Why We Add the Location to the End of a Keyphrase in Local SEO

When optimising for local SEO, one of the most common practices is appending a location name to the end of a keyphrase—for example, changing “plumber” to “plumber St Kilda.” This is particularly important when checking keyword rankings on Google from outside the target area.

Google Knows Where the User Is

Most users don’t include their suburb or city when they search for a local service. Instead, they’ll often type:

• “plumber near me”
• “emergency plumber”
• “local plumber”

That’s because Google automatically detects their physical location and adjusts the search results based on where they are. If they’re standing in St Kilda, Google knows it—and returns businesses located nearby.

But Ranking Checks Work Differently

When we check keyword rankings for SEO purposes, we’re not always physically located in the area we’re targeting. For example, checking rankings for “plumber” while sitting in Melbourne CBD will show results relevant to Melbourne CBD—not what a person in St Kilda would actually see.

To simulate a search as if we were physically in St Kilda, we append the location to the end of the query:

• “plumber St Kilda”
• “plumber St Kilda Victoria”

This gives us a clearer picture of how your business appears in local search results for the people who are actually in that suburb.

Why We Focus on Specific Suburbs (Not Just the City)

Using “St Kilda” instead of the broader “Melbourne” helps us drill down to the suburb-level visibility. While “Melbourne” captures a wide area, it doesn’t reflect the hyperlocal search behaviour Google rewards.

A user searching from St Kilda is unlikely to want results from 20 minutes away—they want someone close. That’s why Google heavily weights proximity in local search results.

So while users might not type “plumber St Kilda,” we use that phrasing in rank checking to see what Google would show someone standing in St Kilda typing “plumber.”

It’s Not for SEO Content—It’s for Accurate Reporting

Adding the location to the keyword is a reporting tool. It helps us:

• Simulate what a local user would see
• Identify gaps in local visibility
• Provide accurate feedback and insights, suburb by suburb

Without this, results become skewed based on the tester’s physical location, which may be completely unrelated to your business area.

Summary

Real users don’t always type their suburb, but Google knows where they are. To simulate their experience during reporting and rank tracking, we manually add the location to the end of the keyphrase.

It’s not how users search—it’s how we check how visible you are to those users.

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