How Keyword Research Helps
Local Customers Find You
If no one can find you, no one can book you. That’s why keyword research is the foundation of local SEO. It tells Google what your business does, who it serves, and where you're located, so your listing shows up when someone searches “near me.”
But ranking isn’t just about stuffing words into your website. It's about understanding real-world search behavior and using those signals to shape everything, from your Google Business Profile to your blog content.
Understanding Keyword Intent: What People Are Really Searching For
Different keyword types reflect different goals, and Google treats them accordingly:
“Near Me” Terms: High-intent, GPS-based queries like “plumber near me”
City-Specific: Great for searches like “furnace repair in St. Louis”
Urgent or Time-Based: Phrases like “open now” or “24/7 emergency HVAC”
Zip Code + Neighborhood: Hyper-local terms like “plumber 63119”
Price-Sensitive: “Affordable AC install” or “cheap furnace repair”
Voice-Based or Long-Tail: “Who fixes HVAC near me?”
By mixing keyword types in your Google posts, service pages, and metadata, you align your content with different levels of urgency, location specificity, and buying behavior.
How Local Howl Does Keyword Research
We don’t guess or pick random keywords. We use tools like SEMrush and combine human strategy with robotic support to identify the highest-impact keywords. Here’s how:
We Analyze What You Already Rank For
We start by pasting your URL into a tool to find out what keywords you're already showing up for, even if it’s just from a photo on your homepage. If you’re ranking #4 or #6 for a valuable phrase, we know we can move it to the top.
We Find Low-Difficulty, High-Intent Opportunities
We prioritize keywords with good search volume and a low difficulty score. For example:
“Manchester comic shop” (40 searches, difficulty 6) = smart target
“Comic book store St. Louis” (170 searches, harder, but valuable)
We Audit the Competition
We check who’s ranking above you, is it a real competitor, Yelp listing, or a dead link? That tells us how hard it’ll be to outrank them, or whether to get listed on that site ourselves.
We Build a Keyword & Citation Plan
Every viable keyword gets added to a shared Google Sheet with volume, difficulty, rank, and next steps. We also identify “citation targets” which are local directories where you should be featured.
How Keyword Research Shapes Your Content Strategy
Once we have the data, we build content around it. Here’s how we approach it:
Phase 1: Broad Content to Move All Grid Points
We publish content (GBP posts, service pages, metadata) that aims to boost your rankings across your entire map area.
Phase 2: Targeted Content to Fix Weak Spots
Once we see plateaued performance, we shift to ZIP code- or neighborhood-specific content that targets weak areas on your visibility grid.
Everything We Write Is Backed by Search Intent
Whether it’s a blog post or a Google Business Profile update, we use keyword research to make sure your content matches what people are searching for.
Visibility Starts with the Right Language
SEO isn’t about writing the flashiest copy, it’s about making sure Google knows you can solve someone’s problem in a specific area.
If you’re not using the right keywords, you’re invisible.
At Local Howl, we use keyword research to tell Google exactly what you do, where you do it, and who you help, so you show up when it matters.