How to Do Keyword Research for Multiple Locations Effectively

Introduction

If you run a business that serves customers in more than one city, state, or country, then doing keyword research for multiple locations is one of the most important SEO tasks you will ever do. Without the right location-specific keywords, your website might rank well in one city but be completely invisible in another.

This guide will walk you through every step of how to do keyword research for multiple locations in a clear, practical way. Whether you are a small business owner, a digital marketer, or a complete beginner to SEO, you will find everything you need right here.

By the end of this article, you will understand what location-based keywords are, why they matter, how to find them, and how to organize them so your business can attract local customers from multiple places at once.

What Is Keyword Research for Multiple Locations?

Keyword research is the process of finding the words and phrases that people type into search engines like Google when they are looking for products, services, or information. When you add a location to this process, it becomes local keyword research.

For example, if you own a plumbing company and you want customers from Chicago, Dallas, and New York, your keyword research should cover phrases like:

• “plumber in Chicago”
• “emergency plumbing Dallas”
• “best plumber New York”

Keyword research for multiple locations means finding all the local search terms related to your business across every city, region, or area you want to target. It is about making sure that when someone searches for your type of service in any of your target locations, your website has a chance to appear in the results.

Why Location-Based Keyword Research Matters

Search engines are very smart about connecting people with local results. When someone in Miami types “dentist near me,” Google shows them dentists in Miami, not dentists in Seattle. This means that if you want to attract customers from specific locations, your website needs to use the keywords those people are actually typing.

Here is why this matters so much:

Local Intent Is Extremely Common

A large percentage of all Google searches have local intent. People regularly add city names, neighborhood names, or phrases like “near me” to their searches. If your website does not reflect these location-specific terms, you are missing a massive pool of potential customers.

Competition Varies by Location

A keyword that is very competitive in one city might be easy to rank for in another. By doing thorough keyword research for each location, you can find opportunities where your business can realistically appear on page one of search results, even against larger competitors.

Different Locations Use Different Language

People in different cities and regions sometimes use different words for the same thing. For example, in some parts of the US, people call a carbonated drink a “soda,” while in others they say “pop” or “Coke.” Understanding these local language differences helps you create content that truly speaks to each audience.

Understanding the Types of Location-Based Keywords

Before you start your research, it helps to understand the different types of location-based keywords you will encounter.

Explicit Location Keywords

These keywords contain the location name directly. Examples include “hair salon in Austin,” “roofing company Chicago,” or “accounting firm Los Angeles.” These are the easiest to identify and target because the location is stated clearly.

Implicit Location Keywords

These keywords do not include a city name, but Google still treats them as local searches based on where the person is searching from. For example, if someone in Boston types “pizza delivery,” Google assumes they want pizza in Boston. Ranking for these requires strong local SEO signals on your website and Google Business Profile.

“Near Me” Keywords

Searches containing “near me” have grown significantly over the years. While you cannot technically optimize for every version of “near me,” having consistent local SEO helps Google show your business to people searching nearby.

Neighborhood and Suburb Keywords

In larger cities, people often search for services in specific neighborhoods. Someone in New York might search “coffee shop Brooklyn” rather than “coffee shop New York.” Capturing these hyper-local keywords can give you an edge over competitors who only target the broad city name.

Step-by-Step: How to Do Keyword Research for Multiple Locations

Now let us go through the exact process, step by step, so you can start building your multi-location keyword strategy today.

Step 1: Define Your Target Locations

Start by making a clear list of all the locations you want to target. This could be cities, towns, states, regions, or even countries. Be as specific as possible. For a local service business, you might list specific cities and their surrounding suburbs. For a larger company, you might list entire states or metropolitan areas.

Ask yourself these questions when building your location list:

• Where do my current customers come from?
• Which cities or regions have the most demand for what I offer?
• Are there locations where my competitors are not well-established?
• Do I have physical locations or service areas in specific cities?

Once you have your list, prioritize it. Focus first on the locations that are most important to your business goals.

Step 2: Build Your Core Keyword List

Next, create a list of core keywords that describe your business, products, or services without any location. These are the base terms you will combine with location names later.

For example, if you run a cleaning company, your core keywords might be:

• house cleaning service
• office cleaning company
• carpet cleaning
• deep cleaning service
• move-out cleaning

Think about all the different ways people might describe what you do. Include synonyms, service variations, and problem-oriented phrases (like “dirty carpet fix” or “get house cleaned professionally”).

Step 3: Combine Core Keywords with Location Names

Now combine your core keywords with your target location names to create your initial set of local keywords. For every core keyword, pair it with every location on your list.

Common patterns to follow include:

• [Service] + in + [City] – e.g., “house cleaning in Denver”
• [Service] + [City] – e.g., “Denver house cleaning”
• best + [Service] + [City] – e.g., “best house cleaning Denver”
• affordable + [Service] + [City] – e.g., “affordable cleaning service Denver”
• [Service] + near + [City] – e.g., “cleaning service near Denver”

This combination process can generate a large number of keyword ideas quickly. You will refine and filter them in later steps.

Step 4: Use Keyword Research Tools

Manual brainstorming is a great starting point, but keyword research tools take your research much further. These tools show you real data – how many people search for a keyword each month, how competitive it is, and what related terms you might have missed.

Here are some of the best tools to use:

Google Keyword Planner

This is Google’s own free tool, available through Google Ads. You can enter your core keywords and filter results by location. For example, you can check how many people in Seattle search for “electrician” each month compared to people in Portland. It is one of the best free tools for getting location-specific search volume data.

Google Search Console

If your website is already live, Google Search Console shows you which keywords are already bringing visitors to your site and from which locations. This is extremely valuable because it reveals real-world data about how people find your business right now.

Ahrefs and SEMrush

These are paid tools with very powerful location-based features. You can enter a keyword and see its search volume for specific countries, states, or cities. You can also analyze what keywords your competitors are ranking for in each location, which gives you a huge competitive advantage. They also have keyword difficulty scores that help you understand how hard it will be to rank for a particular term.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a more affordable tool that offers location-based keyword data. It is user-friendly for beginners and provides keyword suggestions, search volume, and competition scores. You can set a specific country or city to see localized results.

Google Autocomplete and Related Searches

One of the most underrated and completely free research methods is simply typing your keywords into Google and observing what suggestions appear. When you type “plumber in Chicago,” Google will suggest completions like “plumber in Chicago Heights” or “plumber in Chicago suburbs.” At the bottom of each search results page, Google also shows related searches, which are goldmines for location-specific keyword ideas.

Step 5: Analyze Search Volume and Keyword Difficulty

Once you have a large list of potential keywords, it is time to evaluate them. Not all keywords are worth targeting. You want to focus on keywords that have a reasonable number of monthly searches and that you actually have a chance of ranking for.

Search Volume refers to how many times a keyword is searched per month. High-volume keywords attract more traffic, but they are usually harder to rank for. Low-volume keywords might bring fewer visitors, but they often have lower competition and higher conversion rates because they are very specific.

Keyword Difficulty (also called KD or competition score) tells you how hard it will be to rank on page one for a keyword. This score is usually measured on a scale from 0 to 100. A score below 30 is generally considered low competition and is a good target for newer websites. Scores above 60 are usually best left to established, high-authority websites.

For multiple-location keyword research, aim for a balance: keywords with decent search volume (even 50-200 searches per month can be valuable for local businesses) and manageable competition scores. Keep in mind that a keyword with only 100 monthly searches in a specific city, if it leads to paying customers, is far more valuable than a keyword with 10,000 searches that never converts.

Step 6: Study Your Local Competitors

Competitor research is one of the most powerful parts of keyword research for multiple locations. Your competitors have already done a lot of the work for you – by discovering which keywords they rank for, you can quickly build your own targeted list.

Here is how to do it effectively:

1. Search for your primary service in each target location on Google. For example, type “landscaping company Austin.”
2. Note the top-ranking websites in the organic results.
3. Use a tool like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest to analyze those competitor websites.
4. Look at the keywords they rank for in each specific location.
5. Add relevant keywords from their lists to your own research spreadsheet.

Pay special attention to keywords your competitors are ranking for but that you have not yet targeted. These represent immediate opportunities.

Step 7: Identify Long-Tail Location Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search phrases. While they have lower search volumes than short, broad keywords, they are incredibly valuable for local businesses targeting multiple locations.

For example:

• Short keyword: “plumber Houston” (high competition, broad)
• Long-tail keyword: “emergency water heater repair service in Houston TX” (lower competition, very specific)

Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for and tend to attract people who are ready to take action. Someone searching for “emergency water heater repair Houston” is much more likely to call you right away than someone who just typed “plumber.”

Look for long-tail variations by thinking about:

• Specific services or sub-services (e.g., “deep cleaning service for offices in Seattle”)
• Timing or urgency (e.g., “24 hour locksmith in Miami”)
• Price or quality descriptors (e.g., “affordable wedding photographer in Nashville”)
• Neighborhood-level specificity (e.g., “dog groomer in Buckhead Atlanta”)

Step 8: Organize Your Keywords by Location

At this point, you probably have a large collection of keyword ideas. Now it is time to organize them properly. The most effective way to do this is to create a spreadsheet where you group keywords by location.

Your spreadsheet should include the following columns for each keyword:

• Keyword – the exact phrase
• Location – the city, state, or region it targets
• Monthly Search Volume – how many people search for it per month
• Keyword Difficulty – how competitive it is
• Search Intent – what the searcher is trying to do (find info, buy something, visit a location)
• Target Page – which page on your website will target this keyword

Organizing your keywords this way gives you a clear, manageable plan. You will be able to see exactly which keywords belong to which locations and which pages need to be created or optimized.

Understanding Search Intent in Local Keywords

Search intent is the reason behind a search. Understanding it is just as important as finding the right keywords. If you create the wrong type of content for a keyword, even ranking on page one will not help your business.

The four main types of search intent are:

Informational Intent

The person wants to learn something. Example: “how to find a good plumber in Chicago.” For these keywords, a helpful blog post or guide is the right type of content.

Navigational Intent

The person is looking for a specific business or website. Example: “ABC Plumbing Chicago.” You should optimize your branded pages and Google Business Profile for these.

Commercial Intent

The person is comparing options before making a decision. Example: “best plumbers in Chicago reviews.” Comparison pages, testimonial pages, and case studies work well here.

Transactional Intent

The person is ready to take action – book a service, call a business, or make a purchase. Example: “hire a plumber Chicago” or “plumbing service Chicago booking.” These keywords should lead directly to your service pages with clear calls to action.

Creating Location Pages That Rank

Once you have organized your keywords by location, the next step is to create dedicated location pages on your website. Each location page should target the keywords associated with that specific city or area.

What to Include on a Location Page

A well-optimized location page should naturally include your primary location keyword in the page title, the URL, the first paragraph of text, at least one or two headings, and several times throughout the body content. However, never force keywords into the text unnaturally – write for your human readers first.

Beyond keyword placement, a great location page should include:

• A description of your services tailored to that specific location
• Mention of local landmarks, neighborhoods, or details that show you understand the area
• Testimonials or reviews from customers in that city
• Your contact information, address (if applicable), and a clear call to action
• An embedded Google Map if you have a physical location
• FAQs that include local keywords naturally

Avoid Duplicate Location Pages

One of the biggest mistakes people make when building multiple location pages is creating nearly identical pages where only the city name is swapped. Google can penalize websites that have too much duplicate content. Each location page should have unique, original content that genuinely serves someone searching from that specific area.

Advanced Tips for Multi-Location Keyword Research

Once you have the basics down, these advanced strategies will help you go even further with your location-based keyword research.

Use People Also Ask (PAA) for Content Ideas

When you search on Google, you often see a box labeled “People Also Ask” in the middle of the results. These questions are real queries that people are typing related to your keyword. For multi-location research, pay attention to questions that include location names or that could be answered with location-specific information. These questions are excellent for FAQ sections on your location pages.

Monitor Seasonal Trends by Location

Search behavior changes with the seasons, and different locations experience different seasons at different times. A roofing company in Minnesota will see high search volume for “roof snow removal” in winter, while a roofing company in Florida might see spikes in “hurricane roof repair” after storm season. Use Google Trends to explore how your keywords perform over time and across different regions so you can plan your content calendar accordingly.

Target Service Area Keywords, Not Just City Names

Many local businesses serve areas around a city, not just the city itself. For example, a pest control company based in Phoenix might also serve Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert. Make sure your keyword research covers these surrounding areas and that you create content or pages that specifically address each service area.

Look at Location-Specific Google Business Profiles

Search for your service in each target city and look at the Google Business Profiles that appear in the local pack (the map results at the top of the page). Read the reviews for those businesses. Customers often use very natural language in reviews – phrases like “they fixed my leaky pipes same day” or “best affordable car detailing in town” – that can give you great ideas for long-tail keywords.

Consider Different Languages and Dialects

If you serve locations with significant non-English speaking populations, consider including keywords in those languages. For example, a business in Los Angeles that serves Spanish-speaking customers should also research and target Spanish-language local keywords. This can open up an entirely underserved market that your English-only competitors are missing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced SEOs make mistakes when doing keyword research for multiple locations. Here are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Targeting Too Many Locations at Once

It is tempting to try to rank in every city at the same time. But if you spread yourself too thin, none of your location pages will be strong enough to rank well. Start with your most important two or three locations, build them up properly, and then expand to additional locations once you are seeing results.

Ignoring Local Search Volume

Just because a keyword has high national search volume does not mean people in your target city are searching for it. Always check the local search volume for your specific locations. A keyword might get 50,000 searches per month nationally but only 300 in the city you are targeting – and that changes your entire strategy.

Keyword Stuffing

Repeating a keyword like “plumber Dallas” twenty times on a single page does not help you rank – it actually hurts you. Google penalizes websites that try to game the algorithm with unnatural keyword density. Write naturally, use your main keyword a handful of times, and include related terms and synonyms throughout your content.

Not Updating Your Keyword Research

Search trends change over time. New services emerge, new competitors enter your market, and customer language evolves. Make it a habit to revisit your keyword research every three to six months to find new opportunities and retire keywords that are no longer relevant or performing.

Tracking and Measuring Your Results

Doing keyword research is only the beginning. You also need to track your results to understand what is working and what needs improvement.

Track Rankings by Location

Use tools like SE Ranking, BrightLocal, or Whitespark to monitor where your website ranks for your target keywords in each specific location. These tools allow you to set a specific city and check your rankings from that location’s perspective, giving you an accurate picture of your local visibility.

Monitor Organic Traffic with Google Analytics

Connect your website to Google Analytics and monitor how much organic search traffic is coming from each target location. If a location page you created is performing well, you will see traffic from that city grow over time. If it is not performing, that is your signal to revisit the keywords, improve the content, or build more local links.

Watch Your Conversions, Not Just Traffic

Getting traffic to your location pages is great, but the ultimate goal is conversions – phone calls, form submissions, bookings, or purchases. Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics to see which location keywords are bringing in not just visitors, but actual customers. A keyword that drives ten visitors and five calls is far more valuable than a keyword that drives a hundred visitors with zero calls.

Conclusion

Knowing how to do keyword research for multiple locations is one of the most valuable skills you can develop for local SEO. It is the foundation on which everything else is built – your location pages, your content strategy, your Google Business Profile optimization, and your overall online visibility.

The process can feel overwhelming at first because it involves multiple locations, dozens or even hundreds of keywords, and careful analysis. But by following the step-by-step approach outlined in this guide, you can break it down into manageable pieces and build a powerful local keyword strategy over time.

Remember: start by defining your target locations clearly, build a solid core keyword list, combine them with location names, use keyword tools to validate and expand your research, study your competitors, organize everything in a spreadsheet, and then create unique, high-quality content for each location. Keep tracking your results and updating your research regularly.

The businesses that win in local SEO are not always the biggest or the oldest – they are the ones that show up consistently in the right searches, in the right locations, at the right time. With thorough multi-location keyword research, that business can be yours.

About the Author

Jay Patel is the Founder of XSquareSEO, a full-service SEO agency with experience in on-page SEO, eCommerce SEO, link building, technical SEO, SaaS SEO, and local SEO. For more information, feel free to contact us. 

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