4 Top AI Local SEO Keyword Research Strategies [2024]: Examples & Tools
Local SEO is of paramount importance for a local business - now rank your local business #1 in this new AI world in 2024
·
·13 min read
Table of Contents
4 Top AI Local SEO Keyword Research Strategies to rank #1 in 2024: Examples & Tools
Local SEO is of paramount importance for a local business - it is a highly effective form of online marketing that allows local businesses to promote their services to local customers at the exact time they're looking for them. Local SEO uses search engines like Google and business directories like Yelp to help local businesses get traffic, leads and most importantly customers!
Google has revealed that 46% of all searches have a 'local intent' 😮
In other words, almost half of all Google searches are looking for a local business that can provide them with a certain product or service. Therefore, if your business isn't optimized for local search, you could be missing out on a significant number of potential customers!
In addition to driving more traffic to your website, local SEO can also help to improve the overall visibility of your brand. When your business appears in local search results, it increases the chances that potential customers in your area will become aware of your brand. Even if they don't click on your website the first time they see it in a search result, repeated exposure can increase brand recognition and increase the likelihood that they will choose your business in the future.
But here’s the thing - you already know this! Here’s what you may not know - AI can be used to rank your Local business #1 by nailing down the right Keyword Strategy, optimizing your Google My Business profile,
Keeping the importance of local SEO in mind, let’s look at how we should do keyword research.
TIP #1: Create a Keyword Research Strategy for your local business
To come up with the best keywords for your business, you need to answer the following questions:
- Who are your customers?
- What services do you offer?
- Where do you offer these services?
In addition to the aforementioned strategies, it's important to understand the role of long-tail keywords in local SEO. These are longer and more specific keyword phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they're closer to a point-of-purchase.
For instance, a person searching for "restaurants" is probably browsing, while someone searching for "best Italian restaurant in downtown Austin" has a clearer intent. By optimizing your website for these long-tail keywords, you can attract highly targeted traffic, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
Here are some high intent, long-tail keywords for our example above:
- "Best Italian restaurant in downtown Austin"
- "Gluten-free pizza delivery in San Francisco"
- "Book a table at a seafood restaurant in Seattle"
- "Vegan brunch spots in Brooklyn"
These keywords are specific, show clear search intent, and are likely to be used by customers who are closer to making a decision or a purchase.
Now that you know how to conduct keyword research, let’s look at some tools that help you with keyword research.
Top Free Keyword Research Tools
Google Keyword Planner
The first step in keyword research for your local business involves utilizing Google Keyword Planner. This free tool offers insights into the keywords that potential customers use when searching for local businesses like yours.
Let’s say that you go with a keyword theme like “Plumbing Service”
You can then add modifiers to your search like “Plumbing Service in Manhattan” and/or target niche keywords related to your business like “Water damage restoration service”
Be sure to fill out every detail about your business and keep your profile updated with new photos and promotions. Respond to customer reviews to enhance your local SEO.
Google Search
Google Search offers invaluable insights into how your website is performing in search results, which results come up for your keyword or associated keywords and the traffic associated with keywords.
Additionally, Google Search provides insights into the types of content that rank highly for your keywords. This can help you refine your content strategy to better align with what Google deems relevant and valuable for those searches.
Google Autocomplete, the feature that predicts search queries as you type into the search bar, can also be used as a tool for keyword research. The suggested queries can give you ideas for new keywords to target or topics to cover in your content.
Moreover, Google's "People also ask" and "Related searches" sections provide further keyword ideas. These features display queries that other people often search for in relation to your initial search term.
In summary, Google Search is a valuable tool that offers a wealth of information for optimizing your website's SEO strategy.
Semrush
Semrush is a fantastic platform for planning your keyword strategy.
Semrush is an excellent tool for conducting thorough keyword research. It provides detailed information on the search volume of a keyword, suggesting how many times a particular keyword is searched in a month. This can help you identify popular keywords in your industry.
In addition, Semrush provides insights into the intent of keywords. This refers to the purpose of a user's search - are they looking for information, wanting to make a purchase, or comparing different options? Understanding this intent can help you tailor your content to meet your audience's needs.
Keyword difficulty (KD) is another valuable metric provided by Semrush. The KD score, which ranges from 1 to 100, indicates how challenging it would be to rank for a specific keyword. A lower score means that the keyword is less competitive, making it easier to rank for in search results, while a high score indicates a highly competitive keyword. By focusing on keywords with high search volumes and low KD scores, you can optimize your content strategy and improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Semrush also allows you to track your keyword rankings over time, giving you a clear picture of your SEO progress and helping you identify areas for improvement. You can also use Semrush to spy on your competitors' keyword strategies, giving you valuable insights that can help you outperform them.
Once you have done keyword research and already know what keywords you’d like to rank for, the next step is to optimize your business for the chosen local SEO keywords. You can do that as follows:
TIP #2: Optimize your Google My Business & Website
1. Google My Business Profile Optimization
Ensure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized with your chosen local SEO keywords. Include these keywords in your business description and services list, providing a comprehensive view of your business offerings for local customers. You can use the LocalPanda free Local SEO Checklist to check and monitor Local SEO for your business.
Generative AI offers a range of capabilities to optimize your Google My Business profile for local SEO. The following bullet points provide a detailed overview:
- Title Generation: The AI can craft a compelling title that includes the right local SEO keywords, designed to catch the attention of potential customers.
- Optimized Business Description: The AI can generate a comprehensive, keyword-optimized description that precisely encapsulates your business's essence and resonates with your target audience.
- Highlighting Key Services: The AI is capable of identifying the services your customers value the most and ensuring they're prominently featured in your profile.
By leveraging these AI-enhanced features, you can significantly boost your local SEO performance and stand out in your locality. LocalPanda helps you rank your local business higher with AI. Explore it for free here - LocalPanda
2. Website SEO Enhancement
Incorporate your local SEO keywords throughout your website. This includes your title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content. The strategic placement of these keywords can significantly boost your visibility in local search results.
We at LocalPanda have created a free checklist to help you make simple changes to optimize for local SEO - Local SEO Checklist
3. Keyword-Focused Content Creation
Create and regularly update content that aligns with your local SEO keywords. This could include blog posts, news articles, service descriptions, and more. Fresh, keyword-rich content can improve your rankings and cater to your local audience's search queries.
4. Tracking Keyword Performance
Track your keyword rankings on a weekly basis using SEO tools. Monitoring your performance over time can provide insights into the effectiveness of your optimization efforts and help identify areas for improvement.
5. Consistent SEO Optimization
Adopt a consistent weekly schedule for carrying out SEO optimization tasks. Regular updates to your content, keyword strategies, and overall SEO approach can help maintain your website's relevancy and improve your chances of ranking higher in local search results.
Utilizing a Local SEO tool is crucial for optimizing a business for local SEO keywords. These tools provide valuable insights into local search trends and competitive landscape, helping businesses identify high-performing local keywords in their industry.
By incorporating these keywords strategically into their website and online content, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility in local search results. This not only drives more traffic to their website but also increases their chances of attracting potential customers in their locale. Therefore, a Local SEO tool is an indispensable asset for any business aiming to boost its local online presence and performance.
Keeping this in mind, here are the top local SEO tools that help you optimize your business for local SEO keywords
Top Local SEO tools for optimizing your business for local SEO keywords
LocalPanda
LocalPanda is an AI-based Local SEO platform that helps local businesses grow their Local SEO and Google ranking on autopilot. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools including AI-based weekly tasks, local rank tracker, Google My Business profile optimizer, AI based social media post scheduling and a whole lot more.
In addition to the above, LocalPanda helps local businesses create content on autopilot that is on-brand and includes SEO keywords that help businesses beat competition and rank significantly higher.
LocalPanda is leveraging cutting-edge AI to help your local business rank higher on Google!
Pricing: ~$7/month per location (i.e $19/month for 3 locations). Get started for free!
Top Reasons Why You Should Use LocalPanda
It’s easy! AI-based local SEO features, simple & affordable pricing and a team that loves you to the moon and back 🤗
1. Simple Weekly Tasks Generated by AI
The platform uses advanced AI to generate actionable weekly tasks that guides you to improve your local SEO effectively and efficiently.
These weekly tasks are across categories like:
- Optimize your Google Business Profile
We help you optimize your Google Business Profile to rank higher and come up on top for your target local SEO keywords. Regular tracking and optimization of your profile are crucial.
- Ensure accuracy and consistency of Listings & Citations
Information about your business listed on various online directories needs to be accurate and consistent across all platforms, boosting your local SEO.
- Optimize individual webpages on your website (On-page SEO)
By optimizing the content and the HTML source code of each page, your webpages can rank higher in search results and attract more relevant traffic.
- Post consistently on Social Media
Consistent posting on social media platforms can increase your online visibility and positively impact your local SEO. Sharing engaging, relevant content regularly can attract more customers to your business.
- Encourage and respond to customer Reviews
Customer reviews on various online platforms significantly influence your business's local SEO. Positive reviews can enhance your online reputation and improve your local rankings. Encouraging customers to leave reviews and responding to these reviews in a timely and professional manner is important.
2. It is Significantly Cheaper
Compared to other SEO platforms, LocalPanda offers a more affordable solution, making it an excellent choice for small businesses.
3. Small Company Focused on Helping You Grow Local SEO
Being a small company, LocalPanda puts a strong emphasis on customer success. They are dedicated to helping businesses enhance their local SEO and grow their online presence.
4. Customer Service is Hands-On
LocalPanda provides 24/7 hands-on customer service, ensuring that clients receive the necessary support and guidance they need to optimize their use of the platform.
Moz Local
Moz Local is a tool that ensures your business listings are correct, consistent, and visible across the web.
Pricing: Starts at $20/month per location
Pros:
- It has a simple UX
Cons:
Here are some reviews from G2:
“Products used to be great. Not so much, Policy changes to stick us for a year. Do not take into consideration the MSP needs or wants.”
“I would like to access more resources and improve my organic traffic for my clients. I wanted some academy learning, but you have to pay. “
❌ The product is low quality
❌ Customer support is lacking
❌ Moz Local tries to get you into the yearly program
❌ Few features
❌ Few learning resources
BrightLocal
BrightLocal is a local SEO tool that helps marketers optimize their online presence for local search.
Pricing: Starts at $39/month for 1 location
Pros:
- Comprehensive set of features
Cons:
Here are some reviews from G2:
“The UI is a little bit confusing sometimes. It can be cluttered and require a ton of clicks when it doesn't seem to be necessary.”
Sales process can be quite pushy at times, I’ve found it’s easier to implement the campaign yourself through the software rather than be guided by a sales team/account manager. This aspect took a lot longer than I had anticipated.
❌ Product is complicated and UX is not very good
❌ Customer support is not very helpful and too pushy
❌ Can be quite expensive for small businesses
Synup
Synup is a local SEO software that offers reputation management, listings management, and analytics.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
Pros:
- Good for large companies
Cons:
Here are some reviews from G2:
I requested to cancel my contract and they told me I would receive a refund within 10-15 days. Instead, I was billed.
Their services are a bit primitive. It is still the early days online, so that may be why. The price is high for the types of services offered and rendered.
To summarize, here are all the cons:
❌ It is very difficult to cancel the subscription
❌ Customer service is absent and does not respond to calls
❌ Pricing not transparent and too expensive for small businesses
❌ Features are limited
Semrush
Semrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that offers features like keyword research, competitive analysis, and rank tracking.
Pricing: Starts at $119.95/month.
Pros:
- Good for generic SEO keyword research
- Good for generic competitive analysis
Cons:
- High cost
- Not specialized for local SEO
TIP #3: Use AI for review generation and responses
Generative AI has transformed many aspects of digital marketing, including how businesses generate and respond to online reviews. You don’t want to be left behind when your competition is using generative AI to be 10x more effective.
AI-Powered Review Generation for Local Businesses
AI can revolutionize the way businesses manage online reviews, regardless of their location. For instance, if you run a bakery in Sacramento, California, an AI system can analyze your past interactions with customers and determine when to send review request emails or SMS messages. Timing these requests optimally, your bakery can see an increase in customer reviews.
Moreover, AI can personalize these messages. For instance, if a florist in Austin, Texas, has recently created a wedding bouquet for a customer, the AI could construct a message that specifically mentions this service. This personal touch makes the message more relevant and is more likely to prompt a response.
AI-Enhanced Review Responses for Local Businesses
AI can also guide local businesses in their responses to online reviews. Suppose a chiropractor in Portland, Oregon, receives a review. The perfect response should be empathetic, include relevant local SEO keywords, be helpful to the reviewer, and reinforce the brand values. AI can streamline this process by suggesting responses based on the review's content.
For instance, if a bakery in Sacramento receives a positive review about their fresh pastries, the AI might suggest a response expressing gratitude and enthusiasm. Conversely, if a florist in Austin receives a negative review about a late delivery, the AI could recommend a more empathetic and understanding response, acknowledging the customer's concerns and suggesting ways to rectify them.
Furthermore, AI can help ensure responses include relevant local SEO keywords, enhancing the business's visibility in local search results. For instance, a response to a review of a chiropractor in Portland might include phrases like "Portland chiropractic care" or "spinal adjustment in Portland," which can help attract more potential local patients.
In conclusion, AI provides powerful tools for managing online reviews for local businesses such as bakeries in Sacramento, florists in Austin, and chiropractors in Portland, helping to generate more reviews and craft effective responses, thereby enhancing their online reputation and visibility.
TIP #4: Post on Social Media with AI
Using AI to Generate Engaging Titles
Imagine you own a local bakery in Austin, Texas. With generative AI, you can brainstorm eye-catching titles for your social media posts. For instance, titles like "Unveiling the Magic Behind Our Famous Texas Pecan Pie" or "Get to Know the Artisans Crafting Austin's Best Pastries" can pique the interest of potential customers.
Ensuring Your Brand Voice Shines with AI
Generative AI can help your Austin bakery maintain a consistent brand voice across all social media platforms. By analyzing your existing content, AI understands your unique tone, language, and style. So, if your bakery prides itself on a friendly, community-focused tone, AI ensures all your posts reflect this personality.
Incorporating SEO Keywords with AI
Generative AI can weave relevant SEO keywords seamlessly into your social media content. If your bakery wants to reach locals searching for "artisan bread in Austin" or "best pastries in Austin," AI can craft posts that naturally include these keywords. This not only enhances discoverability but also aligns with your brand and offerings.
In essence, generative AI can revolutionize your social media strategy by generating engaging titles, maintaining a consistent brand voice, and optimizing SEO keywords in your posts.
Conclusion
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, ranking your local business on Google need not be an uphill battle. With the right strategies and a judicious use of tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, Semrush, and LocalPanda, achieving a prominent online presence is entirely feasible. These tools, coupled with a keen focus on optimizing your content for local keywords, can significantly boost your visibility and attract more customers. Additionally, fostering positive online reviews and maintaining a consistent and robust online presence can solidify your business's standing in the local market.
If you’d like to read more about how AI can help your local business rank #1, please visit our guide - 11 Top Tips to Use AI for Local SEO in 2024
Remember, SEO is not a one-time effort — it's about ongoing optimization and adaptation. The objective isn't solely to reach the summit of search results but to ensure your business remains a constant in the ever-changing local search landscape.