Ranking for the wrong searches is one of the easiest ways to waste SEO money. You can be top for something nobody types, or for something that only brings in tyre-kickers and people wanting free advice. I’ve seen businesses paying for monthly reports full of green arrows while the phone stayed quiet, because the keywords on those reports were never going to bring in work. Before I write a page or fix a title for a new client, we agree which searches we’re going after. This resource walks you through how I pick them, in eight steps. You’ll need a pen, an hour and access to Google Search Console if you have it.
What do you need before choosing SEO keywords?
A clear idea of the work you want, a list of the areas you cover and, ideally, Google Search Console set up on your site. You don’t need an expensive keyword tool to start. Most of the best keywords I find for local businesses come from the owner’s head and from the searches already bringing people in. If Search Console isn’t set up yet, my Search Console resource takes about half an hour.
Step 1: which jobs do you want more of?
Start there, not with a keyword tool. Not every job is equal. An electrician might do loads of socket repairs but make far better money on rewires and EV chargers. If that’s you, those are the searches worth chasing, even if fewer people type them.
My first question to any client is simple. If the phone rang tomorrow, which jobs would you be happiest to hear about? Write those down and mark the ones you’d happily do less of. The list grows from there.
Step 2: what words do your customers use?
Rarely the trade terms. A roofer might call it a “flat roof replacement”. The customer types “leaking flat roof”. A dentist says “restorative dentistry”. Patients search “broken tooth fix”. If your pages only use the trade words, you’re invisible to the people searching.
Go back through your recent phone calls, emails and WhatsApp messages. Next to each job on your list, write down how customers described it. Those exact phrases are often your best keywords.
Step 3: what does Search Console already show?
The real searches people use to find you today. In Search Console, open Performance, then Search results, and look at the Queries tab. Sort by impressions. You’ll often find searches you’d never have guessed, some already close to the first page. Add the useful ones to your list. They’re the quickest wins because Google already links you to them.
Step 4: what’s the difference between buying and reading searches?
Some searches mean “I want to hire someone”. Others mean “I want to learn something”. “Boiler repair Wallasey” is a buyer. “Why is my boiler making a noise” is a reader. Both are useful, but in different ways and on different pages.
Mark each search on your list as a buyer or a reader. Buying searches belong on your service pages, which should make it easy to get in touch. Reading searches suit guides and blog posts like this one. A good guide answers the question, then links through to the service page when the reader is ready.
Step 5: should you add your town to keywords?
For local businesses, yes. “Plumber” on its own is a fight with the whole country. “Plumber Crosby” is a fight with a handful of firms, and the person searching is nearby and probably needs you soon. Add your main towns to the buying searches on your list.
Plenty of people search “near me” or don’t add a place at all. Google works out where they are anyway, and that’s where your Google Business Profile and the map come in. My Google Business Profile resource covers getting that right, and the benefits of local SEO explains why it matters.
Step 6: does search volume matter?
It matters, but less than people think. Free tools like Google’s Keyword Planner give you a rough idea of how often something is searched. For local searches they often show tiny numbers, sometimes zero. That doesn’t mean nobody searches. It means the tools struggle with small areas and long phrases.
Ten searches a month for “loft conversion Formby” can be worth more than a thousand for something vague. If one of those ten turns into a big job, that keyword has paid for a year of SEO on its own. Use volume to compare searches on your list, not to cross them off.
Step 7: how do you check who you’re up against?
Search it yourself. Look at who’s in the map and the first few results. If it’s all national directories and big brands, it’ll be a long fight. If it’s small local firms with thin websites, that’s a gap you can win quickly.
Do this for every search on your list and mark it easy, medium or hard. I do the same for clients as part of an SEO audit, and it tells us which ones to go after first. I’ve written up the full process in what I check in a free SEO audit.
Step 8: should each page target one keyword, and how many should you pick?
One main search per page, plus the close variations. If two pages chase the same search, they compete with each other and neither does well. Give each service its own page and each important town its own page. Then use the keyword in the page title, the main heading and naturally in the text. My guide to on-page SEO basics covers where it should go.
Then cut your list down to ten. Spreading effort across a hundred keywords means none of them get enough attention. I agree ten with each client, the ones most likely to bring in the work they want, and work on those every week as part of their SEO campaign. It keeps reporting honest too. You can see exactly where you stand on the ten that matter, which I explain more in what do you get for a monthly SEO fee?
Come back to your list every few months. Once the first ten are ranking well, add the next batch. Sometimes a search turns out to bring in the wrong kind of enquiry, so swap it out. Sometimes Search Console shows a search you hadn’t thought of that’s already bringing visitors, so build on it. For clients I look after, those ten searches sit in a live reporting portal so they can see where they stand any time.
Not sure which searches to chase?
Fill in the form with what you do and where. I’ll look at what you already rank for, suggest the searches I’d go after first and tell you who you’re up against.
If you want me to crack on, it’s £125 a week, about £18 a day, on a 30 day rolling basis.
Free website check
Checked by me, not a tool.
Rather message? WhatsApp 07463 631121 or call 0151 402 0925.
Questions people ask me
What tools do you use for keyword research?
Google Search Console, Google’s own suggestions and paid tools. Search Console is the best because it shows what you already appear for.
Should I target my business name?
You’ll usually rank for it anyway. Your effort is better spent on what you do and where.
How often should keywords change?
Review them every few months. Add new ones once the first set is ranking.
Are long keywords worth it?
Yes. Longer searches are more specific and often closer to buying.
What if a keyword has no search volume?
Don’t rule it out for local searches. The tools often miss them.
Can I rank for a town I’m not based in?
In normal results, yes, with a good page. In the map it’s harder because distance counts.
Do keywords matter for AI tools?
Less as exact phrases, more as clear topics. Explain what you do and where in plain words.
Do I need a paid keyword tool?
Not to start. Your own customers, Search Console and a few Google searches will give you a strong list.
Can you pick my keywords for me?
Yes. It’s the first thing we do together on any campaign.
Keep reading
Once you’ve picked your searches, on-page SEO basics shows how to build pages around them. How to get more clicks from Google helps you get more from the rankings you earn, and competitor analysis for local businesses shows how to see what the firms above you are doing.
Hi, I’m PeteLet’s pick your ten searches
Email, call or WhatsApp me what you do and where. I’ll suggest the searches I’d go after first and tell you who you’re up against.
WhatsApp meSee SEO audits