Local keywords are searches where the searcher wants results tied to a place. Some include a location explicitly, such as a city or region. Others imply it, such as “near me” or service searches where Google infers local intent and shows nearby businesses. Most SaaS products sell nationally or globally, so local keywords matter mainly for companies with offices, local services, location-specific compliance needs, or customers who are themselves local businesses.
Types of local keyword
Explicit local keywords name a place. Implicit ones carry local intent without saying so, and Google uses the searcher's location to decide what to show. A third group, important for some SaaS companies, is location-specific requirements: regulations, tax rules or standards that differ by state or country.
- Explicit: [service] in [city], [category] [state]
- Implicit: near me, open now, or service searches with local results
- Location-specific rules: [state] payroll tax rules, [country] e-invoicing requirements
When SaaS companies need them
Local keywords are relevant if you run in-person services, implementation partners or offices; if you build software for local businesses and want to rank for their questions; or if compliance rules vary by location. Location-specific rule pages are a common SaaS opportunity: payroll, tax, HR and e-invoicing products often build a page per state or country.
Researching them
Keyword tools and Keyword Planner can filter volume by location. Check results from the target location, since local results vary sharply by city. Location-specific pages need genuinely local content, such as the actual rules, deadlines and sources for each place. Swapping only the place name across templated pages produces thin, near-duplicate content.
Example
State-by-state compliance pages
Imagine Harrowfield, a fictional payroll platform, builds pages answering “final paycheck rules in [state]”. Each page states the rule, the deadline, exceptions and a link to the state's official labor department page.
Pages are reviewed when state rules change, and each one links to the related payroll feature.
Common mistakes
City pages with swapped names
Templated pages that change only the location add little value and risk being treated as thin or duplicate content.
Checking results from the wrong place
Local results depend on location. Research from the market you are targeting.
Questions
Only some do. If your buyers search for local services or location-specific rules, local keywords matter. A purely online product sold globally may not need them.
