your area or the areas where your potential customers are. Save and continue.

Filtering the location and narrowing down to hyperlocal areas to get the Best Keywords for Your Local Business

Google Keyword Planner will generate a list of keyword ideas based on your inputs. Look for keywords that contain location modifiers, like “breakfast coffee [neighborhood].” Pay attention to metrics such as search volume and competition. Select keywords that have moderate search volume but lower competition for greater success in local searches. If you are not satisfied with the results, add more filters depending on your business. Note, the search volume here will be broad if you are not running ads with them.

There is also the “Refine Keywords” feature on the left side, which allows you to fine-tune the suggested keywords to create a more targeted and effective list for your SEO efforts, making it easier to focus on keywords that are most likely to generate results for your specific audience and objectives. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the tool and get satisfying results.

It’s Better to Start with Long-Tail Keywords

Your research focus should be on long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific keyword phrases that are less competitive but can attract highly targeted traffic. Add location-specific terms to create long-tail keywords, such as “best cappuccino near [neighborhood name]” or “late-night coffee shop [specific area].” You can use additional filters like average monthly searches or competition level to prioritize the most relevant keywords for your target area. For a start, it’s better to pick keywords with a high search volume but medium to low competition because many people are searching for those keywords, and fewer websites are competing for them.

Mark the keywords that are most relevant to your coffee shop and show promise for attracting local customers. Save these keywords by downloading the list in CSV format, allowing you to organize and use them when optimizing your website content.

Use the selected hyperlocal keywords in important places like meta titles, descriptions, blog posts, and landing pages related to your coffee shop. Also, use them in your Google My Business listing, making sure your profile highlights your coffee shop’s location and key offerings. By doing so, you can ensure that your coffee shop ranks higher in hyperlocal searches, reaching more customers who are close by and actively searching for the coffee experience you provide.

Utilizing Competitor Analysis for Keyword Inspiration

First steps are always necessary, but they are never enough. Start with the keywords you already have, but that’s just the beginning. Another great strategy is to learn what those who are already successful in your business niche are doing. These people are your competitors. Here are two steps to get inspiration from their strategy:

Identify Your Local Competitors:

It’s always smart to learn from your competitors. Begin by identifying businesses that offer similar services in your area. Third-party tools like Ahrefs can help you see what your competitors are doing in terms of SEO, and you can use this information to refine your own strategy.

Reverse Engineering Their Keywords:

Use the tool to uncover which keywords your competitors are ranking for, especially the ones that include local modifiers. This can give you a clear idea of what’s working for them—and it’s likely those keywords could also work for you, with some adjustments to better fit your unique business.

Don’t Wait Any Longer—Get Started Today

Hyperlocal keyword research is an essential strategy for small businesses looking to enhance their visibility in local search results. If you are one, take it seriously from now on because by focusing on specific neighborhoods or streets, you connect directly with your target audience, increasing the likelihood of attracting customers who are already in the area.

Leverage hyperlocal SEO to gain a competitive edge against larger entities by prioritizing keywords that reduce competition while still being broadly searched. It’s important to start small by selecting a handful of hyperlocal keywords that accurately reflect your services and locations. As you implement these keywords into your website content, continuous monitoring will reveal their impact on targeted traffic and engagement. Ultimately, a focused hyperlocal strategy will significantly enhance your connection with the local community, driving foot traffic and fostering long-term customer relationships.

Emeka Okorie

Emeka is a microbiologist, a content creator and an affiliate marketer. His marketing style centres around SEO traffic and list building.

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