Local keyword research: how to choose the keywords that bring clients to your business

If you're a freelancer or run a small business in Spain, getting found on Google starts with local keyword research, the foundation of local SEO. A great website won't bring you enquiries if nobody can find it when they search for ‘plumber in Elda’, ‘dentist in Alicante’ or, in Spanish, ‘fontanero urgente Alicante’. In this guide you'll learn how to find local keywords with free tools, choose the ones worth targeting and use them on your site and on the Google Business Profile that puts your business on Google Maps.

What is local keyword research?

Local keyword research is the process of finding the phrases people type into Google when they need products or services in a specific location, then choosing which of them your site should target.

It's the first step of any local SEO strategy: the keywords you choose shape your pages, your articles and your Business Profile.

Examples of local keywords

A local keyword combines what you offer with a place, or with a sign of local intent such as ‘near me’. For example:

• ‘electrician in Valencia’: a trade and a city;
• ‘emergency plumber Alicante’: a trade, an urgency and a city;
• ‘hairdresser near me’: a trade and proximity;
• ‘how much does a bathroom renovation cost in Elda’: a question asked before hiring;
• ‘fontanero urgente Alicante’: the second example, searched in Spanish.

How it differs from general SEO keyword research

General keyword research looks for the terms with the largest search volume across a whole country.

In keyword research for local businesses, small numbers are normal: a handful of monthly searches from potential customers nearby can be worth more than thousands of visits from people too far away to hire you.

What counts is how relevant a search is to your business, not its size.

Why keyword research matters for local SEO

Google doesn't show the same results to all users. For a search with local intent, it takes into account where the user is, and the results often include a map with nearby businesses, the Google Map Pack, above the usual organic results. The same criteria shape your visibility in Google Maps.

The right SEO keywords help you appear in those local results.

Google's local ranking factors

Google's guidance for Business Profile owners explains that local results are mainly based on three factors: relevance, distance and prominence.

• Relevance: how well a business matches what someone is searching for.
• Distance: how far the business is from the place named in the search or, if none is typed, from the user.
• Prominence: how well known the business is, based on signals such as reviews, links and directories.

Keywords act on the first ranking factor: they help Google understand what you do and where, so each page is relevant to the right search query.

Google's own tips for local rankings

Google's resources for Business Profile owners also make a few practical recommendations. Keywords play a part in some of them, not all:

• Full details: a local business whose listing is complete and accurate is easier to match with the right queries, so fill in every field, from opening hours to service area.
• Verification and hours: get verified and keep your opening hours up to date, including special hours for holidays.
• Reviews: ask happy clients for reviews and reply to them. Google says the number of reviews and your rating play a part in ranking, and that positive reviews can raise your visibility.
• Photos: upload pictures of your premises, your team and the jobs you do.
• Your site: your position in organic results also counts towards prominence, so SEO best practices still apply.

Prominence also grows away from your site. Consistent local citations (your name, address and phone number listed identically in directories) and local link building, such as a link from your trade association, a supplier or a community group, signal that you're known in the area. Our guide to local link building explains how to earn those links.

Google also states that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking: these points and the right keywords are the levers you control.

What local keyword research changes on your site

Your choice of keywords also tells you which pages to create and what to put on them.

Instead of guessing, you write content for the phrases your potential customers really use, which can improve your SEO rankings and bring more relevant organic traffic to your business.

Types of local keywords, with examples

Local keywords come in a few recurring types. Knowing each type, you can find the gaps in your keyword plan.

Explicit and implicit local keywords

An explicit local keyword names the place, as in ‘locksmith Elche’.

An implicit one doesn't, but the local intent is still there: someone in Elche searching for ‘locksmith’ is likely to want one nearby, and Google shows local businesses based on where the user is, since distance is a ranking factor.

Your site and your Google listing should say clearly where you operate, so Google can match you to queries with local intent; that's why you rarely need to write ‘near me’ on your pages.

Short-tail and long-tail keywords

Short-tail keywords are brief and broad, like ‘plumber Valencia’.

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, for example ‘water heater installation in Benimaclet’: they have less volume, but the person typing them knows what they want and is more likely to get in touch, and there's often less competition, which suits small local businesses.

A sensible local SEO strategy combines both, with one primary term for each page and several long-tail keywords to support it in your content.

Spanish, English and place-name variants

In Spain, many potential customers will be searching in Spanish even if you run your business in English, while expats may search in English. ‘Emergency plumber Alicante’ and ‘fontanero urgente Alicante’ are different queries, with their own volume and their own local competitors.

Some potential clients also specify a language, for example ‘English-speaking dentist Alicante’.

Place names vary too: Alicante and Alacant, Elche and Elx, Valencia and València are the same places, and some users search with the Valencian name.

Research keywords for each variant, keep a separate keyword list for each language, and create content only in the languages you can serve clients in.

What is search intent and why does it matter?

Search intent is the goal behind a search: the information someone wants or the action they want to take.

It matters for SEO because Google tries to show, in its search results, the pages that best meet that goal, so a keyword only works if your content gives people what they're looking for.

There are four types of search intent:

• Informational: the person wants to learn something, as in ‘how to unblock a sink’.
• Commercial: they're comparing options, as in ‘hairdressers in Elche with good reviews’.
• Transactional: they want to hire or buy now, as in ‘emergency plumber Elda’.
• Navigational: they're looking for a specific business by name.

Match each intent with the right page

Someone with transactional intent needs a service page that explains what you do, which areas you cover and your contact details.

Someone looking for information needs an answer first, and useful content such as an article can give it, with a link to your services.

Send an informational keyword to a sales page, or the reverse, and it will struggle to rank in the results.

Check the SERP before you choose a keyword

The quickest way to understand the search intent behind a keyword is to look at the search results for it, the search engine results page (SERP). Local SERPs can include:

• A map with local businesses: it means the query has local intent, so your Google listing matters as much as your site.
• Service pages from local companies among the organic results: people want to hire.
• Articles and guides: people want information, so educational content fits better.
• Directories and large platforms: competition is strong, and a more specific target keyword may be easier to rank for.

Perform this SERP analysis for each keyword in a private window, and remember that local SERPs vary with location: the SERP you see in Valencia can be different from the one users see in Elche.

For some queries, Google also shows an AI Overview, a generated summary at the top of the SERP.

The points this summary covers are another clue to what users want to learn, and to the content your page should include.

How to do local keyword research in seven steps

You don't need paid SEO software to start local keyword research.

Follow this order to build a realistic keyword list; how long it takes depends on how many services and areas you cover.

Step one: list your services and areas

Write down every service or product your business offers and every town or neighbourhood you really cover, described the way your customers would put it. These are your seed keywords, the starting point to find more.

Be specific: ‘boiler installation’ says more than ‘plumbing’. For example, for a plumber based in Elda:

• Services: leak repairs, boiler installation, bathroom renovations, unblocking drains.
• Locations: Elda, Petrer and Monóvar.
• Customers' phrasing: ‘burst pipe’, ‘no hot water’, ‘fontanero’.

Combine each service with each town and you have your first keyword ideas: ‘leak repair Elda’, ‘boiler installation Petrer’, ‘fontanero Elda’.

A local business that sells products can do the same, as in ‘electric bikes Alicante’ or ‘children's shoes Elche’.

Step two: collect the words your customers use

Your local clients already tell you how they search: their words come up in calls, WhatsApp messages, emails, social media comments and quote requests.

To find them, think about the exact wording they use, and you'll discover phrases you might not use yourself.

Read your reviews and those of your local competitors too: they're a great source of everyday vocabulary, and you'll learn what clients value.

Clients often describe a job in different words from yours: they type ‘no hot water’ where you'd say ‘water heater replacement’. Both belong on your list.

Step three: find more keywords with Google

Google's own results are a free keyword research tool. Open a private window, type your service and your location, and look at:

• Autocomplete: the suggestions that appear as you type, based on what other people look for.
• People also ask: further questions on the topic, useful for your FAQ and your content.
• Related searches: more variations, at the bottom of the results.

Repeat the exercise for every town you cover, in Spanish as well as English, and note every relevant keyword you find, even if it looks small.

Step four: check search volume and seasonality

In SEO, search volume is the estimated number of times a keyword is searched each month.

Keyword Planner, a free tool inside Google Ads, gives you these estimates: you need a Google Ads account, but you don't have to spend anything. Its ‘Discover new keywords’ option helps you find similar ones, and you can set the location and language.

Keep two cautions in mind:

• the figures are estimates, often shown as broad ranges, so use them to compare keywords rather than as exact counts;
• local search volume for a small town can even look empty; that often means the tool has little data at that level, not that demand is zero.

Google Trends compares the relative popularity of terms over time and by region, without exact figures.

You can explore, for example, whether interest in ‘air conditioning repair’ rises in summer in the Valencian Community.

Step five: competitor analysis

Search for each important keyword and examine the businesses and platforms that appear in the local search results, both in the map and in the first organic results. Do the same in Google Maps, where the first businesses listed are your direct local competitors.

This SEO competitor analysis isn't about copying them: the aim is to discover what earns them their rankings and find gaps you can fill. Look at:

• the keywords that competitors use in the titles and headings of their service pages;
• the content of those pages, and the specific services and towns they mention or leave out;
• their Business Profile: business category and reviews.

If, for example, all your competitors target ‘plumber Alicante’ but none has a clear page for ‘boiler repair Playa de San Juan’, that gap may be your opportunity.

Step six: choose and prioritise your keywords

A long list isn't an SEO plan. Target the keywords that pass these four filters first:

• Relevance: it describes something you really offer.
• Location: it names or implies a town, city or area you serve.
• Search intent: the person wants to hire, buy or visit, or needs information you can give.
• Realistic competition: the results aren't dominated by large platforms or competitors you can't match yet.

Then think about business value: a keyword linked to the most profitable part of your business deserves priority, even with a smaller volume.

Step seven: map each keyword to a page

Give every page one target keyword and a few close variations in its text, and make sure no two pages compete for the same keyword.

For the plumber in Elda, the keyword map could look like this:

• Home page: ‘plumber in Elda’.
• Leak repairs: ‘leak repair Elda’ and ‘burst pipe repair Elda’.
• Boilers: ‘boiler installation Elda’ and ‘water heater repair Petrer’.
• Blog article: ‘how much does a bathroom renovation cost in Elda’.

Keep this SEO keyword map in a simple spreadsheet with each keyword, its intent, its URL and the date you last updated the page: it will save you time later, and it's useful for the rest of your marketing, from adverts to social media posts.

Local keyword research tools: free and paid

You can do solid keyword research for local SEO with free tools.

Paid SEO software saves time and adds detail, but many local businesses can do without it at first.

Google's free tools

• Google Search: autocomplete, suggested questions and the variations shown at the bottom of the results.
• Keyword Planner: keyword ideas and search volume estimates by location.
• Google Trends: how interest in a term changes over time and by region.
• Search Console: the queries for which your site already appears, with impressions, clicks and average position.
• Google Business Profile: the local search terms people used to find your profile.

Keyword Planner needs a Google Ads account. If you've never used Google Ads, you'll learn how the account works in our Google Ads guide for beginners.

Google Search Console: your own data

Search Console, Google's free SEO tool, shows the actual queries for which your site appears in organic results, and its reports give you insights into clicks and impressions for each one. It helps you discover local queries where you already rank without standing out: a good place to start if you want to improve your rankings.

AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic helps you discover the questions and phrases people search around a topic, which is useful when you're looking for content ideas. Its free use is limited.

Paid SEO tools

SEO tools such as Semrush, Mangools (KWFinder), Ahrefs or Moz provide volume estimates, a difficulty score for each target keyword and data on the rankings of competing pages. Several of them also offer a rank tracker, which lets you track where your pages appear for chosen keywords over time.

A paid keyword research tool can be worth it once local SEO becomes an important source of business; until then, Google's own resources cover the essentials.

AI assistants and AI Overviews

An AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude can help you find keyword ideas: variations of what you offer, typical local queries or neighbourhoods around your base. Try asking what someone in Elche might wonder before hiring a plumber.

Treat the answers as ideas, not data: AI assistants and AI search tools have no reliable figures on how many people type each term, and their answers can include phrases nobody uses.

Check that each AI idea is relevant before adding it to your list (see our selection of AI tools for freelancers).

As for AI search, such as Google's AI Overviews, the basics of SEO stay the same: clear, accurate content that answers a local question is useful to readers, whatever form the search results take.

Where to use your local keywords

For good SEO, use your keywords where they help readers and Google understand the content of each page. Natural wording matters more than repetition.

On each page of your site

These on-page SEO elements are the most important:

• the page title, which should include the target keyword and the location, and often appears as the headline people click in Google;
• the main heading (H1), with the keyword, and one or two subheadings;
• the first paragraph, where the keyword fits naturally;
• a short, readable URL, such as /boiler-installation-elda, which users see before they click;
• the alt text of your photos, when it describes the image honestly;
• your name, address and phone number (NAP), exactly as on your Google listing and in your local citations.

The meta description doesn't directly affect your SEO ranking, but a clear one helps potential local customers decide to click on your result.

Service pages and location pages

Create a service page for each important service, built around its own target keyword.

If you cover several towns, you can create location pages too, each with its own URL, but only for places you really serve and only with specific content for each one: the jobs you do there and the neighbourhoods you cover.

Pages that repeat the same content and only change the city name offer little for readers or for your SEO.

Google's spam policies describe pages created to rank for similar queries, such as near-identical pages for different cities, as doorway pages.

On your Google Business Profile

For local businesses, the Google Business Profile is often the first thing people find in local search, especially among the map listings and on Google Maps, which makes it a key part of local SEO.

Use your keywords to complete and improve it:

• choose the primary category that best describes your business, and add secondary categories only when they're relevant;
• fill in your specific products and services, described in your customers' words;
• write a description with clear information about what you do and in which area;
• keep your name, address and phone number identical to those on your site;
• publish a post now and then about a seasonal job, such as servicing air conditioning before the summer: each post is a chance to name the job and the town in plain language.

Use your real business name, without adding keywords: Google's guidelines don't allow it, and breaking them can get your profile suspended.

If you're not listed yet, our guide on getting your business onto Google Maps is the place to start; then see how to optimise your Google Business Profile and choose your Google Business categories.

In your blog content

Create content, such as articles and FAQ entries, for your informational keywords. An honest article targeting ‘how much does a bathroom renovation cost in Elda’, linked to your renovations section, can bring visitors who will need you later. Each useful article is also one more page that can rank in search results.

If writing isn't your thing, read how to write website content when you're not a writer.

Mistakes to avoid when choosing local keywords

These mistakes can undermine a local SEO strategy, but they're easy to avoid:

• Keywords that are too generic: ‘plumber’ or ‘restaurant’ without a place bring competitors you can't beat and visitors you can't serve.
• Cities where you don't work: they're likely to attract people your business can't help and to confuse those who could hire you.
• Keyword stuffing: repeating the same phrase makes content harder to read, and Google treats keyword stuffing as spam, which can hurt your SEO.
• Leaving out Spanish: if you serve locals, part of your market may never search in English.
• Ignoring search intent: content that doesn't match what people want struggles to rank.
• Never measuring: without data, you can't tell which keywords improve your rankings.

What is keyword cannibalisation?

Keyword cannibalisation happens when two of your pages target the same search and Google can't tell which one to show.

The fix: choose one main keyword per page, and merge or differentiate pages that cover the same topic.

How do you know if your local keywords are working?

Look at the local search queries that bring you impressions and clicks in Search Console, and the calls and clicks recorded in your Business Profile. If the right queries start to bring enquiries, your keywords are doing their job.

• In Search Console's Performance report, see which pages perform well and bring organic traffic, and check impressions, clicks and rankings (average position) for each page's target keyword.
• If a page appears for a keyword but few people click, improve its title and description.
• In your profile, track calls, direction requests, website clicks and local search terms.
• If visitors arrive but don't get in touch, review the content and the contact details on that page.

How often to update your keyword list

There's no fixed calendar for reviewing your SEO keywords: update them every few months and whenever you add a service or an area. Local SEO takes time and rankings move slowly, so give each change a few weeks before you judge it; a rank tracker makes the trend easier to follow. For the basics, see how to know if your site works.

Your local keyword research checklist

1. List what you offer and the areas you cover.
2. Collect the phrases your local customers use, in Spanish and English.
3. Expand your keyword ideas with autocomplete, People also ask and related searches.
4. Check search volume in Keyword Planner and trends in Google Trends.
5. Look at your competitors and the SERP for each keyword.
6. Create a keyword map with one target keyword per page.
7. Use your keywords in titles, headings, text and your Google Business Profile.
8. Measure your SEO results, then adjust.

If you'd rather hand this task over, WebAutonomos offers Local SEO for €15/month: 4 blog articles a month, local keywords and a monthly report, and you can buy it without having your website with us.

For the wider picture, read what local SEO is and why it matters and how to rank your website on Google as a local business.

Local keyword research isn't a one-off SEO task, but it doesn't need to be complicated. Start with your services and your towns, listen to how your customers describe what they need, check their phrases against real data and give each page one clear purpose. Then measure, improve and expand.