local seo keyword research

Local SEO Keyword Insights That Make a Difference

Why do people choose a query for their search a certain way? For instance, what is the difference between Houston Engagement Rings vs Engagement Rings Houston? The answer is in the context. Let’s take a look. Part of the local SEO keyword research process is collecting data. Many tools such as SEMrush, Google Keyword tool and others provide SEO practitioners with valuable data such as search volume, cost per click (CPC), competition and historical trends; however, to have a successful SEO campaign that produces real ROI requires more insight than that which can only come from one’s creativity and cognitive process.

Local SEO Keyword Examples

Let’s use a product as our first example. People search for products locally differently than they search for a business or service. If we run a keyword analysis on the phrase “Engagement Rings Houston,” SEMrush comes back with 1,600 searches per month. That is a pretty high number for a local keyword, but what happens when we change the wording around a bit. Logically we might think that the term “Houston Engagement Rings” would garner similar results… not in the least. Instead we see a much lower search volume of 170 searches per month. So why is that?

The Logic Behind the Keyword Phrase Intent

Logically, when a person is looking for a product, they are looking to research and shop multiple local stores. So, to say “Houston Engagement Rings” would imply that the person is looking for multiple locations described as an “Engagement Ring.” That doesn’t make sense when the person searching is looking for brick and mortar locations. On the flip side, “Engagement Rings Houston” implies that the searcher is looking for a product in the Houston area. The phrase is linked better to the intent of the searcher/shopper.

Making Keywords More Profitable

Sometimes SEO Practitioners tend to think at the surface level rather than trying to truly understand the intent of the shopper. More traffic is always great, but if the effort spent on generating that traffic doesn’t produce a return, money is wasted and profitability is doubtful. Liked this article? Visit my complete guide to Keyword Intent. Need an SEO Expert? Shoot me a message.