Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO strategy. If you do not understand the keywords your potential customers search for, all your website optimisation work can go to waste. This guide explains how to do local keyword research the right way for businesses in Indonesia, including free tools you can start using today.
Related reading:
- What Is SEO? A Complete Guide for Online Business Beginners
- How to Set Up Rank Math SEO: A Complete Beginner's Guide
- Get More from Your Keyword Research with a Google Ads Service
Why is local keyword research different?
Local businesses in Indonesia face unique challenges and opportunities in keyword research. Your potential customers rarely search for a generic ‘catering services’. They search for ‘catering services South Jakarta’ or ‘affordable wedding catering Surabaya’ (in Indonesian, of course), or even use local slang that never shows up in global keyword data. Understanding these nuances is the key to winning in a local market.
Step 1: Understand your buyer persona
Before you open any tool, start with a basic question: who are your potential customers and what are they looking for? Make a list of your ideal customer personas:
- Their age and profession
- The problems they want to solve
- The terms they use (formal vs slang)
- Which city they are in
- Which device they use (mobile or desktop)
Step 2: Find your seed keywords
A seed keyword is a basic keyword that describes your business. For a local business, the formula is simple: [service/product] + [city/area]. For example:
- ‘website services Bandung’
- ‘online cake shop Bekasi’
- ‘motorbike repair shop East Jakarta’
- ‘beauty clinic Yogyakarta’
Do not forget language variations: mix the formal and informal words Indonesians use every day.
Step 3: The best free keyword research tools
Google Search (autocomplete and related searches)
The easiest free method: type your seed keyword into Google and look at the autocomplete suggestions that appear. These show what people actually search for, which is exactly what local keyword research is trying to uncover. Scroll down to see ‘Related searches’ (‘Penelusuran terkait’ in the Indonesian interface) for extra keyword variations.
Google Keyword Planner
Google's official tool gives you search volume and competition data for your local keyword research. It is free with a Google Ads account (you do not have to be running ads). It is very useful for seeing search volume for specific cities in Indonesia.
Google Search Console
If your website is already live, GSC is a goldmine for local keyword research. The ‘Performance’ report shows the keywords that already bring clicks and impressions to your website. These are keywords already proven to be relevant to your business.
Step 4: Group keywords by intent
Not every keyword has the same value. Group them by search intent:
- Informational: ‘what is SEO’, ‘how to make a website’: the user is looking for information
- Navigational: ‘Webzoo.id login’: the user is looking for a specific site
- Commercial: ‘best SEO services Jakarta’: the user is comparing options
- Transactional: ‘buy affordable hosting’, ‘order a website now’: the user is ready to buy
For service pages and landing pages, prioritise commercial and transactional keywords in your local keyword research. For your blog, target informational keywords that attract potential customers early in their buying journey.
Step 5: Analyse your competitors' keywords
You can find out which keywords your competitors use for free: open your top competitor's website, right-click and choose ‘Inspect’, then look at their meta title and description, a quick win for local keyword research. Alternatively, use the free version of Ubersuggest to see your competitors' organic keywords.
Step 6: Prioritise with a KD vs volume framework
For local businesses just starting with SEO, focus on long-tail keywords with medium volume and low competition as the core of your local keyword research. For example, instead of competing for the highly competitive ‘SEO services’, target ‘SEO services for small businesses in Surabaya’, which is more specific and easier to win.
Conclusion
Effective local keyword research does not need expensive tools. What it needs is a deep understanding of your customers, consistency in using data to make decisions, and patience, since SEO pays off over the long haul. Start with simple seed keywords, use the free tools available, and keep iterating based on real data.
Find the most valuable keywords for your local business
Webzoo's SEO team carries out in-depth keyword research and competitor analysis, and builds a content strategy that hits the mark.
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References & data sources
- Do You Need an SEO?, Google Search Central
- Keyword Research for Local SEO: 2025 Complete Guide, Semrush Blog
- How to Do Keyword Research for Local Businesses, Ahrefs Blog
