Blog Post

Ever noticed how some businesses magically appear right when you need them—like when you’re frantically searching “coffee shop open now” or “plumber in Midtown Atlanta”?

Here’s the truth: it’s not magic. It’s smart strategy, rooted in understanding how people search locally and how to match that with your site’s visibility.

In this guide, I’m going to show you how I identify, analyze, and use geographically relevant search terms to help businesses get found by the people right around them.

• How I pinpoint high-converting search terms used by nearby customers
  
• The simple process I follow to find the right terms (without fancy tricks)
  
• How I group and assign terms to website pages
  
• Where these terms should live on your site (and where they shouldn’t)
  
• Tips to stand out in local search, even in competitive areas
  

Let’s start with a simple truth: people don’t search generically when they need something nearby. They search with intent. Real-world examples?

• “Affordable dentist near Greenpoint”
  
• “Emergency locksmith downtown LA”
  
• “Gluten-free bakery in Richmond VA”
  

These searches are specific. The people behind them? Ready to buy, visit, or call.

My job—and yours—is to find the search terms that matter and make sure your business shows up at the right moment.

The first thing I do when starting a targeting plan is build two lists:

1. What your business offers
   
2. Where your customers are located
   

Let’s say you run a yoga studio. Your first list might look like:

• Prenatal yoga
  
• Beginner classes
  
• Vinyasa flow
  
• Private sessions
  

Your second list includes locations you serve:

• Silver Lake
  
• Los Feliz
  
• Echo Park
  

Combine the two, and suddenly you’re working with:

• “Private yoga lessons Silver Lake”
  
• “Beginner yoga Echo Park”
  
• “Prenatal yoga in Los Feliz”
  

You don’t need a 30-step process here. Just clarity and customer perspective.

There are plenty of tools that can help find local search phrases. I use them—but I never rely on them entirely.

• Google Keyword Planner – solid for traffic estimates
  
• Google Search Console – shows what’s already working for your site
  
• Autocomplete – just start typing in Google
  
• Searches related to… – goldmine at the bottom of results
  

• Customer reviews – how people naturally describe your service
  
• Contact form submissions – the phrasing customers use matters
  
• Live chat transcripts or sales calls – great for listening to actual intent
  

Don’t forget voice search. People talk to their phones. “Where can I get my tires rotated now?” is a lot more common out loud than “auto tire service center.”

Here’s something I’ve learned over and over again: terms with fewer monthly searches often convert better.

A phrase like “wedding photographer Brooklyn Bridge” might only bring in 50 searches per month. But those 50 people? They’re not browsing—they’re planning.

That’s why I prioritize intent over popularity. If a term clearly reflects a need, and it matches your offering, I’ll choose that every time over something generic.

Need proof? I break this down further in my ranking factors breakdown, where I explain why intent often beats raw traffic.

If you’re not sure what customers are typing, look at businesses already showing up for those kinds of services. Here’s how I size them up:

• What search terms appear in their title tags and headers?
  
• Do their pages mention specific neighborhoods or just city names?
  
• Are they using real content, or just repeating zip codes awkwardly?
  
• Is their Google Business Profile properly filled out?
  

Sometimes, just doing a quick Google search for your service + city shows who’s winning—and how they got there.

Use this for inspiration, not imitation.

Here’s where things usually fall apart for most websites. They try to cram everything onto one page. That’s a fast track to underperformance.

Instead, I group related phrases together and assign them to separate pages. Each page is focused, useful, and written for a specific service or neighborhood.

Example from a landscaping business:

• “Backyard design in Scottsdale” → goes to the Design Services page
  
• “Sprinkler installation Paradise Valley” → assigned to Irrigation Services page
  
• “Landscape maintenance in Tempe” → goes to Monthly Service page
  

Grouping this way avoids internal competition and gives search engines clean signals.

Want help organizing pages for different locations? Check out my multi-location SEO strategy.

There’s no need to repeat city names a dozen times in one paragraph. Trust me, Google doesn’t reward that anymore—and readers hate it.

Here’s where I add these terms instead:

• Page title (it still matters)
  
• Meta description
  
• Main heading (H1) and first 100 words
  
• Image alt tags
  
• Links between related pages
  

I also mention relevant areas in FAQs or testimonials—naturally. Don’t force it.

If you’re targeting “near me” searches, I have a whole post on that too: Optimizing for ‘near me’ search.

Like everything else in SEO, this isn’t a one-and-done job. I track performance monthly and adjust based on:

• Ranking shifts
  
• Seasonal keyword spikes
  
• Local event-driven traffic
  

I use tools like Search Console, but also track traffic to key landing pages. If a service area isn’t pulling in the clicks it should, I’ll try rewording headers or updating internal links.

For help with performance tracking, I’ve outlined my full approach here.

Some things I’ve learned over the years—not fancy, just effective:

• Use Schema Markup for business name, address, and hours (guide here)
  
• Get local reviews—and gently ask customers to mention the neighborhood or service type (my review generation guide)
  
• Maintain consistency in your business info across platforms (NAP consistency matters)
  

Also, don’t keyword cannibalize. Make sure no two pages target the exact same phrase. If they do, one (or both) will underperform.

Understanding how people search near your business—and how to connect with them through search—is one of the most effective ways to drive real results.

You don’t need to get fancy. Just:

• Focus on what you offer and where
  
• Pay attention to how real people search
  
• Group and organize search terms the right way
  
• Keep things clear, useful, and human-friendly
  

Get those things right, and the next time someone searches for what you do nearby, guess who they’ll find?

(You, obviously.)