How to find the right keywords for local SEO

One of the most common misconceptions we run into when talking to clinic and repair shop owners is that keyword research is only for big online stores. In reality, the right keywords can be the difference between a website nobody ever finds and one that brings in new phone calls every day.

Why local keywords are different

A national company competes for the word “dentist” — an extremely competitive, extremely broad term. What actually matters to a local clinic isn’t the word “dentist” on its own, but its combinations with place and intent: “dentist in Vilnius available today”, “children’s dentist in Antakalnis”, “dental implants price Vilnius”. These longer, more specific phrases — known as long-tail keywords — have lower search volume but a far higher chance that the person searching becomes an actual customer.

Where to start — with no paid tools at all

You don’t need to buy an expensive subscription straight away. To begin with, three free sources are enough:

1. Google autocomplete. Type your main service into Google and look at what it suggests — those are real queries real people are making.

2. The “People also ask” box. In the search results, just below the first few links, you’ll often see related questions — an excellent source of topics for articles and FAQ sections.

3. Your own customers’ questions. The questions people ask at reception or on the phone are one of the most valuable and most frequently ignored keyword sources there is. If customers keep asking whether you take walk-ins, that should be reflected in your website copy.

Three keyword types worth combining

• Service + location — “veterinary clinic in Žirmūnai”, “car repair shop in Kaunas”.
• Problem + location — “toothache in Vilnius what to do”, “cat not eating what to do Kaunas”.
• Brand + category — if customers already know you by name, it’s important that your site is optimized for the business name itself, not only for generic terms.

The second category — problem phrasing — is especially relevant to GEO and AEO: these are exactly the kinds of questions people increasingly put to voice assistants and AI chat systems instead of running a classic keyword search. For more on this, see How AI search engines choose their sources.

How to use keywords naturally on your site

The biggest mistake is mechanically stuffing keywords into copy until it reads unnaturally. Google’s algorithms recognize this and penalize that kind of content, and people simply close the page. Instead:

1. Use natural phrases in your headings (H1, H2) that reflect the real service and location.
2. State clearly at the top of the page who you serve and where.
3. Build a separate page for each main service, rather than one catch-all “services” page with everything mixed together.
4. Use synonyms and related terms — Google has understood context, not just exact word matches, for a long time now.

How this connects to your Google Business Profile

Keywords matter beyond your website. It’s worth naturally mentioning your main services and your district in your Google Business Profile description, service lists and posts too — it reinforces the signal that you’re relevant to that specific local search. For more, see Google Business Profile optimization from A to Z.

Summary

Local keyword research doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive — usually the best discoveries are hiding in your own customers’ questions and in Google’s autocomplete suggestions. What matters most is using them naturally rather than mechanically.

If you’d like professionals to handle your keyword strategy and its implementation on your site, take a look at our SEO service, or go back to the fundamentals in What local SEO is and why it matters for small businesses.