Capturing the Commute: A “Near Me” Mobile Keyword Strategy
Client: A regional coffee chain with 20 drive-thru locations.
Challenges We Faced
The client was losing the morning commute crowd to Starbucks because they weren’t ranking for mobile searches:
Invisible for “Near Me”
They ranked on desktop for “coffee shop” but were invisible on mobile for “coffee near me” or “drive thru coffee.”
No “Commuter” Keywords
They hadn’t optimized for voice queries like “coffee shop open now” or “coffee on my route.”
Low Mobile Traffic
GA4 showed 70% of their traffic was mobile, but the bounce rate was high due to poor landing pages.
Weak Local Intent Keywords
Their location pages were generic and didn’t target specific neighborhoods or intersections.
Limited Click-to-Call & Directions
Mobile visitors couldn’t quickly call or get directions, reducing conversions from high-intent searches.
Win “Near Me” Searches
“Are you losing local customers to competitors? Our ‘Near Me’ & Local Intent Keywords service drives foot traffic to your door.”
Our Approach – How We Solved These Challenges
Mobile Keyword Research
We used SEMrush’s Mobile Database to identify high-volume, hyper-local keywords like “best iced coffee near me” and “drive thru espresso [City].”
“Near Me” & Local Intent Keywords
We optimized all 20 location pages with these new keywords, adding “Near Me” context (e.g., “Located near the [Landmark] exit”).
Voice Search & Conversational Analysis
We added FAQ sections to each location page to answer voice queries like “What time does [Coffee Shop] open?” and “Do you have oat milk?”
On-Page Mobile Optimization
We updated meta titles and descriptions to be shorter and punchier for mobile screens (under 50 characters).
Results
| Metric | Before | After | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Rankings for “Near Me” | Avg. Pos. 12 | Avg. Pos. 2 | +10 spots |
| “Get Directions” Clicks (GMB) | 500/mo | 1,800/mo | +260% |
| Mobile Organic Traffic | 8,000/mo | 22,000/mo | +175% |
Free Mobile Keyword Audit
“Not sure what your mobile users are searching for? Claim a Free Keyword Audit and let our mobile keyword optimization company find your gaps!”
Advice for Marketers & Brand Owners
- Mobile users want answers now. Optimize for “open now,” “near me,” and “directions.”
- Desktop rankings don’t equal mobile rankings. You must track your mobile keyword optimization separately using tools like SEMrush.
- Voice search is local search. People ask their phones for things nearby. Your content must answer those questions directly.
Extra Factors That Made It Work
- The FAQ sections for Voice Search captured “Featured Snippets” on mobile, driving huge traffic.
- Optimizing titles for mobile screen width increased CTR significantly.
- The “Near Me” Keyword Mapping strategy ensured the right location page ranked for the right user.
