How to Find High-Value Keywords for Your Storage Facility

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. But not all keywords are created equal. Some will bring floods of qualified traffic, while others waste your time and budget. Here's how to find the high-value keywords that will actually grow your self-storage business.

Why Most Storage Facilities Get Keyword Research Wrong

Most facility owners make one of two mistakes:

1. They target keywords that are too competitive. "Self storage" has 90,000+ monthly searches, but you'll never outrank Public Storage or Extra Space Storage for that term.
2. They target keywords with no commercial intent. "How does self storage work" might get traffic, but those searchers aren't ready to rent.

The sweet spot is finding keywords with high commercial intent, reasonable competition, and enough search volume to matter.

Step 1: Start with Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are your starting point. For self-storage, these typically fall into a few categories:

Location-Based Keywords

• self storage [city name]
• storage units [city name]
• storage near me
• [neighborhood] storage
• storage [zip code]

Feature-Based Keywords

• climate controlled storage [city]
• 24 hour access storage [city]
• drive up storage units [city]
• cheap storage [city]
• secure storage [city]

Use-Case Keywords

• moving storage [city]
• college student storage [city]
• business storage [city]
• vehicle storage [city]
• seasonal storage [city]

Step 2: Expand Your Keyword List

Now that you have seed keywords, it's time to expand your list. Here are proven methods:

Use Google's Autocomplete

Start typing your seed keyword into Google and see what suggestions appear. For example, typing "storage units in atlanta" shows:

• storage units in atlanta ga
• storage units in atlanta cheap
• storage units in atlanta near me
• storage units in atlanta with electricity

These are real searches people are making—Google wouldn't suggest them otherwise.

Check "People Also Ask"

Google's "People Also Ask" section reveals related questions your potential customers are searching for:

• "What is the average cost of a storage unit in [city]?"
• "Do I need climate-controlled storage?"
• "Can I live in a storage unit?"

Each of these questions can become a blog post or FAQ page.

Analyze Competitor Keywords

Your local competitors are already ranking for keywords. Why not learn from them?

Step 3: Evaluate Keyword Value

Not every keyword deserves your attention. Here's how to evaluate which keywords are worth targeting:

Search Volume

Look for keywords with at least 50-100 monthly searches. Lower than that, and even ranking #1 won't bring meaningful traffic.

Competition Level

Assess the difficulty of ranking:

• Low competition: Mostly local facilities, few big chains
• Medium competition: Mix of local and national players
• High competition: Dominated by Public Storage, Extra Space, etc.

As a small facility, focus on low and medium competition keywords.

Commercial Intent

Rate keywords by purchase intent:

• High intent: "rent storage unit [city]", "storage unit prices [city]"
• Medium intent: "best storage [city]", "storage units near me"
• Low intent: "what is self storage", "storage unit sizes"

Prioritize high-intent keywords for pages designed to convert visitors.

Step 4: Organize Keywords by Intent

Group your keywords based on what the searcher is trying to accomplish:

Step 5: Create a Keyword Strategy

Now that you have a list of valuable keywords, create a strategy for targeting them:

Primary Keywords

These are your main targets—one per page. Examples:

• Homepage: "self storage [city]"
• Pricing page: "storage unit prices [city]"
• Climate control page: "climate controlled storage [city]"

Secondary Keywords

Related keywords to include naturally in your content. For a page targeting "self storage atlanta", secondary keywords might include:

• storage units atlanta
• atlanta storage facilities
• storage near me atlanta

Long-Tail Keywords

Longer, more specific keywords with lower search volume but higher conversion rates:

• "cheap climate controlled storage atlanta"
• "24 hour access storage units near buckhead"
• "vehicle storage atlanta with electricity"

Tools to Accelerate Your Research

While you can do keyword research manually using Google, these tools make the process much faster:

• Google Keyword Planner: Free, provides search volume and competition data
• Answer the Public: Shows questions people ask about your keywords
• Storentic SEO: AI-powered keyword research specifically for self-storage, including local competition analysis

Putting It All Together

Effective keyword research isn't a one-time task. Market conditions change, competitors emerge, and new opportunities appear. Here's a simple monthly routine:

1. Review your current rankings for target keywords
2. Identify new keyword opportunities
3. Check what keywords competitors are ranking for
4. Update existing content to target additional keywords
5. Create new content for high-value keywords you're not targeting yet

Remember: The goal isn't to rank for the most keywords, but to rank for the right keywords—the ones that bring qualified customers to your facility.