Local Keyword Research Skill — Geo-Modified Keywords and Intent Mapping with Claude

National keyword research produces a list of terms with volume numbers. Local keyword research produces a strategy: which keywords belong in GBP services, which need location pages, which drive blog content, and which represent gaps your competitors own. The output isn’t a spreadsheet — it’s a map connecting keywords to content formats and business actions.

The local-keyword-research skill transforms keyword discovery into this structured output: building geo-modified keyword sets, classifying search intent, mapping keywords to GBP and content vehicles, and identifying competitor gaps.

What This Skill Does

The local-keyword-research skill equips Claude to generate geo-modified keyword sets for any service category and location, classify search intent (transactional, informational, navigational, near-me), pull volume and competition data from LocalSEOData endpoints, map keywords to GBP services, categories, and content formats, and run competitor keyword gap analysis.

Prompt: "Do keyword research for a family law firm in Denver. Give me
transactional keywords for GBP services, content keywords for the blog,
and what keywords competitors rank for that we don't."

Skills fired: dispatch → local-keyword-research + localseodata-tool
Data pulled: keyword_suggestions, search_volume, keywords_for_site

Output:
TRANSACTIONAL LOCAL KEYWORDS (top 15)
divorce attorney Denver               | 480/mo | HIGH   | GBP + Location Page
family law attorney Denver            | 320/mo | HIGH   | GBP + Location Page
child custody lawyer Denver           | 210/mo | MEDIUM | GBP Service
divorce lawyer near me                | 880/mo | HIGH   | GBP signals (not page keyword)
child support attorney Denver         | 140/mo | MEDIUM | GBP Service
prenup lawyer Denver                  | 90/mo  | LOW    | GBP Service
[...]

INFORMATIONAL/CONTENT KEYWORDS (top 10)
how long does divorce take in Colorado   | 390/mo | LOW  | Blog/FAQ
how much does a divorce lawyer cost      | 520/mo | LOW  | Blog/FAQ
Colorado child custody laws              | 280/mo | LOW  | Blog
how to file for divorce in Colorado      | 340/mo | LOW  | Blog
[...]

GBP SERVICE ADDITIONS
Add as GBP services (not currently listed):
- Child Custody Attorney
- Child Support Attorney
- Prenuptial Agreement Lawyer
- Divorce Mediation
- Property Division Attorney

COMPETITOR KEYWORD GAPS
[Competitor domain] ranks for:
- "legal separation Colorado" (110/mo) — you're not ranking
- "military divorce lawyer Denver" (45/mo) — niche opportunity
- "high net worth divorce Denver" (60/mo) — specialty positioning

The Local Keyword Matrix: Services × Geo-Modifiers

Local keyword research builds a matrix crossing service terms with geographic modifiers.

Service terms span from broad category to specific services:

  • Core category: “divorce attorney,” “family lawyer”
  • Specific services: “child custody attorney,” “prenup lawyer,” “divorce mediation”
  • Case types: “contested divorce,” “uncontested divorce,” “high net worth divorce”

Geo-modifiers span from broad to narrow:

  • City: “Denver”
  • Neighborhood: “Cherry Creek,” “LoDo”
  • County: “Denver County,” “Jefferson County”
  • Regional: “Denver Metro,” “Front Range”
  • Near-me: Proximity intent (not a page keyword — won through GBP)

The matrix produces combinations: “divorce attorney Denver,” “child custody lawyer Cherry Creek,” “family law attorney Jefferson County.” Each combination has different volume, competition, and strategic value.

The skill builds this matrix automatically and filters by volume and competition to surface the highest-priority combinations rather than overwhelming you with thousands of low-value long-tail variants.

Intent Classification and Content Mapping

Every keyword has an intent type that determines the right content treatment.

Transactional local intent (“divorce attorney Denver”): The searcher is looking for a provider. This keyword belongs on the homepage, primary service pages, and dedicated location pages. GBP category and service matching is critical. Map pack ranking matters.

Informational intent (“how long does divorce take in Colorado”): The searcher is researching, not yet ready to hire. This keyword belongs in blog posts and FAQ content. The goal is capturing the prospect early in their journey and demonstrating expertise.

Navigational intent (“[firm name]”): The searcher is looking for a specific business. Usually not a keyword research priority unless there’s brand confusion.

Near-me intent (“divorce lawyer near me”): The searcher wants proximity-based results. This keyword can’t be targeted with page content — it’s won through GBP signals (proximity, completeness, reviews). The skill flags near-me keywords as GBP optimization priorities rather than content targets.

Intent classification routes each keyword to the right content format:

  • Transactional → GBP services + location pages
  • Informational → Blog posts + FAQ sections
  • Near-me → GBP optimization (not page keywords)

Near-Me Keywords: The Special Case

“Divorce lawyer near me” shows significant volume in keyword tools, but that volume isn’t geographically addressable through page content. You can’t create a page that targets “near me” — the user’s device location determines results.

Near-me keywords are won through GBP optimization:

  • Accurate primary and secondary categories
  • Complete profile with relevant attributes
  • Strong review signals (volume, rating, recency)
  • Proximity to the searcher (which you can’t change)

The skill identifies near-me keywords and separates them from page-targetable keywords, noting them as GBP optimization indicators rather than content targets.

Competitor Keyword Gap Analysis

The keywords_for_site endpoint reveals what competitors rank for. Gap analysis identifies opportunities you’re missing.

Competitor gap analysis: [Competitor Domain]

Keywords they rank for that you don't:
- "legal separation Colorado" — 110/mo, MEDIUM competition
  They rank #4; you're not in top 50
  Recommendation: Add to target list, create dedicated page

- "military divorce lawyer Denver" — 45/mo, LOW competition
  Niche specialty keyword with low competition
  Recommendation: Consider if this service is offered

- "high net worth divorce attorney" — 60/mo, LOW competition
  Premium positioning keyword
  Recommendation: Service page for HNW divorce if applicable

Gap analysis reveals three types of opportunities:

  1. Keywords you should be ranking for but aren’t (service gap)
  2. Keywords in adjacent niches worth pursuing (expansion opportunity)
  3. Keywords competitors own that you’ll need to outwork (competitive priority)

AI and Conversational Keywords

AI search surfaces (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews) are fed by conversational and question-format queries. The ai_keyword_data endpoint reveals keywords with AI search volume.

Question-format keywords (“how much does a divorce lawyer cost in Denver”) are particularly valuable for AI visibility. Content that directly answers these questions can be extracted and cited by AI systems.

The skill identifies question-format keywords and flags them for FAQ and blog content targeting — building the content layer that feeds AI recommendations.

From Keyword List to GBP and Content Strategy

The final output isn’t just a keyword list — it’s a strategy map:

GBP actions:

  • Services to add (keywords that should be GBP service entries)
  • Category verification (primary/secondary category alignment with top keywords)
  • Description optimization (keywords to include naturally)

Content actions:

  • Location pages needed (geographic keyword clusters)
  • Blog posts for content calendar (informational keywords prioritized)
  • FAQ additions (question-format keywords)

Competitive actions:

  • Gap keywords to target
  • Keywords where competitors are vulnerable (low content quality, weak optimization)

This structured output converts keyword research from data to decisions.

Get Started

For complete local keyword research:

Do local keyword research for a [business type] in [city/region].
Give me: transactional keywords with volume, informational content
keywords, GBP service recommendations, and competitor gaps versus
[competitor domain if known].

For focused research:

Find all geo-modified keyword variations for "[service]" in [city],
including neighborhood and county variations. Prioritize by volume
and competition.

Claude returns stratified keyword sets mapped to content formats and GBP optimization actions.

Learn More

To learn what this skill can do for your local SEO workflow, see the skill overview.