Mastering Local Keyword Research for SEO Success

Last Updated on 30 September 2025 by Dorian Menard

Most local businesses are invisible online because they’re targeting the same generic keywords as everyone else.

This comprehensive guide reveals the advanced local keyword research strategies Perth businesses use to dominate local search results, drive qualified leads, and crush their competition. Includes step-by-step processes, Perth-specific examples, and downloadable templates.

Why Your Local Keyword Research Is Probably Useless (And Costing You Customers)

Here’s the brutal truth: if you’re using the same keyword lists as your competitors, you’re invisible. While your competition fights over “plumber Perth” with its 2,400 monthly searches and relativvely high difficulty, smart Perth businesses are capturing customers with terms like “blocked drain Subiaco emergency” and “hot water system repair Fremantle.”

The numbers don’t lie: 76% of people who search for a nearby business visit within a day, and 28% make a purchase. Yet most Perth businesses are missing out on this goldmine because they’re doing keyword research like it’s 2015.

We recently helped a Perth electrician double their qualified leads by ditching the obvious keywords and targeting what locals actually search for. Instead of competing for “electrician Perth,” we focused on implicit local searches like “power out Applecross” and hyper-local terms like “sparky near UWA.” The result? A 127% increase in phone calls within 90 days.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start dominating local search, here’s exactly how to do local keyword research the right way.

Improved Targeting of Local Audience

Local keyword research sharpens your aim at Perth’s audience. You’ll spot what folks in your area search for online. This lets you tailor your content to their needs. By using Perth-specific terms, you’ll draw in more local customers.

Your website will show up when they look for services near them.

Good local targeting boosts your visibility in Perth’s digital space. It helps you stand out from competitors who don’t focus on local terms. You’ll see more Perth residents visiting your site and potentially becoming customers.

This targeted approach makes your marketing more efficient. You won’t waste effort on people outside your service area. Instead, you’ll connect with those most likely to use your business.

What Local Keyword Research Actually Means (Hint: It’s Not Just Adding “Perth” to Everything)

Local keyword research isn’t about slapping your city name onto generic service terms. It’s about understanding the intersection of search intent, local language, and geographic relevance to capture customers at the exact moment they’re ready to buy.

Types of Local Search Intent and How to Optimise for Them

The Two Types of Local Intent That Most Businesses Miss

Explicit Local Intent: These are obvious location-based searches where users include geographic terms.

• “dentist in Fremantle”
• “best coffee shops Perth CBD”
• “emergency plumber Scarborough”

Implicit Local Intent: Here’s where most businesses lose out. These searches don’t mention location, but Google knows the user wants local results.

• “pizza delivery” (Google knows you want nearby options)
• “car service” (clearly need local mechanics)
• “kindergarten enrollment” (obviously need local schools)

Understanding this distinction is crucial because implicit local searches often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. When someone searches “hot water not working,” they’re not browsing—they need help NOW, and they need it locally.

How Australian Search Behaviour Differs

Perth residents don’t search like Americans or even eastern state Australians. We say “tradie” not “contractor,” “servo” not “gas station,” and we refer to suburbs in ways that tools can’t always capture:

• “Freo” instead of Fremantle
• “The CBD” instead of Perth CBD
• “South of the river” for areas like Como, Karawara, and Manning
• “Hills” for Kalamunda, Mundaring, and surrounding areas

Missing these colloquialisms means missing customers.

The Search Scope Method: How We Actually Do Local Keyword Research (Step-by-Step)

Forget the textbook theories. Here’s the exact process we use for our Perth clients to uncover keyword opportunities that drive real business results.

Step 1: Map Your Complete Service Universe

Most businesses miss 30-40% of their keyword opportunities because they think too narrowly about what they offer.

Instead of thinking: “We’re electricians” Think strategically: “We solve electrical problems, safety concerns, energy efficiency issues, and emergency power situations”

Perth Electrician Example:

• Core services: Wiring, repairs, installations
• Problem-based services: Power outages, safety switches, surge protection
• Seasonal/event-based: Air conditioning prep, Christmas light installation
• Emergency services: After-hours calls, weekend availability
• Compliance services: Electrical certificates, safety inspections

Each category opens up different keyword opportunities that your competitors probably aren’t targeting.

Step 2: Build Your Geographic Intelligence Matrix

Perth’s not just one market—it’s dozens of micro-markets, each with distinct search patterns and local terminology.

Create tables covering:

Don’t forget:

• Shopping centers (Garden City, Karrinyup, Westfield Whitford)
• Universities (UWA, Curtin, Murdoch, ECU)
• Industrial areas (Welshpool, Canning Vale, Malaga)
• Transport hubs (Perth Airport, Fremantle Port)

Step 3: Tool-Powered Research (With Real Examples)

Tools are powerful, but you need to know their limitations and how to extract maximum value.

Google Keyword Planner Reality Check: When we search “plumber Perth,” the tool shows nice, clean data. But it’s missing the goldmine terms like “toilet won’t flush Cottesloe” or “water leak under house Mount Lawley.” These zero-volume keywords often convert at 40%+ higher rates than generic terms.

Advanced Semrush Technique: Use the Keyword Magic Tool with Perth-specific seed keywords, but don’t stop there. Export everything, then filter for:

• Questions (how, what, why, when, where)
• Problem words (broken, not working, emergency, urgent)
• Buying intent (best, near me, cheap, professional)

Read our full review of Semrush to find how you can leverage this tool!

Ahrefs Local Goldmine: Input your top 3 local competitors’ URLs into Site Explorer. Navigate to “Organic Keywords” and filter by:

• Position 1-10 (their winning keywords)
• Search volume 10+ (meaningful traffic)
• Keyword difficulty <30 (winnable terms)

This reveals the exact keywords driving traffic to your competitors—legally and ethically.

We have created a list of the top 10 tools for keyword research to help you.

You can also ask your favorite LLM to brainstorm a list of keywords that are out of the box. You will often be surprised with what comes up!

Step 4: The Google Business Profile Intelligence Hack

Your GBP insights contain keyword gold that most businesses ignore completely.

Access this data:

1. Open your Google Business Profile dashboard
2. Navigate to “Insights”
3. Check “Search queries” section
4. Export 6 months of data

You’ll discover the exact terms people use to find businesses like yours—terms that often don’t show up in traditional keyword tools.

Real Perth Business Example: A mechanic client of ours discovered through GBP insights that “car won’t start Morley” and “mobile mechanic Dianella” were driving significant discovery, despite showing zero volume in keyword tools. Optimising for these terms increased their inquiry rate by 34% as their are localised in this are of the metro.

Smart businesses recognise the importance of Google Business Profile optimisation in Perth.

Step 5: Competitive Intelligence (Without the Guesswork)

Most agencies tell you to “check your competitors,” but they don’t show you how. Here’s the systematic approach:

Identify Your Real Competition: Search your target keywords in incognito mode from a Perth IP address. Your real competitors are the businesses ranking in positions 1-3 in the local pack and organic results—not necessarily the biggest names in your industry.

Reverse Engineer Their Strategy:

1. Screenshot their key landing pages
2. Note their title tags, headers, and URL structures
3. Document which suburbs/areas they target
4. Throw their pages into an LLM and as it what they are doing well and not so well
5. Identify gaps where they’re not competing

Perth Law Firm Example: We analysed the top 3 personal injury lawyers in Perth and found they all targeted “personal injury lawyer Perth” but completely ignored suburb-specific terms like “car accident lawyer Joondalup” or “workers compensation Rockingham.” Most of them do not even use location landing pages…

Our client now dominates these high-intent, low-competition terms.

0 Search Volume Does Not Always Mean No Searches!

Don’t let zero search volume fool you. Some keywords might show no searches in SEO tools, but they can still bring traffic. This happens with new or niche terms that tools haven’t caught up with yet.

Local searches often fall into this category. You might find gold in these overlooked phrases!

Think beyond the numbers. Your business could tap into untapped markets with these hidden gems. Try using these low-volume keywords in your content. You might be surprised by the results.

Keep an eye on your analytics to spot any unexpected traffic sources. These could be your ticket to standing out in Perth’s local market.

For more on tracking and measuring these hidden opportunities, read the guide on how to track local keyword performance.

Step 6: Map Keywords to Content (Avoid Cannibalisation)

This is where most businesses destroy their own SEO efforts. Having multiple pages targeting similar keywords confuses Google and dilutes your ranking power.

The Strategic Mapping Framework:

If you want to ensure your site structure and keyword mapping are not sabotaging your rankings, a comprehensive SEO audit will uncover cannibalisation issues and missed opportunities.

Advanced Local SEO Tactics That Most Agencies Don’t Use

Using Google Search Console for Keyword Discovery

Your GSC data reveals the keywords you’re already ranking for that you might not even know about. These “accidental rankings” often represent your best opportunities for quick wins.

Monthly GSC Analysis Process:

1. Export 12 months of search performance data
2. Filter for queries containing your city/suburbs
3. Identify keywords ranking positions 11-30 (page 2-3)
4. These are your “low-hanging fruit” optimisation targets
5. Find ways to incorporate these keywords into your existing pages

Google just started providing reports on the last 24 hours data!

If you want a step-by-step approach to extracting and acting on this data, check the Google Search Console SEO audit process.

Seasonal and Event-Based Keyword Opportunities

Perth’s event calendar creates temporary keyword spikes that smart businesses can capitalise on:

• Perth Festival (February): Accommodation, dining, parking near venues
• AFL Season: Business services near Perth Stadium, transport options
• Fringe World: Entertainment, food, parking in Northbridge
• Christmas: Holiday services, emergency contractors, gift ideas

Scan Forums or Local Groups

LLMs can handle pretty much anything you throw at them these days. We’ve found some very interesting keywords by just dumping entire Reddit threads, forum or Facebook group chats into Gemini (offers one of the longest context window).

You want to be where the chatter happens!

Building Topical Authority with Keyword Clusters

Instead of targeting individual keywords, modern SEO requires building topical clusters that demonstrate comprehensive expertise.

Perth Tradie Example Cluster:

• Pillar page: “Electrical Services Perth”
• Supporting content: “Electrical safety inspections,” “Smart home installations,” “Solar panel connections,” “Emergency electrical repairs”
• Local angle: Each piece includes Perth-specific examples, regulations, and case studies

If you want to see practical examples of how to structure content for local SEO, review these local SEO content examples for Australian businesses.

Common Mistakes That Kill Local SEO (And How to Avoid Them)

The Keyword Cannibalisation Trap

The Problem: Many Perth businesses create separate pages for “electrician Perth,” “electrical services Perth,” and “Perth electrician,” thinking more pages equal better rankings. Instead, they’re competing against themselves.

The Solution: One primary page per keyword theme, with variations naturally incorporated throughout the content.

Unsure if you should cluster keywords together? A simple Google search will show you if the same pages are ranking for different keyword variations.

Ignoring Implicit Local Intent

The Mistake: Only targeting obvious local keywords while missing implicit searches.

The Reality: “Hot water system replacement” has strong local intent—people need this service locally—but most businesses miss these opportunities.

Over-Optimising for “Perth”

While it’s important to target your main city, many businesses miss suburb-level traffic that’s often more qualified and less competitive.

Better Strategy: Create suburb-specific content that addresses local concerns, landmarks, and community issues. Target suburbs where the multi million dollar houses are located!

Your Local Keyword Research Action Plan

Ready to implement this strategy and boost your local SEO rankings? Here’s your step-by-step action plan:

Week 1: Foundation Building

• Complete your service universe mapping
• Build your geographic intelligence matrix
• Set up Google Search Console and Google Business Profile tracking

Week 2: Research Phase

• Conduct tool-based research using our methods
• Perform competitor analysis for your top 3 rivals
• Analyse your existing GSC and GBP data

Week 3: Organization

• Create your keyword mapping spreadsheet
• Identify cannibalisation issues on your current site
• Plan your content calendar around keyword clusters

Week 4: Implementation

• Optimise existing pages with your primary keywords
• Create new location or service pages as needed
• Set up ranking tracking for your target terms

Use our checklist for location specific keyword targeting to improve your system!

Stop Leaving Money on the Table

Local keyword research isn’t just about Perth SEO—it’s about business growth. Every day you’re not ranking for the right local terms, you’re losing customers to competitors who understand what your Perth audience is really searching for.

The businesses that will dominate Perth’s local market over the next decade are those that understand the nuance of local search behavior, leverage data-driven keyword research, and create content that matches both search intent and local language patterns.

Ranking for your “exact match + Perth” keyword should be a top priority, but it should not be your only goal!

Ready to transform your local visibility? Book a strategy call with our team. Let’s turn your website into a customer acquisition machine that works 24/7.

Sources and References

1. Local Search Behavior Study – BrightLocal
2. Mobile Local Search Trends – Think with Google
3. Local SEO Ranking Factors – Whitespark
4. Australian Search Behavior Research – ACMA