Does Word Order Matter in Local Keywords?

[optimalwebinc]

We do a lot of local SEO, and we're wondering if it's better to target "keyword location" or "location keyword"?

Does it affect ranking and keyword difficulty if we're trying to rank for "plumbing appleton" or "appleton plumbing"?

Any insight would be great.

[ORob]

It will vary per niche and geography, so in general no I cannot say.

With some phrases, the industry, and language people use will affect the volume. I would say find a set of local variations that you can rank for (perhaps a bit longer tailed) and compare them... but either way optimizing for both can provide good value.

[optimalwebinc]

Thanks for the insight!

Do you both know, on average, how much it matters, when it matters and how extensive should the ordering get?

[ORob]

Target both.

In most cases like this, you'll find that people search in both ways. Google used to find them synonymous in a way and provide the same results, but don't now. Difficulty will depend on competition and your domain authority. Watch both keywords and write your text in a natural varied direction that also includes an exact match or two of each.

[MattAntonino]

Using your own search (appleton plumbing) I did a comparison using ImportXML.

It mattered at nearly every result level.

See the attached image:

appleton plumbing vs plumbing appleton using Googlescraper.

appleton.jpg