11 Ways to Utilize Long-Tail Keywords for Local SEO in Small Towns

Unlocking the potential of long-tail keywords for local SEO in small towns can be a game-changer, and we’ve gathered insights from SEO experts and business owners to guide you. From using local modifiers with long-tail keywords to combining niche services with local terms, discover eleven specific strategies shared by industry professionals on enhancing your local search presence.

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Use Local Modifiers with Long-Tail Keywords

One effective local SEO strategy for businesses is to use long-tail keywords with local modifiers. For example, if you’re a dentist in a small town, you might target phrases like “Best Cosmetic Dentist in [Your Town],” “Dental Clinic in [Your Town],” or “Dental Implants near [Your Neighborhood].” 

This way, your website appears in search results when potential patients look for specific services in your area. Start by researching keywords that people in your town are likely to use. Then, include these keywords naturally in your website’s headings, meta titles, meta descriptions, URL slug, and content. This approach helps attract more local traffic and boosts your online visibility. It also helps Google and other search engines understand your content’s search intent. 

A couple more tips—don’t forget to add LocalBusiness Schema and Services Schema.

Roy Michael Yungco, SEO Specialist, Fidelitas

Create Location-Specific Optimized Pages

One effective technique for using long-tail keywords for local SEO in small towns is creating dedicated pages optimized for “primary keyword + location” combinations.

For example, if you’re a church supplier in the UK, create unique pages with URLs, titles, meta descriptions, and subheadings like “church supplies in [town name].” Craft locally-specific content for each page to boost relevance.

This approach helped one of our UK church supplier clients rank #1 in many small towns, outperforming competitors. By targeting less competitive, location-specific keywords, you can capture valuable local search traffic and establish your business as the go-to provider in each town.

Will Hawkins, Owner, Digital Business

Target Hyper-Specific Local Keywords

Don’t be afraid to get super specific with your keywords! In a smaller town, you’re not just competing against every other lawyer; you’re trying to reach people who need a certain kind of help. 

So, instead of just aiming for “lawyer,” try “divorce lawyer near Main Street” or “DUI attorney in [your county].” This way, you’ll attract locals who are actively searching for exactly what you offer.

Sasha Berson, Grow Chief Executive, Grow Law Firm

Incorporate Town Names in Keywords

One specific technique for this is to incorporate location-specific terms into your long-tail keywords. For example, instead of targeting “coffee shop,” aim for “best coffee shop in Northbrook.” 

Including the town name will attract local traffic and improve your chances of ranking higher in local search results. This strategy allows you to narrow down your target audience and increase the likelihood of connecting with potential customers in your area.

Thomas Niemczewski, SEO Specialist, Dream Chasers

Place Long-Tail Keywords in Website Footer

One effective technique for utilizing long-tail keywords for local SEO in small towns, without compromising your main content or user experience, is to strategically incorporate them in the footer of your website. Under a heading like “Popular Searches,” use these long-tail keywords as anchor texts that link to relevant pages on your site. 

Be careful not to overdo it, as these keywords often have slight variations and can appear repetitive. This approach helps improve SEO while maintaining a clean and user-friendly layout.

Muskan Garg, SEO Strategist, Muskan Garg

Embed Hyper-Local Phrases in Content

One specific tip for utilizing long-tail keywords for local SEO in small towns is to embed hyper-local phrases with specific service modifiers into your content. Instead of using a broad term like “dental services,” I’d go for something more targeted like “emergency dental services near Elm Street, Pigeon Forge.” By narrowing down to local streets or landmarks, you can better capture users looking for services very close to their location.

For example, at PacketBase, when we targeted keywords like “IT support near Salesforce Tower, San Francisco,” we saw a noticeable increase in organic search traffic from local businesses. By integrating these keywords into our meta descriptions, headers, and localized blog content, our relevance in local searches improved, directly correlating with higher conversion rates.

Another instance from my consulting work is when I optimized content for a cafe in Palo Alto using the phrase “best coffee shop near Stanford University.” This led to a 25% increase in foot traffic from students and faculty searching for nearby cafes. The specificity of location coupled with the exact service offered ensured that we attracted highly relevant local search traffic, driving both visibility and customer engagement.

Gary Gilkison, Principal Analyst, Riverbase Cloud

Develop Localized Service Pages

Create service pages specifically for your small town and your offerings on your website using long-tail keywords. Make pages titled “Emergency Plumbing Services in Greenville” or “Greenville Water Heater Repair,” for example, if you own a plumbing company in Greenville. Naturally, include these long-tail keywords in the text of these pages. 

By using this tactic, you may improve your local search rankings and make it easier for prospective clients in your community to find you by helping search engines recognize the geographic relevance of your services.

Oliver Andrews, Digital Marketing, OA Design Services

Highlight Local Interests in Content

Assuming you have something that can serve as a claim to fame, I’d recommend creating niche content to highlight that specific area of local interest. 

I’m not saying you have to make the world’s largest yarn ball and lean into it, but you do tend to see quite a few long-tailed keyword strategies that lean into pairing the town with particular activities or amenities. Top hiking trails in your town, artisanal markets in your town, top bowling alleys in your town—you get the idea. 

Develop content around these keywords, such as blog posts, detailed guides, and local reviews, and then make sure to actually integrate them into your titles, headers, and meta descriptions for best results. If you can get locals to comment or contribute to this, all the better, as it will lend it a feeling of authenticity.

Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind

Avoid Keyword Stuffing, Focus on Quality

There have been a number of changes with Google Updates over the last year, in particular, that make ranking in small towns a hot topic. Be careful of inadvertently “keyword stuffing”; this will certainly count against you. 

We have witnessed a number of websites that previously ranked across multiple small towns have been dropped using this technique. Quality, UNIQUE content, focusing on where you can genuinely service, will win!

Steve O’Brien – CMGR MCMI, Optimisation Director, Woya SEO

Consistently Target Low-Difficulty Keywords

Identify the long-tail keywords for your local business using a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush. Aim for keywords that have a difficulty rating of 20 or less and that have at least 20 monthly traffic volume.

Create blog articles or pages on your website that directly address those keywords. For example, if you find a keyword like “Denver dog trainer”, create a service page on your website that talks all about Denver dog trainers and training. Another example, if you find a keyword like “Denver dog-friendly bars”, write a blog article on your site that highlights the best bars where you can take your dog in Denver.

Repeat this process on a consistent basis for 3-12 months. Google will start to recognize your content around “dog training” specific to Denver, and you’ll start ranking for similar keywords, driving local traffic to your business.

Connor Gillivan, Entrepreneur, Owner and CMO, TrioSEO

Combine Niche Services with Local Terms

One specific tip for utilizing long-tail keywords for local SEO in small towns is to focus on combining niche services with hyper-local geographical terms. For example, instead of targeting a generic term like “auto repair,” I recommend “emergency auto repair Fair Oaks, CA.” This approach not only pinpoints the exact service but also ties it to a specific location, increasing the likelihood of capturing highly targeted local search traffic.

At That Local Pack, we successfully applied this strategy for a local house cleaning business by optimizing for “eco-friendly house cleaning services Carmichael, CA.” By embedding these detailed, long-tail keywords into their website’s meta tags, service descriptions, and local blogs, we achieved a 30% increase in organic traffic within just a few months. The specificity of these keywords ensured the traffic we attracted was more likely to convert into actual leads.

Another effective strategy is leveraging local landmarks and community events in your long-tail keywords. For a recent project, we optimized a locksmith service for the keyword phrase “emergency lockout service near Sacramento State University.” This made the business more discoverable to students and staff in urgent need of locksmith services, resulting in a 25% boost in calls from that area. Incorporating these terms into various on-page elements and Google Business Profile enhanced local visibility and engagement dramatically.

Ken Fortney, Founder, That Local Pack

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