Keyword research for local businesses (without expensive tools)
You do not need costly software to find the searches your customers make. Here is a simple, free method any local business can follow.
Keywords are simply the words people type into Google. Getting them right means your pages match what customers are actually looking for, rather than what you call your services internally.
Start with your customers
Write down how customers describe their problem when they phone or message you. A customer rarely asks for "residential electrical installation". They ask for "an electrician to fit new sockets" or "someone to sort out my fuse box". Those phrases are your keywords.
Free ways to find more
Google autocomplete
Start typing your main service into Google and note the suggestions. Try adding your town, "near me", "cost" or "best".
People also ask
The "People also ask" boxes in Google results show real questions. Each one is a great FAQ or blog topic.
Related searches
Scroll to the bottom of the results page to see related searches. These often reveal different ways of saying the same thing.
Google Search Console
If your website is connected to Search Console, the Performance report shows the actual searches that already bring people to your site. Look for phrases where you appear but rarely get clicked, as these are often quick wins.
Your Google Business Profile
The performance section of your profile shows searches people used to find you in Maps.
Sort your keywords by intent
- Ready to buy: "emergency plumber Leeds", "book driving lessons Middlesbrough". These deserve your main service pages.
- Researching: "how much does a new boiler cost". Great for helpful articles and FAQs.
- Too broad: "plumbing". Hard to rank for and rarely brings real customers.
Map one main keyword to each page
Give each important search its own page, with the keyword in the page title, main heading and opening sentence, written naturally. Avoid having several pages competing for the same phrase.
Do not forget locations
If you serve several towns, consider a genuinely useful page for each main area, with local details, not just the town name swapped in. Thin copy-and-paste location pages rarely help.
Keyword research is part of every free SEO audit we carry out, so you can see which searches you could be winning.