Chasing a phrase nobody can target
Meet a locksmith in Brooklyn obsessed with ranking for "locksmith near me." He'd stuffed the phrase everywhere. It did nothing, because "near me" isn't a keyword you write — it's a signal Google assembles.
We rebuilt around what "near me" actually rewards.
The playbook:
— Nail proximity signals first: exact address, pinned map, correct service area radius
— Win the category match (primary set to "Locksmith," not "Security System Supplier")
— Get reviews that mention neighborhoods: Williamsburg, Bushwick, DUMBO
— Add real hours including "open now" reliability — 24/7 listings win night searches
— Speed up the mobile site, since near-me is overwhelmingly on phones
Weeks one and two, no movement on the near-me searches. Frustrating, because we'd removed his beloved keyword stuffing.
Week four, the night searches started converting — "open now near me" sent emergency calls at 2am. Up 30 calls a month, most after dark.
The lesson: you don't optimize for "near me," you optimize to BE the nearest relevant open business. The phrase is the result, not the input.
Map Pack Diaries
@MapPackDiaries
Chasing a phrase nobody can target
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