An important part of optimizing a website for local SEO is including locally relevant keywords in content, but first you'll have to identify what the most valuable local keywords are. In other words, you want to find out what localized terms potential customers are actually searching for.
The best way to do this is by using a local SEO keyword research tool, of which there are many, both free and paid. While paid local keyword research tools offer the most robust toolkits, you can definitely build a list of keywords to target without paying a dime. It's always good to try before you buy, too!
To help you dive into local SEO keyword research without an investment up front, we've put together this quick guide to some of the best local keyword research tools out there that you can use to build a list of local keywords to target; completely free!
5 Free Local Keyword Research Tools To Try
1. Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool
Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool is one of the best free local keyword research tools you can try. Without a paid subscription, you only get to run 10 free keyword searches per day, but that can definitely be enough to get you started.
To use the Keyword Magic Tool to find locally relevant keywords, simply enter a seed keyword, such as "Seattle dentist." The tool will then automatically generate a list of broad-match keywords, or broad variations of the seed keyword, which might include recommendations like "dentist in Seattle WA" and "dentist downtown Seattle."
The Keyword Magic Tool also shows you search volume and keyword difficulty (essentially how hard it is to rank for that keyword) for each search term on the list, helping you prioritize which keywords to target.
2. Ahrefs's Free Keyword Generator
Ahrefs offers another free local keyword research tool; the aptly named Free Keyword Generator.
To get started with this tool, just enter a localized keyword into the text search box and hit the "Find Keywords" button. This will launch a pop-up with a list of keywords and approximate search volumes, from which you can pick and choose the ones that make the most sense to target and start building content around.
For instance, if you enter "Thai restaurant Montreal," you might see that the top related search queries are "best Thai restaurant Montreal" and "Thai restaurant Montreal downtown."
3. Moz's Keyword Explorer
Moz is a powerhouse in the world of SEO, so it's only natural that the company offers another one of the best free local keyword research tools. Moz's Keyword Explorer functions very much the same as the previous two tools on this list.
To get started with this local keyword research tool, enter a localized seed keyword like, "best bagels New York City," and hit the "Find keywords" button.
The Keyword Explorer tool will then give you the monthly search volume, organic click-through rate, and keyword difficulty for your seed keyword, followed by a list of similar keywords, such as "best bagels in New York," "best bagels in Manhattan," and "New York bagels," and their respective monthly search volumes.
4. Answer the Public
Answer the Public is a little different than the local keyword research tools discussed above. Rather than giving you a list of keywords similar to a seed term, Answer the Public provides you with a list of long-tail search phrases based on autocomplete data from search engines. It's what's known as a search listening tool.
What this means is if you enter a term like "Chinese food near me" into the tool, you will get back a list of search queries like, "where can I get Chinese food near me," "all you can eat Chinese food near me open now," and "where can I get good Chinese food near me."
As you can see, these terms include the seed keyword, "Chinese food near me," but they also give ideas of what types of longer queries people are actually entering into search engines.
Incorporating some of these more conversational phrases into your content where it makes sense to do so can help you capitalize on more specific traffic for long-tail local keywords, which tend to have lower traffic volume, but are also generally less competitive to rank for.
Long-tail search terms can also have stronger local purchase intent, so a user who visits your site after performing such a query might be more likely to visit your business than someone who searches for a more general term, like "Chinese food."
5. Google's Keyword Planner
Google's Keyword Planner is a classic free tool for local keyword research. While it's designed primarily for Google Ads, it can still provide valuable insights into localized search terms and their estimated search volumes, including historical volumes.
To find local keywords, simply enter your seed keywords and use the location filter to narrow results to a specific city, region, or country.
What's the Best Keyword Research Tool for Local SEO?
Choosing the best local keyword research tool for your needs largely comes down to personal preference. You can certainly get your local content strategy off to a good start with any of the tools above.
However, you may also want to consider using a combination of tools, as each platform pulls data from different sources and can provide different insights into keywords and search volumes.
Using two, three, or even all of the different keyword research tools (they're free, after all) from this list to perform local keyword research can help you build a very strong list of relevant localized keywords to incorporate into your site and content, setting you up for local SEO success in organic search results!
