Client Resource Guide

How to Pick the Right Keywords
for Your SEO Campaign

A complete walkthrough of keyword groups, local targeting, money URLs, and everything else you need to submit a strong campaign brief.

3
Keywords per silo
1
Main keyword per group
100%
Local intent required
01

Why Local Keywords Win

The single most important principle in local SEO — and the one most clients overlook.

When someone in your city searches "plumber," Google already knows they want a local result. But it doesn't know which neighbourhood, which borough, or which suburb to prioritise. That's where service + city keywords come in — they give Google a clear, unambiguous signal about exactly who you serve and where.

The compounding effect is real: ranking for "electrician Flushing Queens" makes it significantly easier to rank for just "electrician" in that area. You build authority from the specific to the broad, not the other way around.

💡 Key Insight Google prefers local results for root searches like "plumber" or "dentist." Ranking for "service + city" strengthens your ability to rank for the root term in that same area — you're teaching Google your geographic relevance, not just your service relevance.
📍 About Search Volume Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush may show zero or very low volume for hyper-local terms like "junk removal Bayside Queens." Don't let that scare you off. Local users search these terms every single day — the tools just can't measure the volume accurately at that granularity. Low tool volume ≠ low real-world demand.
02

The Keyword Formula

Every keyword in your campaign should follow this exact pattern.

Service + City / Location = Your keyword
What you do
Where you do it
What you submit

Examples across industries

The formula works for every local business — the pattern never changes, only the specifics do:

✓ Strong keyword format
  • plumber Camarillo
  • AC repair Newbury Park
  • dentist Port Coquitlam
  • junk removal Brooklyn NY
  • sell gold NYC
  • furniture removal Queens
  • estate cleanout Long Island
  • roofing contractor Westchester
✗ Weak keyword format
  • best plumber (no city)
  • how does AC repair work (informational)
  • dentist near me (no geo signal)
  • cheap junk removal tips (wrong intent)
  • gold prices today (informational)
  • furniture removal guide (no city)
  • what is an estate cleanout (content, not lead)
  • roofing vs siding comparison (no local intent)
⚠️ Avoid informational keywords "How to," "what is," "tips for," and comparison articles are content keywords — they attract readers, not buyers. Every keyword you submit should be something a person types when they're ready to hire someone or visit a store. If the searcher just wants information, they're not your lead.
03

How Silo Groups Work

Your campaign is built in groups of three tightly related keywords — each group is called a silo.

Each silo has one main keyword and two supporting keywords. We create one dedicated page for each keyword in the group — three pages total — and link them together so they reinforce each other's authority. The main keyword page sits at the top, and the two supporting pages point up to it.

Silo Structure Visualised
junk removal brooklyn
Sub-KW 1 — New Page
junk removal brooklyn ny
Suffix variant — captures "ny" appended searches
Sub-KW 2 — New Page
same day junk removal brooklyn
Urgency modifier — captures time-sensitive buyers
↑ links up to main page
↑ links up to main page

Both sub-KW pages always link back up to the main keyword page — concentrating authority upward.

What we build for each silo

For every group of three keywords, here's what gets created:

📄 3 Pages per Silo Main keyword page — the hub. This is where your authority concentrates. If you provide a Money URL (see Section 6), we skip building this page and use yours instead.

Sub-KW page 1 — always a new page. Links back to the main page.
Sub-KW page 2 — always a new page. Links back to the main page.
💡 The Compounding Effect You can use the same Money URL across multiple silo groups. Every time you do, another pair of sub-KW pages links to that one URL — stacking authority. If your Brooklyn junk removal page is your strongest page, pointing 4 different silos at it sends it 8 internal links instead of 2. That's strategic, not redundant.
04

Picking Your Main Keyword

The main keyword is your strongest term — the one that goes first in the group and drives the most valuable traffic.

Your main keyword should be the phrase that most directly describes your service + your primary location, using the most common and commercially valuable phrasing. When in doubt, think: what would someone type into Google right now if they wanted to hire me today?

How to rank your candidates

If you're unsure which of two similar keywords to make the main one, run through these questions:

🏆 Main Keyword Selection Criteria
  1. 1
    Which phrasing do your best customers actually use? Ask yourself: when existing clients referred you to a friend, how did they describe your service? Real language beats tool-optimised language every time.
  2. 2
    Which phrase represents the most revenue for you? If ranking for one keyword brings in higher-value jobs than another, that's your main keyword regardless of search volume differences.
  3. 3
    Does it clearly state the service AND the location? Both elements must be present. "Junk removal" with no city is too broad. "Brooklyn" with no service is useless. You need both.
  4. 4
    Is it the most natural, unstyled version of the phrase? People don't search in formal language. "Best emergency plumber downtown Flushing Queens NY" is too long. "Plumber Flushing Queens" is what they actually type.
  5. 5
    Does it reflect a service you can actually deliver more of? Only pick keywords for services you want more leads for. Don't waste a silo slot on a service you're not actively growing.
05

Choosing Sub-Keywords

Sub-keywords must be tightly related to the main keyword — same service, same city, slightly different phrasing.

This is where most clients go wrong. Sub-keywords are not a different service or a different city — they're the same service and city expressed in a different way. The goal is to capture searchers who use slightly different phrasing for the exact same intent.

✓ Strong sub-keywords
  • Main: sell gold NYC → Sub: selling gold NYC
  • Main: junk removal brooklyn → Sub: junk removal brooklyn ny
  • Main: furniture removal NYC → Sub: furniture disposal NYC
  • Main: sell rolex NYC → Sub: rolex buyers NYC
  • Main: estate cleanout NYC → Sub: estate cleanout service NYC
  • Main: hoarding cleanup brooklyn → Sub: hoarder cleanout brooklyn
✗ Weak sub-keywords
  • Main: sell gold NYC → Sub: sell silver NYC (different service)
  • Main: junk removal brooklyn → Sub: junk removal queens (different city)
  • Main: furniture removal NYC → Sub: furniture removal tips (informational)
  • Main: sell rolex NYC → Sub: rolex repair NYC (different service)
  • Main: estate cleanout NYC → Sub: what is an estate cleanout (content)
  • Main: hoarding cleanup brooklyn → Sub: hoarding psychology (wrong intent)

Types of sub-keyword variations that work

There are a handful of reliable patterns for generating strong sub-keywords:

✓ Proven variation patterns Phrasing variants: "sell gold nyc" → "selling gold nyc" (gerund form)
Suffix/prefix variants: "junk removal brooklyn" → "junk removal brooklyn ny" (state suffix)
Synonym variants: "furniture removal nyc" → "furniture disposal nyc" (disposal = removal)
Buyer-side phrasing: "sell rolex nyc" → "rolex buyers nyc" (same transaction, opposite angle)
Modifier variants: "junk removal nyc" → "same day junk removal nyc" (urgency modifier)
City expansion: "junk removal brooklyn" → "junk removal brooklyn new york" (full city name)
06

Money URLs Explained

A Money URL is an existing page on your site that replaces the main keyword page we would otherwise build.

When you provide a Money URL, you're telling us: "I already have a strong, optimised page for this keyword — don't build a new one, just build the two sub-keyword pages that point to it." This protects your existing authority and avoids duplicate content.

Should you provide a Money URL?

Use this decision framework for every main keyword in your campaign:

✓ Use a Money URL if your page…
  • Is already ranking or showing signs of traction
  • Is fully optimised for that exact service + location
  • Has real content (not thin or generic)
  • Matches the main keyword closely
  • Has been on the site for at least a few months
→ We skip building the main page. Build 2 sub-KW pages only.
✗ Don't use a Money URL if your page…
  • Has never ranked for anything
  • Is thin, generic, or not optimised
  • Covers multiple services on one page
  • Doesn't match the keyword's location
  • Was built quickly with no real content
→ Leave it blank. We build all 3 pages fresh.
💡 Reusing the same Money URL is smart strategy You can point multiple silo groups at the same URL. For example, if your homepage is your strongest page, you might make it the Money URL for "sell gold nyc," "cash for gold nyc," and "gold buyers nyc." That means six sub-KW pages all linking back to one URL — tripling its internal link authority.
⚠️ Don't provide a Money URL to protect a weak page Some clients instinctively want to link everything to their homepage because "it's the most important page." That only works if the homepage genuinely targets that specific service and location. A generic homepage used as a Money URL for a hyper-local service keyword will underperform every time. When in doubt, leave it blank and let us build.
07

On Search Volume

Why "0 searches per month" doesn't mean what you think it means.

Keyword research tools measure national or global search volume. When you're targeting hyper-local terms — "estate cleanout Bayside Queens" or "sell gold Upper West Side" — the volume is spread across dozens of neighbourhood-level variants that tools can't aggregate properly. The result is a "0" that's misleading.

Here's a way to think about it: even if only one person per day in your city searches "junk removal Park Slope Brooklyn," that's 365 potential clients per year on a single keyword. If you have 20 silos, that's potentially thousands of qualified local leads annually from terms that tools say have zero volume.

How tool volume vs. real intent diverges at the local level
National broad term
Tool shows: high volume
City-level term
Tool shows: medium volume
Borough/suburb term
Tool shows: low volume
Neighbourhood term
Tool shows: 0 — but converts best

Conversion rate increases as specificity increases. The neighbourhood-level term the tool ignores is often the one that books the job.

✓ The rule of thumb If you'd be happy to receive a phone call from someone who typed that keyword, it's a good keyword — regardless of what any tool says about its volume.
08

Real Campaign Examples

Two industries, two different service categories — the same structure applied correctly in both.

Example A — Home Services Business

A junk removal company in a major metro area, targeting multiple boroughs and service types. Notice how each silo stays tightly focused on one service and one location.

Junk Removal — Borough Geo Silos Home Services
#
Type
Keyword
Money URL / Notes
1
Main
junk removal greenfield
yourdomain.com/service-areas/greenfield/
Sub 1
junk removal greenfield ny
New page — links up to main
Sub 2
same day junk removal greenfield
New page — links up to main
2
Main
furniture removal greenfield
yourdomain.com/furniture-removal/
Sub 1
furniture removal greenfield ny
New page — links up to main
Sub 2
couch removal greenfield
New page — links up to main
3
Main
estate cleanout greenfield
No money URL — new page built
Sub 1
estate cleanout service greenfield
New page — links up to main
Sub 2
estate junk removal greenfield
New page — links up to main

Example B — Luxury/Retail Business

A precious metals and luxury goods buyer in a single-city market. Each silo targets a specific item category with tight phrasing variants.

Precious Metals Buyer — Item Category Silos Retail / Luxury
#
Type
Keyword
Money URL / Notes
1
Main
sell gold riverdale
yourdomain.com/sell-gold.php
Sub 1
selling gold riverdale
Gerund variant — new page
Sub 2
gold buyers riverdale
Demand-side phrasing — new page
2
Main
sell rolex riverdale
No money URL — new page built
Sub 1
sell my rolex riverdale
Personal phrasing variant — new page
Sub 2
rolex buyers riverdale
Demand-side phrasing — new page
3
Main
sell diamonds riverdale
yourdomain.com/sell-diamonds.php
Sub 1
diamond buyers riverdale
Buyer-side phrasing — new page
Sub 2
sell diamond ring riverdale
Item-specific variant — new page
09

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The patterns that consistently produce weak campaigns — and how to fix them.

✗ Mixing cities within a silo
  • Main: junk removal brooklyn
  • Sub 1: junk removal queens
  • Sub 2: junk removal bronx
✓ One city per silo
  • Main: junk removal brooklyn
  • Sub 1: junk removal brooklyn ny
  • Sub 2: same day junk removal brooklyn
✗ Mixing services within a silo
  • Main: sell gold nyc
  • Sub 1: sell silver nyc
  • Sub 2: sell platinum nyc
✓ One service per silo
  • Main: sell gold nyc
  • Sub 1: selling gold nyc
  • Sub 2: gold buyers nyc
✗ Providing a weak Money URL
  • Main: estate cleanout queens ny
  • Money URL: homepage.com (covers 20 services)
  • Result: no ranking signal for this specific KW
✓ Leave it blank if unsure
  • Main: estate cleanout queens ny
  • Money URL: (left blank)
  • Result: we build a focused, optimised page
⚠️ Don't optimise for services you don't want more of It sounds obvious, but we regularly see clients submit keywords for services that are low-margin, hard to deliver, or that they're planning to phase out. Every silo slot is valuable — only spend it on services that actively grow your revenue.
10

Submission Checklist

Before you send us your keywords, run through every item below.

✅ Final Keyword Submission Checklist
  1. 1
    Every keyword follows service + city format No keyword should be missing either the service or the location. No informational terms, no root-only terms.
  2. 2
    The strongest keyword is listed first in each group Your main keyword should be the most commercially valuable, most naturally phrased term in the group — not the longest or most specific.
  3. 3
    Sub-keywords are close variants of the main — same service, same city Each sub-keyword should only differ from the main keyword in phrasing, not in service type or location. If it's a different city or a different service, it belongs in its own silo.
  4. 4
    Every keyword represents a service you want more leads for Don't fill slots with services that are low-priority, low-margin, or not actively available.
  5. 5
    Any Money URL you've provided is a strong, focused, ranking page If the page is thin, generic, or untargeted — leave the Money URL blank and let us build a proper page from scratch.
  6. 6
    Reusing the same Money URL across groups is intentional If you've pointed multiple silos at the same page, that's a deliberate strategy to concentrate authority — make sure the page genuinely deserves it.
  7. 7
    You haven't been deterred by "0" volume in keyword tools Local terms often show zero in tools. That doesn't reflect real-world search behaviour at the neighbourhood level. Trust local intent over tool data.
✓ You're ready to submit Once all seven items above are checked, your keyword list is ready. If you're unsure about any silo, reach out before submitting — a 10-minute conversation now saves weeks of underperformance later.