How to Find Competitor Keywords for Local SEO Without Paid Tools

If you’re a Healthcare center, Rehab facility, Local Service Provider, or a Corporate team outsourcing marketing, ranking on Google is no longer optional; it’s survival. Your competitors are already targeting the keywords your ideal customers search daily, from “rehab center near me” to “local physiotherapy services” to “corporate wellness programs.”

But here’s the challenge:

👉 Most keyword research tools are expensive
👉 Healthcare & service providers often work with lean marketing budgets
👉 Local competition is becoming tougher every year

Good news:
You don’t need expensive tools to analyze what’s working for your competitors.

In this guide by ALLGOOD MARKETING, you’ll learn 12 proven, free methods to uncover competitor keywords and outrank them, even if you’re new to SEO.

12 Proven Tactics to Analyze Competitor Keywords Without Paid Tools

1. Use Google Auto-Suggest to Reveal High-Intent Competitor Keywords

Google’s auto-suggest feature shows what users most commonly search for.
Just type your competitor’s brand name plus a keyword:

Examples:

“XYZ rehab center treatment programs”
“Local dental clinic services”
“Corporate wellness provider pricing”

This also reveals long-tail keywords, which are often easier to rank.

2. Explore the ‘People Also Ask’ Box for Topic & Keyword Gaps

Search for industry terms like:

“Rehab center services”
“Local physiotherapy clinic”
“Home healthcare providers”

The PAA box shows questions your competitors rank for, and you can easily create better, more complete content.

3. Analyze Competitor Website Structure Using Their Navigation Menu

This is a goldmine for local SEO.

Study pages like:

Services
Locations
Specializations
Conditions treated
Pricing

These reveal primary keyword themes competitors use to rank.

4. Use Google Trends for Real Keyword Demand Data

Google Trends helps you see:

✔ Seasonality of healthcare searches
✔ Rising local keywords
✔ Declining search terms
✔ Comparison between competitors

Example: Compare
“physiotherapy clinic near me” vs “home physiotherapy services.”

5. Use Google Keyword Planner (Free with Gmail)

Although usually for ads, it works perfectly for research.

Steps:

Go to Keyword Planner
Click “Discover New Keywords”
Enter competitor URLs
Get hundreds of keyword ideas

Perfect for rehab centers, treatment facilities, dental clinics, and other local services.

6. Study Competitor Blogs for High-Ranking SEO Topics

Look for patterns:

Repeated keywords
Blog clusters
Internal linking patterns
CTA placements

Healthcare competitors often use content clusters like:

✔ Pain management guides
✔ Recovery tips
✔ Condition-based articles
✔ Treatment FAQs

Use these to create your own improved versions.

7. Use the “Site:” Search Operator to Track Indexed Competitor Pages

Type this in Google: site:competitorwebsite.com service OR treatment OR rehab OR pricing

You’ll instantly see every page Google has indexed, giving insights into:

Their keyword strategy
Local landing pages
Featured snippets
Ranking service pages

8. Review Competitor Meta Titles & Descriptions Manually

Right-click > View Page Source
Then check for:

Title tag
Meta description
H1 tag
Keyword placement

Healthcare competitors often push keywords like:
“Rehab center near me,” “best physiotherapy clinic,” “treatment center near me.”

Use these as inspiration, but write improved, more compelling versions.

9. Use Ubersuggest’s Free Version for Limited Competitor Insights

Enter a competitor domain and get:

Top pages
Keyword ideas
Backlink estimates
Content gaps

Even the free version is useful for early research.

10. Use Google’s “Related Searches” Section at the Bottom of SERPs

This shows high-demand, related competitor keywords.

For example, search:
“Alcohol rehab center”

Google may show:

“best rehab center near me”
“affordable deaddiction treatment”
“top rehab programs for women”

These are easy long-tail targets.

11. Examine Competitor Reviews on Google Maps & Healthcare Portals

Patients often use the exact phrases they searched on Google.

Look for repeated keywords like:

“pain relief treatment”
“affordable physiotherapy”
“rehab center with therapy programs”

These are real consumer keywords, not tool-generated guesses.

12. Analyze Competitor YouTube Channels for Keyword Ideas

YouTube is a search engine too.

Look for:

Video titles
Descriptions
Tags (use view-source)
Comments

You’ll see what keywords competitors use to drive traffic.

How Healthcare & Local Service Businesses Can Use These Insights

✔ Create Service Pages Optimized for Local SEO

Example:
“Rehab Center in Florida – Personalized Treatment Programs”

✔ Build Topic Clusters

Example cluster for rehab centers:

Alcohol addiction recovery
Detox process
12-step program
Relapse prevention

✔ Improve Content Based on Competitor Gaps

If they don’t include FAQs, add them.
If their content is short, write long-form.
If they skip case studies, include testimonials.

SEO Best Practices While Implementing These Tactics

✔ Use keywords naturally (1–1.5% density)
✔ Add internal links to core service pages
✔ Optimize your Google Business Profile
✔ Publish location-specific blog posts
✔ Add schema for healthcare services
✔ Maintain E.E.A.T: Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust

Competitor Keyword Research Doesn’t Need Expensive Tools

You now have 12 proven, free, practical ways to reverse-engineer competitor keyword strategies.
Whether you’re a Healthcare center, Rehab facility, Local Service Provider, or Corporate team, these methods help you:

✔ Understand what competitors rank for
✔ Find keyword gaps
✔ Improve your service pages
✔ Create content that ranks faster
✔ Bring in more leads locally

If you want expert help implementing this strategy…