How to Get Local Keyword Search Volumes by City

Google Keyword Planner is considered the most reliable tool to get an estimate of local keyword search volumes by city.

However, it only suggests a range of average monthly searches and competition is vaguely marked high, low or medium for each keyword.

That’s why I use it along with Semrush and Mangools. This combination allows me to get the closest to accurate search volume estimates by city.

In this post, I’ll show you how to find local keywords search volumes by city using Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, and Mangools.

How to Find Local Keyword Search Volumes by City with Google Keyword Planner

To use Google Keyword Planner, you need to have a Google Ads account.

I’m going to show you how to create one for this purpose.

If you already have one, skip to Step 2.

Step 1: Create Google Ads Account

Open ads.google.com and select Get started.

Fill in your business details and click Next.

Now, it’ll ask what you want to achieve with this ad campaign.

But since we only want to find keywords right now and not start a campaign, ignore all that.

Scroll down and click Set up an account only at the bottom.

Enter your billing details and set up your payment methods. Click Continue.

(You don’t have to pay anything unless you’re running an ad.)

Once you’ve provided all the details, it’ll take you to Google Ads dashboard.

Step 2: Enter Your Keywords in Google Keywords Planner

On the left, click Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner.

Assuming you already have a list of keywords that you want to find the search volume for, click Get search volume and forecasts.

Copy your keyword(s) and paste into the box.

Or click Upload a file to directly upload your list of keywords.

Then hit Get Started.

This will show the search volume for each of your keywords, along with other data like competition, YoY (a metric that compares the search volume for a given month to the same month in the previous year), etc.

It by default shows results for the country you had selected when setting up your account.

Step 3: Set the Desired Location (City)

To change the location, click the location filter on the left.

Enter the desired city in the box and select from the dropdown suggestions.

Remove the other location to make sure you only get results focused on your chosen city.

Just click the tiny cross next to the location you don’t want.

Hit the Save button.

Now you’ll be able to see the search volumes of your selected keywords in your target city.

You can change the location again and again to find search volumes based on different cities.

Step 4: Get Keyword Search Volume beyond Google (Optional)

You can further refine your search by trying out different filters.

For example, you can see the search volume of a keyword by city even beyond Google.

Select this option marked Google and click Google and search partners.

This option allows you to expand your research to other platforms (like YouTube and other Google websites) that partner with Google to display ads and product listings.

Step 5: Define a Time Range to Understand Trends of Different Periods

With Google Keyword Planner, you can also find how a keyword performed at different periods of time.

This can help you understand trends around your target keywords across and make your local keyword research more nuanced.

Just select the date filter on top of the keywords table. (It’ll show the current date).

Select the desired time range and the results will be filtered accordingly.

Step 6: Save/Share the Keyword Data

Once you have found the data you need, you can easily save or share it with your team/client.

Click the download (downward arrow) button on the upper right.

Select your desired file format to download the data.

Bonus Step: Find Keyword Ideas by City

If you don’t have a lot of keywords and want to expand your list, go back to the Keyword Planner Dashboard.

This time, select Discover new keywords.

Enter your seed keywords (any terms related to your business). Then click the location pin icon.

Search for your target city in the box and select it from suggestions.

Remove the location you don’t need and hit Save.

Now click Get results.

Now, you’ll see the search volumes of your given keywords along with other metrics.

Scroll down to find keyword ideas along with their city-wise search volumes and other relevant metrics.

You can also broaden your search by selecting from suggested keywords above the keyword table (if they are relevant to your business).

Try out different filters at the top to refine your search.

Once you have all the keywords you need, click the download option on the upper right.

Select the preferred format and download the keyword file

While Google Keyword Planner can give you search volumes by city, it doesn’t give a lot of information essential for doing local keyword research.

That’s why I prefer Semrush, and below, I’ll show you how to use it to kind city-wise local search volumes for your keywords, and more!

How to Find Local Keyword Search Volumes by City with Semrush

Semrush is one of the most reliable SEO tools when it comes to data. It uses data from a diverse set of sources like Google API, third-party providers, and other online sources, including search engines and social media platforms.

When looking for keyword search volume by city, I prefer to use Semrush along with Google Keyword Planner to get a fair estimate.

Here’s how to find city-wise search volume (and other important metrics) for a keyword using Semrush:

Step 1: Go to Keyword Overview

Semrush’s Keyword Overview helps you see the overall potential of your keywords. It shows all the important metrics like volume, difficulty, intent, CPC, etc.

Generally, it allows you to enter up to 100 keywords at once for analysis.

However, if you want to find the search volume by city, you can only enter one keyword at a time.

On the Semrush dashboard, click Keyword Overview on the left (under Keyword Research).

Step 2: Enter Your Keyword and Target City

Enter your keyword and select the target country.

Now, type the name of your target city and select from the drop-down list.

Finally, hit Search.

Step 3: Study the Overview

This will give you an overall report of the local metrics of your entered keyword based on the selected city.

Take a look at the Volume and compare it with that Google Keyword Planner gave you to get a better idea. 

Also check out the other important metrics like Keyword Difficulty, Intent, CPC, and Competitive Density.

Step 4: Change City

If you want to see how your keyword is doing in other cities, you can see it right here.

Click the location option on top of the local metrics report.

Start typing in the name of your target city in the box.

Select the right option from the dropdown menu.

This will now show you local metrics for the new city.

I selected Leeds and got these local metrics.

This way, you can decide which city is worth targeting and which is not.

Step 5: Find Keyword Ideas

Scroll down to find more keyword ideas based on the term you entered.

You can click View all to see any keyword idea list.

But it will show you country-wise metrics, not city.

Depending on where I am in the process of keyword research, I’d view these lists to get more keyword ideas.

Then I’d again run relevant keyword ideas through Keyword Overview to find its city-based metrics when I’m doing local keyword research.

And that is how you use Semrush to find search volume by city for your keywords.

How to Find Local Keyword Search Volumes by City with Mangools

Mangools also offers a suite of SEO tools and one of them is KWFinder. It’s a keyword research tool that helps you analyze your keyword and find related ideas– along with important metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, etc.

You can use it to find city-wise metrics for a keyword. Also, since Mangools pulls this data directly from Google Keyword Planner, you know this data is reliable too.

Here is how to find city-wise search volume for a keyword using Mangools.

Step 1: Enter Your Seed Keyword

Open Mangool’s Keyword Research tool and select Search by Keyword.

Enter your keyword and target country. Hit Find Keywords.

This will not only give you search volume for your keyword but also different types of insightful and actionable data like search intent, keyword difficulty score, etc.

Step 2: Study the Overview

Look at the city-wise search volume of your keywords and also of its related keywords below.

It also gives you keyword ideas based on your given keyword.

You can also click the search icon next to a keyword idea to reveal its difficulty score.

Step 3: Filter and Refine Your Keyword Research

I love how Mangools’ keyword tool offers extensive filters for a very focused keyword research. To use it:

Click Filter in the upper-right corner.

This will reveal a very detailed set of filters.

If you find any filters relevant, use it to further refine your search.

You can also find how Google may autocomplete your given seed keyword.

Just select the Autocomplete filter.

You can also click Questions to see how this keyword can be used in question forms.

Step 4: Download the Keyword Data

Once you have all the keywords and data you need, you can export them.

Just select the relevant keywords (click the checkboxes next to them).

Then, click the Export button at the bottom right.

You can either copy it or export it in spreadsheet format.

The only downside to using Mangools is that you can’t add more than one seed keyword at a time. But I don’t mind it a lot, especially considering how deeply it researches each keyword. It’s my go-to tool for detailed, in-depth local keyword research and SEO.

How to Interpret and Use the Data You Find

After gathering local keyword search volumes, the next step is to make sense of the data and use it for your local SEO strategy.

Here’s how to do it:

↳ Target Keywords with the Right Balance: Choose keywords with decent search volume and low to medium competition. These are easier to rank for and can still drive solid traffic.

↳ Look for Seasonal Trends: Check when searches for a keyword increase (e.g., “summer wedding venues” in May). Use this information to plan content and campaigns during high-demand periods.

↳ Use Both General and Specific Keywords: Add general keywords (e.g., “plumber”) to get broad search data, and specific keywords (e.g., “plumber in Boston”) to target local audiences. Combining both will give you a better picture of local opportunities.

↳ Break Data Down by Location: Check keyword search volume for individual cities. Then, compare different cities to focus on areas with the most potential.

↳ Match Keywords to Search Intent: Use keywords like “how-to” or “guide” for blogs and educational content. Focus on purchase-oriented keywords like “buy” or “near me” for product or service pages. Depending on the intent, create content that fits what users want.

↳ Plan Content Based on Keywords: Use high-volume keywords for cornerstone pages. Target long-tail keywords (e.g., “24-hour plumbers in Boston”) for niche posts or landing pages. Also add location-based terms to boost local relevance.

↳ Track and Update Regularly: Check keyword performance often. Update your strategy based on trends or shifts in user behavior.

↳ Share Data for Collaboration: Download keyword data and share it with your team. Use it to align content creation and SEO strategies.

Target Cities with City-Wise Search Volume Data

Now you know how you can find keyword volume by cities using Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, and Mangools. Here are a few more posts to help you create a well-rounded local keyword strategy:

↳ How to Do Local Keyword Research For Small Businesses

↳ Keyword Research Checklist to Find Golden Keywords

↳ How to Do International Keyword Research

↳ Free Template for Keyword Research

Frequently Asked Questions