Local Keywords: How to Find What Your Customers Are Actually Searching

Keyword research has a reputation for being complicated. SEO agencies sell it as a deep, mysterious art requiring expensive software and months of analysis. For local businesses on Vancouver Island, the reality is much simpler: your customers are typing a handful of predictable phrases into Google, and your job is to show up when they do.

This guide covers how to find those phrases without paying for anything — and how to use them on your website so Google understands what you do and where you do it.

How local customers actually search

Local search queries follow a simple pattern. Most fall into one of three types:

Your primary job is to rank for the first type: [service] [city]. Google handles the "near me" queries by using the searcher’s location. The "best [X] in [city]" queries tend to return map pack results and review sites — your Google Business Profile handles most of those.

Finding your keywords — free methods

Google autocomplete

Open an incognito browser tab (so your history doesn’t influence results) and start typing your service + city into Google. The autocomplete suggestions are real searches people are making. These are your keywords. Write them all down.

Example: type "roofing Duncan" and you might see: "roofing Duncan BC," "roofing Duncan contractors," "roofing Duncan cost." Each of those is a page or paragraph topic.

"People also search for" and "Related searches"

After running a search, scroll to the bottom of the results page. The "Related searches" section shows similar queries — more keyword ideas. When you click a result and then go back to the search page, Google sometimes shows a "People also search for" box. Both are free data on what your customers want to know.

Google Search Console

If your website is already live and has any traffic at all, Search Console is the most valuable free tool available. Under Performance → Search Results, you can see the exact queries people used to find your site. Filter by "Position" to find keywords where you rank 5–20 — those are the best opportunities to move into the top 3.

Look at competitors

Search for your own primary keyword ("plumber Nanaimo") and look at the top-ranking competitors. What phrases appear in their page titles, headings, and first paragraphs? These are the keywords Google is rewarding in your market. You don’t need to copy them — you need to understand what the pattern is.

Which keywords to target first

Start with your primary service in your primary city. For most Vancouver Island businesses, this is one phrase: "electrician Nanaimo" or "bookkeeper Victoria" or "landscaper Duncan." That’s your homepage target.

Then expand to secondary services and neighbouring cities. A plumber based in Duncan might target:

• plumber Duncan (homepage)
• plumber Cowichan Valley (service area page)
• emergency plumber Duncan (dedicated page)
• hot water heater replacement Duncan (service-specific page)
• plumber Lake Cowichan (service area page)

Each of these deserves its own page — not a single "Services" page trying to rank for all of them at once.

Where to put your keywords

Once you’ve identified your target phrase, it needs to appear in the right places. In rough order of importance:

• Page title tag — the text in the browser tab and in search results. "Plumber in Duncan, BC | [Business Name]" is a strong title tag.
• H1 heading — the main heading on the page. Only one per page. Should include your keyword naturally.
• First 100 words of body text — get your keyword in early.
• Meta description — doesn’t directly affect ranking, but influences click-through rate from search results.
• URL slug — yoursite.ca/plumber-duncan/ is better than yoursite.ca/services/.
• Image alt text — describe what’s in the image, including location where relevant.
• Subheadings (H2, H3) — use related phrases, not repetitions of the exact keyword.

Don’t use your keyword more than it appears naturally. A page that says "plumber Duncan" seventeen times in 300 words looks like spam to Google. Write for humans; let the keyword appear where it naturally belongs.

Local modifiers that help

Beyond city names, Vancouver Island searches often include regional identifiers. Including these naturally in your content helps you capture more specific searches:

• BC, British Columbia, Vancouver Island
• Cowichan Valley, Comox Valley, Alberni Valley
• Neighbourhood names (Ladysmith, Chemainus, Crofton if you serve those areas)
• Seasonal terms relevant to your business ("before the rainy season," "summer heat pump installation")