Picking Local Keywords Without a Tool
You don’t need a subscription to a fancy keyword tool to do good local SEO.
In fact, for most small businesses, the best keywords are hiding in plain sight—right in Google itself.
Here’s how to find them (and use them) without opening another tab.
Step 1: Think Like a Customer
Start with this question:
If you were trying to find your service online, what would you type?
Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it.
Most customers aren’t using advanced search logic. They just want:
- [Service] + [City]
- [Problem] + [Nearby]
- “Best” or “affordable” + [Service]
Examples:
- “spray foam insulation Albany”
- “cheap lawn care near me”
- “basement waterproofing Troy NY”
Step 2: Use Google Autocomplete
Start typing your service into Google, but don’t hit Enter.
Watch what drops down. That’s Google showing you real searches people are making.
Try a few variations:
- “spray foam insulation…”
- “foam contractors…”
- “home insulation alb…”
You’ll find ideas you didn’t expect—phrases you can work directly into your homepage, titles, and headings.
Step 3: Scroll to the Bottom
After you do a search, scroll to the bottom of the results page.
Look for a section called “Searches related to…”
These are gold. They’re often:
- Longer variations
- Nearby town searches
- Common alternatives
Example:
Search “spray foam Albany” and you might see:
- “closed cell spray foam Albany”
- “foam insulation near Albany NY”
- “best spray foam company capital region”
Copy those and start a small list.
Step 4: Build a Simple Keyword List
You don’t need a spreadsheet (but it helps).
Make a short list of:
- 3–5 core service terms
- 3–5 location variants
- 1–2 “modifier” words like best, affordable, residential
Mix and match these into content naturally:
“We offer affordable spray foam insulation in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy.”
Step 5: Focus on the Page, Not the Phrase
Google doesn’t rank keywords—it ranks pages.
Instead of cramming keywords into every corner, focus on writing one clear, useful page for each key service.
Let the keywords guide you—but not control you.
TL;DR: Local Keywords Are Simpler Than You Think
- Think like a customer
- Use autocomplete + related searches
- Start with service + city
- Write one great page per service
You can always optimize later. But clarity now beats cleverness later.
Want help writing a homepage that actually uses these? Check out this post next: How to Write a Homepage That Ranks (and Doesn’t Sound Awful).
