What is local search volume, how can you find it, and why is it important?
In this handy guide, we will discuss how you can use free and paid tools to determine local search volume for different keywords.
We’ll also see how you can use this data to improve your online presence, attract more qualified local traffic, and potentially increase your sales.
Why Does Local Keyword Volume Matter?
What Is Local Keyword Search Volume?
Local keyword volume or local search volume is the number of user searches for a given keyword or phrase within a certain geographic location in a given time frame, usually a month.
Local search volume is one of the three pillars of local SEO keyword research, which is the process of finding out what users search for in a geographic area on search engines like Google.
Here’s why local keyword volume matters:
Potential for Increased Sales
Local keywords are typically associated with more qualified traffic and users who are normally further along in their buying process, meaning they have more intent to purchase a product or service in a geographic area.
A local keyword with more search volume can indicate demand for that product or service.
Informed Local SEO
Effective local SEO starts with excellent local keyword research, which helps you make informed decisions on your content strategy:
1. What content types should you target?
By seeing the terms people search for and how often, you can make informed decisions about what content to produce to attract local traffic and resonate with your target audience.
Depending on the keyword, the best kind of content for such a keyword could be a blog post, video, service page, or location page.
2. Location Pages
If your business operates in only one geo-location, you’ll want to add that location-based keyword to your homepage. Additionally add the keyword naturally to your service pages.
If your business operates in multiple geo-locations, you’ll want to create individual location pages or local landing pages for each location to increase your chances of ranking in multiple cities.
3. Competitive analysis
By analyzing the local keyword search volumes of the competing content in your industry, you can see gaps where they aren’t targeting high-volume local keywords and leverage that opportunity.
4. Content optimization
Local search volume research can help you optimize existing content. Find relevant long-tail and high-volume local keywords and incorporate them into meta descriptions, page titles, headers, and body text without overstuffing.
Tools To Find Local Keyword Volume
Google Keyword Planner
Google Ads Keyword Planner is a free tool for determining local search volume.
You can use Google Keyword Planner if you have a Google Ads account. The tool shows the average monthly search volume for a given keyword as a range, say, 10 – 100 searches.
Note that you can use either implicit or explicit keywords when checking search volumes for local keywords.
An implicit keyword doesn’t include a location. For example, “plumbers”.
On the other hand, an explicit keyword includes a specific location, such as “plumber Calgary.”
Besides specifying a location using an explicit keyword, you can use a local search volume keyword tool to select your desired area.
Here’s how to apply these tenets when using Google Keyword Planner:
1. Getting search volume from existing keywords
If you have a ready list of keywords that you want to get the search volume, click Get Search Volume and Forecasts. Add in the keyword or keywords and the preferred location:
Here’s what an implicit search looks like with a few known keywords:
2. Getting search volume and keywords using a seed keyword
You may only have an implicit seed keyword and want to generate other keywords and their corresponding search volumes. In that case, click Discover New Keywords and input the seed keyword. Select the area or city you want.
Here’s what this looks like using “plumber” as the implicit seed keyword:
Here’s what it looks like with an explicit seed keyword, and you don’t specify the location in the tool:
Google Keyword Planner is an effective keyword tool for local search volume because it draws direct data and keyword suggestions from actual Google searches.
However, note that the tool’s Competition column is for Google Ads campaigns rather than the keywords in the list.
Mangools (Paid Keyword Volume Tool)
I prefer using Mangools for local SEO research because it provides much more information than Google Keyword Planner, from which it pulls its data.
In addition to the search volume, you can see the current SERPs and keyword difficulty and even track keywords over time using the Rank Tracking tool.
Let’s see how a search would look using Mangools.
Getting search volume using an implicit seed keyword:
Go to the Mangools Keyword Research tool and input your seed keyword under Search by Keyword. Specify your desired location.
Here’s what this looks like using “plumber” as the implicit keyword:
Mangools also lets you niche down further by location. You can modify the search using a suburb or town within a city. For instance, you can use “plumber” as the keyword and set the location to Kensington, Alberta.
When you use the tool to check local search volume, also check the graph next to keyword difficulty to see how the search volume has been trending.
An upward trend shows more people are searching for that keyword, meaning more demand for that local service.
The SERPs overview shows you the top ranking pages for that specific keyword, including crucial information such as domain authority, page authority, and the number of links to that page.
Additionally, the SERPs section shows the keyword difficulty. You can rank more easily when the number is lower and has a green-colored background.
As a paid tool, Mangools’s monthly cost is quite friendly, given the immense data it can provide.
Keywords Being Grouped Together
You’ll notice various keyword tools usually group several keywords together, assigning them a single search volume. This is because Google Keyword Planner (which Mangools pulls data from), groups similar keywords together.
You won’t need to add up the search volumes when you see them grouped together. For example, in the above screenshot, it’s 1700 monthly searches for all the combined keywords rather than 1700 times the number of keywords.
KD (Competitive Score)
Keyword Difficulty (KD) is crucial in local keyword research. The metric shows how easy or hard it is to rank for a particular keyword.
Mangools lets you see the KD score for different keywords.
You’ll want to find keywords that strike the sweet spot between low difficulty and a significant search volume.
For example, a given local keyword with 5,000 monthly searches and a KD score of 43 is very competitive. Ranking for this keyword would be more challenging.
A local keyword with only 100 monthly searches and a KD score of 18 would be a better target because it’s not very competitive.
Using City Modifiers Versus Geotargetting Within Mangools
When using Mangools, I find it more accurate to use an implicit keyword and then geo-target a specific location within the tool.
For example, I would get more accurate results by searching “plumber” with the location specifically set to Calgary than when I use “plumber Calgary” and set the location to Canada.
Alternatively, I could use a location modifier in the keyword, such as “plumber Calgary”, and then specifically set the geo-target location to Calgary. Here’s what this looks like:
To summarize;
- When you use an implicit keyword, select a specific geo-location for better results.
- When you use a keyword with a city modifier, select also the corresponding specific geo-location.
Other Free Tools For Keyword Volume
You can use other free tools like Wordstream to estimate local keyword volume.
The main disadvantage of Wordstream is that it only shows national search volume data when you enter your seed keyword.
Here’s how you can determine search volume using local population, national population, and country-wide search volume:
Estimating Local Keyword Volume Using Population and Country-Wide Search Volume
Once you have the national search volume for a particular keyword from your favorite keyword tool, Google the national and local populations, then use the formula below:
Estimated local search volume = (Local population ÷ National population) x National search volume
For example, if the local population is five million, the national population is 300 million, and the national search volume is 75,000;
Estimated local search volume = (5 million ÷ 300 million) x 75,000 = 1,250 monthly searches.
This estimation method is tedious and potentially erratic. You would be better off using a tool like Mangools.
How Sponsored Ads & Google Map Pack Impact Click-Through Rates
Sponsored ads, Google map pack, and organic search listings are crucial SERP features.
Users can click on any feature, depending on what they feel best answers their query.
However, different searches result in different features. You may get SERPs with sponsored ads but no map pack, and vice versa.
Sponsored ads and the local map pack may attract more clicks because they appear before the organic search results or listings.
According to First Page Sage, here are some key statistics for click-through rates (CTR) on Google:
- Sponsored ads attract 1.2% to 2.1% of the clicks
- The #1 sponsored ad typically gets 40% more clicks than the #2 ad
- Each organic local pack listing results attract 15.1% to 17.6% of the clicks (there are three)
- The #1 organic search listing typically gets 19x more clicks than the #1 sponsored ad
- The #1 organic search listing typically gets more clicks than listings #3 to #10 combined.
Generally, when one SERP feature gains a click, it means the others have lost that click. Having ads can cause the CTR of the first organic result to drop considerably. The drop typically becomes less evident for the other organic results.
Similarly, having a local map pack can cause the CTR of the first organic listing to drop considerably.
You’ll want to rank as high as possible in the SERPs for both location-based keywords and service-based keywords, which are the two potential local keyword types for local businesses.
Getting local search volume can be easy, but local keyword research in its entirety can be challenging. At Salt Water Digital, we can help you improve your local SEO.
Schedule a free consultation with us today to see if your business is a good candidate for local SEO.
