16 Best Local SEO Niches in 2024: Influential Factors, Benefits & Challenges, and Winning Tips

Gyi Tsakalakis, founder of the digital marketing agency AttorneySync, says word of mouth referrals are not enough. People will still search online for more information about a lawyer or legal firm. He says it's a must to leverage local SEO for these services to get more clients.

Local SEO niches are business sectors that capitalize on targeting local search intent. For example, 54% of people search for a plumbing service using 'plumber near me' or 'plumber in [city]' keywords.  A plumbing company in the area can rank for those keywords if they utilize local SEO. This increases online visibility, attracts more local customers, and helps the business grow. 

The benefits of local SEO are higher traffic and better conversion rates. People who search on Google will trust the first few websites that appear. This is why ranked sites gain more online visibility and website traffic. A ThinkWithGoogle study showed that 4 in 5 consumers search Google with local intent. 28% of these searches hire a service within the same day. The challenges to local SEO are constant algorithm changes and high competition. The frequent algorithm updates can significantly affect local search rankings. Businesses must continually adapt to new local SEO strategies to stay on top. Competing for top Google positions is hard if the business is in a populated area or industry. 

In this article, we'll look at the 15 best local SEO niches. We'll go over their stats, benefits, and challenges. We'll also tell you the top clients to work for and provide a few helpful tips.

1. Food and Beverage Local SEO 

The food and beverage niche uses local SEO to build a strong online presence. Working in this niche can greatly enhance local SEO efforts. This is because people are eager to share their experiences with food establishments. A restaurant website can get many reviews within a short time. What's more, food and beverage businesses have visually appealing content. You can upload photos of dishes and drinks or the place's ambiance. These are factors that Google looks for when ranking profiles or websites in the 3-Pack.

Every city has several restaurants, bars, bakeries, cafes, etc... And 45% of people eat out more than once a week (source: Toast). Since these diners often check online menus or reviews before they head out, having a website at the top will attract more local customers. 

However, small businesses in this niche might not have a budget for local SEO services. This makes it harder to find clients. If you're able, you may have to settle for a cheaper monthly rate - around $300 to $500 a month. For a bigger restaurant, your services can charge $500 to $1,000. Popular businesses in this niche include:

2. Commercial Services Local SEO 

Commercial services are a profitable local SEO niche serving other businesses and organizations. This allows them to offer their services at a high price point. In turn, they can afford a budget for digital marketing strategies. Aspire's 2024 Commercial Cleaning Industry Trend Report saw 35% of cleaning companies go online to increase their revenue and customer base. Nolen Walker, an expert in Internet marketing, advises these services to dedicate 10% of sales toward marketing. If you work in this niche, you can charge $1,000 to $3,000+ a month for your local SEO services. 

However, commercial services generally have a low search volume. Businesses and organizations don't usually search the web for these services. It may take some time before you find a willing client. You'll have to show how local SEO improves visibility, credibility, and competitiveness in the local market. Here are some businesses in the commercial service niche:

3. Real Estate Local SEO 

Real estate is arguably one of the most profitable local SEO niches you can explore. This is because there's a LOT of money in the real estate industry. Plus, 97% of homebuyers used Google to search for properties. This is why real estate agents always advertise their services and listings online. Real estate is a very lucrative industry. You can make tens of thousands of dollars if your local SEO service can convert leads to sales. 

The downside is that the real estate niche is very competitive. You'll have to focus on hyper-local SEO tactics. This includes optimizing for neighborhood-specific keywords and encouraging customer reviews. It's also a cutthroat industry. If your campaigns don't work quickly, they'll let you go in an instant. Real estate businesses include:

4. Plumbing Local SEO 

Plumbing services is a niche that heavily depends on local SEO. A Google report showed that 'plumber near me' was one of the fastest-growing search terms. Moreover, 96% of people looking for a plumber don't have a company in mind. Local plumbers should attract these people by taking the top spots in search results. Because this is so crucial, you can ask for $500 to $1,000+ a month for your local SEO services. 

Not all plumbers know about digital marketing and local SEO tactics. This is both a positive and negative thing. It's good if the plumbing company wants to do online marketing but doesn't know how to get started. It'll be much easier to offer your services to these business owners. Here is a plumber company looking for help on Reddit:

There are plumbing companies that don't see the need for online advertising. They trust that their repeat clients and word-of-mouth referrals are good enough. A company like this won't think twice about hiring a local SEO service. You'll have to settle for limited clients or use all your convincing powers. What's more, plumbing is a specialized niche that doesn't translate to other industries. Focusing too much on this niche might hinder you from scaling or growing in the SEO space.

5. Legal Services Local SEO 

Legal services provide a huge market for local SEO. According to IBISWorld, there are around 8,500 law firms in each state. Since different states and cities have their own laws, clients always search locally. They search for law firms online, too. The National Law Review found a whopping 96% of people seek legal services or advice on Google. 

The legal service niche pays big for local SEO as they get a high commission rate when they sell their services. On The Map Lawyer Marketing says firms are willing to pay $3,000 to $15,000 for effective SEO services. 

However, the legal industry is very complex and technical. You'll have to know about the ins and outs of a specific law firm. You'll also have to be well-versed in law terminologies and jargon. Besides that, dealing with law firms can be rigid and too professional. They often have longer sales cycles and processes, too. It will take some time before you can see the results of your local SEO efforts. Here are some businesses to target:

6. Home Repair and Maintenance Local SEO

Home repair and maintenance services need an online presence to attract nearby customers. A WebFX study found that 80% of local searches for HVAC convert. Meanwhile, roofing services saw a 62% conversion rate from local search results. This shows that local SEO produces high-value customers for this niche. 

A home repair and maintenance company usually offers many different services, like HVAC, electrical, heaters, etc... You can create different websites or landing pages for each service. This helps avoid overlapping their marketing efforts. You can charge more for each website or landing page you make. For a complete SEO package, you can ask for a monthly payment of $1,500 to $5,000. 

Now, this local SEO niche might be harder to break into. There are online marketplaces that connect homeowners with local tradespeople and service providers. The famous ones include MyBuilder, Rated People, Checkatrade, and Facebook Marketplace. The home repair and maintenance providers may want to promote in these marketplaces instead of utilizing local SEO. These are the businesses in this local SEO niche:

7. Moving Services Local SEO

Moving services is an easy local SEO niche to conquer. This is because competition is low in many states. Moving companies don't know how to enhance their local SEO strategies yet. In fact, if you search 'moving companies in New York City', the top businesses in the 3-Pack don't even have reviews.

Local SEO strategies are a good way for moving companies to gain more online visibility. A moveBuddha report showed a trend of people relying on online platforms to plan their moves. This includes looking for a moving company to help them transfer. Since people trust the top websites and reviews, they will go with the company that offers both. For your local SEO services, you can make them pay you between $300 and $2,000 a month. This cost can cover keyword research, website optimization, content creation, and link building. 

One downside to the moving niche is that it often experiences seasonal fluctuations. The peak demand is usually during the summer, while the demand tends to be lower in winter. This can affect the consistency of your local SEO efforts. It can also affect the ROI of your clients.

8. Junk Removal Local SEO

Junk removal SEO optimizes a service website to rank high in local search engine results. This way, it will increase online visibility and attract local customers. This is important because 68% of junk removal's revenue comes from residential customers. Households look for all kinds of home services by searching on Google. The one with the best online presence is the one they will hire.

Serving the junk removal niche will provide you with many companies to work with. In the US, the industry is experiencing steady growth. On average, junk removal services have grown by 1.9% each year (source: World Metrics Report 2024). It'll be easier to find companies that need your local SEO services. You can charge them $2,500 to $7,5000 a month for the quality leads your services will provide. 

However, as the industry grows, the competition gets harder. There are also established companies in the market that people trust. It will be difficult to challenge for the top local search engine rankings. You need continuous effort, advanced SEO strategies, and higher costs to deliver results. Some services offered by this niche include:

9. Financial Services Local SEO

In-person financial services need SEO services to compete with their remote counterparts. They can do this by utilizing local SEO for geographical proximity. According to SEO Reseller, 'accountant near me' gets an average search volume of 27,000 a month. So if someone searches for that keyword, the in-person service that uses local SEO will be first. 

It's easy to convince business owners in this niche to get your local SEO services. They are open to new ideas, especially as they face challenges from remote services. For the financial industry, you can charge a monthly rate of $500 to $5,000. 

Financial services often involve long decision-making processes. This can slow down the ROI from SEO efforts.  Clients might take longer to convert, making it harder to demonstrate immediate results. What's more, financial services are heavily regulated. This can restrict the type of content you produce and promote. In turn, your flexibility and creativity in SEO strategies are limited. You can work with financial companies offering these services:

10. Home Cleaning Local SEO

Cleaning services are in high demand, creating a need for effective local SEO. A cleaning company will lose many potential customers without a strong online presence. An Invoca study showed that 59% of consumers research house cleaning services in the area. 90% of those people will hire a company that is at the top of local search results, has positive reviews, includes the address and phone number, etc... Local SEO is vital for cleaning services. This is why you can ask for $1,250 to $2,500 a month for your local SEO services. 

The great thing about this local SEO niche is that you can get creative with the content. You can write blogs about helpful tips, how-to guides, and case studies on the website. Offering free advice will make consumers appreciate and trust the company more. Here is what someone from Reddit says:

The downside is that home cleaning services rely on reputation. What some cleaning companies consider clean may not meet homeowners' expectations. That leads to negative reviews or complaints, impacting the company's online reputation. This niche requires diligent reputation management as part of the SEO strategy.

11. Automotive Services Local SEO

Automotive services need local SEO to put them on the map and reach a local audience. Since people don't usually have an auto repair company in mind, they turn online to find the best one near them. A Semrush study found that auto repair keywords on Google reached 4.3 MILLION searches. Local SEO is crucial for automotive services to maintain a strong competitive edge. You can offer to provide that for $500 to $3,000 a month. 

Automotive companies come with a range of services, including auto repairs, maintenance, inspections, detailing, etc... You have a wide range of targeted keywords available for your content creation. Also, the automotive service industry offers opportunities for visually engaging content. High-quality images and videos of car repairs, restorations, and customizations can boost SEO performance through higher click-through rates and longer site visits. 

However, this niche often requires a deep understanding of technical aspects. You need industry-specific knowledge if you want to create quality content. This can increase the time and cost when developing effective local SEO strategies. Here are a few services that are usually offered:

12. Healthcare Local SEO

Healthcare services can use local SEO to give patients key information online. In turn, this helps them build trust and get new patients. However, many healthcare services don't see the need as they think people rush to the hospital immediately. That's not true. An IBISstudio report showed that 54% of patients under 35 years old and 27% of 55 and 64 years old look for a doctor online. This is a perfect way for a small healthcare service to stand out among well-known hospitals. 

This is a great niche to work with because very few know about the benefits of local SEO. This means that you'll have low competition. According to Yext, 31% of healthcare services don't have an online local listing. For those that do have, 48% have errors in their NAP (name, address, phone). Plus, the healthcare industry is an expensive service. You can charge them high for your local SEO services - around $500 to $10,000 a month. Some even offer their local SEO services for $30,000. 

Building trust and credibility is one of the hardest parts of the healthcare niche. Patients want reliable information since they're dealing with sensitive and crucial topics. Your local SEO efforts must focus heavily on establishing authority. You also need specialized knowledge, accurate information, and follow strict guidelines. Healthcare providers offer many services, including:

13. Pet Services Local SEO

Pet services benefit from local SEO as pet owners go for the nearest shop to lessen their pets' travel time. This is why their searches are for very specific areas or neighborhoods. People who search for pet-related keywords are also high-valued prospects. Medium reports that 88% of pet service searches lead to a visit or direct phone call in 24 hours. 

Since you'll want to focus on hyper-local SEO tactics, there is a higher chance of ranking. For example, if you target the 'Pet service in Los Angeles, CA' keyword, you'll have quite a lot of competition. But if you narrow it down and target 'Pet service in Echo Park, Los Angeles', your competition is much less. Not just that, this local niche involves the community. You can generate valuable backlinks through community events, sponsorships, and partnerships. 

Since pet services are usually smaller businesses, they may not want to pay big for local SEO. GetJess, a small marketing business, says they only charge $500 to $750 a month for their SEO for pet sitters. You'll be able to see quicker results but earn less in the process. Here are the services offered by the pet industry: 

14. Landscaping and Gardening Local SEO

Landscaping and gardening services can utilize plenty of local SEO techniques. The more techniques you use, the better your chances of ranking a website and improving its visibility. One key element is targeting local keywords. 97% of people search the internet to find landscapers and gardeners in their area. They then check out images and videos on the website. They also make sure to read reviews to pick the best service. Some even like to read articles or blogs to see how knowledgeable the company is. Local SEO strategies use all this. 

Another great thing about landscaping and gardening is the high referral potential. Happy customers often recommend this service to their neighbors, family, and friends. This can lead to positive reviews and backlinks, boosting online presence even more. Because you use many techniques, your local SEO service can ask for payment anywhere from $400 to $10,000. 

While being able to upload images and videos is crucial in this niche and local SEO, it can also be a downside. The effectiveness of your SEO strategy may depend on the quality of the visual content. Working with poor-quality content can negatively impact user engagement and SEO performance. It'll be much harder to rank and grab attention. Here are the most common services offered:

15. IT Support and Computer Repair Local SEO

IT support and computer repair services need local SEO to attract local customers. People who need these services prefer providers who can quickly address their needs. This is why the keyword 'computer repair near me' has 400K+ monthly searches. Local SEO strategies can put a company above the rest by being the first to appear in local search results. 

Offering local SEO services to this niche allows you to capture a high-demand market. This is great as you can find and provide tailored SEO solutions for big and small businesses. Plus, there is a consistent influx of potential clients. This enables you to measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts sooner. Now, to give you a cost range, Markitors offer their computer repair SEO services for $1,500 to $2,500 a month. 

You must note that the IT and computer fields experience rapid technological changes. If you specialize in this local SEO niche, you'll have to stay up-to-date with everything. You must also constantly update articles and blog posts. This may be time and resource-intensive. Here are some services offered: 

16. HVAC Contractors Local SEO

HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) contractors are essential for households. People will always need experts to install, repair, or maintain their HVAC systems. Since these are urgent tasks, hiring the nearest contractor is a must. An Invoca research shows that 62% of people turn to Google to find HVAC contractors in the area. 84% of these people don't yet have a company in mind. This is why contractors want to rank for local search results. 

Besides optimizing the website and Google Business Profile, you can keep it updated. This is because there is so much to write about this industry, including energy-saving tips, seasonal maintenance guides, troubleshooting advice, etc... This can drive traffic and improve SEO rankings. It will also build trust and credibility for the contractor. You can start your campaign for $500-$1,5000 for smaller businesses and $1,500-$5,000 for bigger ones. 

Due to the nature of the industry, it can be highly competitive. You'll have to compete against contractors within the same vicinity. It doesn't help that each state has an average of 2,360 HVAC businesses scattered around. This requires more local SEO effort and resources to achieve top search rankings.

Top 6 Clients for Local SEO 

1. Local SEO for Dentists 

Dentists should leverage local SEO to attract more patients in their surrounding area. It works because local SEO strategies can boost their website to the top of local search results. According to Backlinko, the website at the #1 spot receives 27.6% of the clicks. This increases visibility and trust. Also, local SEO will give potential patients all the information, such as the address, phone number, services offered, opening/closing hours, etc... 

The dentistry niche receives frequent search volumes. One study saw a 176% increase in 'dentist near me' searches. Moreover, the search for dental clinics increased 72% in the last five years. These stats can help you convince dentists of the importance of local SEO for their business. And since dental services are high cost, you can offer your local SEO service for $1,500 to $5,00 a month. 

Dental websites often require advanced features like appointment booking systems and patient portals. It can be technically challenging to optimize these functionalities for SEO. It will take more time and effort to get the website fully operational and ready to rank.

2. Local SEO for Wedding and Event Planners 

Wedding and event planners rely heavily on digital marketing to promote their services. One of the best ways to convert potential clients is to target the ones nearby. This is where local SEO comes in. Loganix, an SEO agency, helped a wedding and event planner increase her website traffic by 300% and leads by 2,300%. They did this through keyword targeting, rewriting existing website copy, creating new content and pages, optimizing the speed and mobile browsers, etc... 

The best thing about this local SEO niche is that you can get creative with it. You can create engaging blog posts, add stunning photo galleries, and write compelling stories. Plus, happy couples will be more than willing to put in a good word for their planner. All this makes it easier to boost your local SEO efforts. Event planning is a growing industry, too, so you can find many people who need your services. These advertising campaigns can cost $1,000 to $3,000. 

There are a few local SEO challenges in this niche. The biggest one is that most small wedding and event planners are solo entrepreneurs. They usually don't have a physical address. You'll have to navigate their Google Business Profile, Search Area Business (SAB), and local citations effectively.

3. Local SEO for Interior Designers 

Interior designers can grab more clients with local SEO. This is because 64% of people who look for interior design services search from their phones. What's more, they want a designer in the area, so they use keywords like 'near me' or 'in [city]'. Local SEO is all about helping a website rank for these local searches. It involves optimizing a website for mobile use, too. This increases the designers' online visibility and appeal. 

Local SEO for interior designers has high visual appeal and content variety. High-quality images of completed projects can attract and engage website visitors. You can write blog posts about design tips and trends and highlight case studies. The market also has a defined audience since interior designing focuses on specialty. It's easier to understand client demographics and preferences. In turn, this helps you create targeted and effective local SEO strategies. This can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,500. 

However, interior designers often have high expectations for quick results. This can be difficult to meet given the long-term nature of SEO. You have to give an honest timeline of your local SEO efforts.

4. Local SEO for Retail Store Owners 

Local retail store owners face huge competition against big retail and supermarket chains. Then, there are the online stores to consider. They're desperate to find a way to get more local consumers into their doors. This is why they need local SEO. According to Accenture, 56% of consumers now buy locally. And, these consumers are mindful about supporting small, local businesses. 

Effective local SEO helps a local retail store gain online visibility and customers. This is because it puts the store's website or Google Business Profile at the top of local search results. People tend to trust these top-ranking stores. A Nectafy report also found that 88% of consumers visit a store within 24 hours of finding it online. Local retail store owners will see quick results for your local SEO efforts. This is why you can charge quite high - from $500 to $5,000. 

To succeed, you will need highly effective strategies. This includes targeting high-volume keywords in the area, fixing local citations, focusing on the store's products, getting positive reviews, etc...

5. Local SEO for Personal Trainers and Fitness Coaches

Personal trainers and fitness coaches need local SEO to stand out. There are 800K+ personal trainers in the US alone. There are thousands more who offer online training and coaching. Competition is tough. Local SEO is great as it focuses on local clients. People who want face-to-face interaction with their trainers usually look for nearby ones. This is why they use keywords like 'personal trainer in [city]' when researching. 

Local SEO can improve visibility by boosting a trainer's website to the top of local searches. This is important as there are over 90K searches for personal trainers every month. Local SEO strategies can also target the right audience. Of course, clients want to find a coach that specializes in their needs. For example, someone who wants to do bodybuilding will find a bodybuilding coach. The same is true for toning, pilates, yoga, etc... Local SEO can target the right keywords to connect clients with the perfect trainer. Because this is crucial for a personal trainer, you can charge $500 to $10,000 for your services. 

Personal trainers and fitness coaches often rely heavily on personal branding. This will require a unique approach to SEO compared to more generic businesses. You'll have to spend time creating a more tailored strategy if you want to see success.

6. Local SEO for Hair and Beauty Experts

Hair and beauty experts run localized businesses, making them perfect for Local SEO strategies. People going out for a quick haircut or relaxing facial wash prefer convenience. This is why they look for the nearest hair or beauty salon. A Boulevard survey saw 83% of people search for salons on local listings. Local SEO helps beauty services rank their Google Business Profile and website. This will then make them the top choice for many local clients. 

The best thing about this local SEO niche is that you can target long tail keywords. For example, people looking for hair or beauty services usually want to be very specific. So instead of searching for 'hair salon near me,' they will use keywords like 'Brazilian blowout' or 'bridal hair'. These are easier to rank for since there is less competition and higher relevance. In turn, that will boost the salon's conversion rates. 

However, hair and beauty experts don't usually have a budget for digital marketing. So although it may be easier to rank, you'll have to settle for $200 to $1,000 payments. Of course, you can always ask for higher pay if you're able to bring many local customers to their doorsteps.

What Are the Factors That Influence Local SEO Niches?

High search volume, Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization, and quality content are the factors that influence local SEO niches. These show the demand, profitability, and scalability of a niche. For example, a good local SEO niche will have a high search volume. This shows that people are actively searching for these services locally. An optimized Google Business Profile will improve visibility and credibility. This will turn researchers into clients. Finally, quality content can scale the business's online presence even more. Here is what someone from Reddit has to say:

Local search rankings, GBP and website analysis, local citations, reviews, and backlinks are the most important metrics in monitoring local SEO health. If you see your local search rankings are low, you might need to target more relevant local keywords. If the website bounce rate is high, the site needs a better design or content. Negative reviews can point to service issues that need addressing. Inconsistent local citations can place you low in Google Maps. A lack of link building means you need to build more relationships with local websites. These will help you determine the overall effectiveness of your local SEO strategy. It will also show you areas for improvement.

What Are the Benefits and Challenges of Targeting Local SEO Niches?

7 Common Mistakes When Dealing with Local SEO Niches

4 Local SEO Tips for Maximizing Your Chosen Niche

Here are crucial local SEO tips for maximizing your chosen niche:

Can You Make Money With SEO by Choosing the Best Local Niches?

You can make money with SEO by choosing the best local niches with strong demand and low saturation. This includes home services (like plumbing, HVAC, and landscaping), healthcare providers (such as dentists, chiropractors, and local clinics), legal services (like local attorneys and notaries), local eateries and cafes, real estate agents, fitness centers, and personal care services (such as salons and spas). These niches are easier to rank in local search results and attract more customers. For this, you can earn $500 to $10,000+ a month. To monetize local SEO niches, you can offer these services:

It takes 3 to 6 months to see results from local SEO. However, the timeline varies depending on website condition, competition, effort, and optimization. It will be faster to see results in a website that's already well-optimized as opposed to one that isn't. Highly competitive niches or locations may take more time to see results, too. Here are what some Redditors have to say: 

Why Consider Local Lead Generation When Dealing with Local SEO Niches

You should consider local lead generation when dealing with local SEO niches as it provides passive income and is less risky. Other local SEO niches will see you constantly working with your clients. An SEO agency will need to come up with new content and strategies. Offering consulting or online courses requires continuous updates and engagement with clients. There's also a risk to this as you'll have to invest money to get started. In other words, you'll always have to be working for your money and ROI. 

Local lead generation removes all that. This service involves finding a local SEO niche that has a high search volume. You then create a website for that niche and rank it on Google. Once it starts getting organic traffic, you can rent the website to a small business within the niche. Since they need quality leads, they pay $500 to $3,000 a month to rent your website. This allows you to earn consistently without constant client interactions or frequent updates. 

Local lead generation is also less risky because the initial investment is small. You only need to spend $25 to $100 to create a basic website. Using local SEO strategies to rank will take some time, but is completely free. If you don't see results in 2 to 6 months, you can see if it's worth continuing. If not, then you don't lose anything much. If you continue, you can earn a streamlined revenue of $50,000 for 10 lead gen sites.