Local Market Fit: The fastest way to know if people actually want what you sell
Most small businesses don’t fail because they’re bad.
They fail because the need for their offering isn’t very high.
There’s a simple way to spot demand and fine-tune your offerings based on what people in your local area are searching for.
It’s called Local Market Fit.
Disclaimer: I read about this first in owner.com where Adam their founder spoke about Menu Market Fit and it’s a brilliant concept.
What is Local Market Fit (in simple words)
Local Market Fit = 👉 Are people in your locality already searching for what you offer?
Not globally.
Not nationally.
Right where your business exists.
The simplest way to check Local Market Fit (10 minutes)
You only need Google Keyword Planner.
Step 1: Open Google Keyword Planner
Go to Google Ads
Tools → Keyword Planner
Choose “Discover new keywords”
(You don’t need to run ads for this.)
Step 2: Type your actual offerings
Use real, customer-language terms
Examples:
“kids art classes”
“Vinayasa yoga near me”
“Matcha tea near me”
“pottery classes for beginners”
👉 One idea per line.
Step 3: Set your location (this is key)
Change location to your city or area
e.g. Bethany, Portland
Step 4: Look at monthly searches
Now check two things:
Are there searches at all?
1,000+ /month locally = solid
100+/month = niche but viable
less than 100 = risky unless referrals drive demand
Which variations show demand
“kids art class” vs “art workshop for kids”
“yoga near me” vs “morning yoga”
Real-world examples
Example 1: Kids Activity Centre
You sell:
Art
Dance
STEM
Drama
Keyword Planner shows:
“kids art classes” → 1,300/month
“dance classes for kids” → 900/month
“kids drama class” → 50/month
“kids STEM workshop” → 40/month
Insight:
Lead with Art and Dance.
Drama & STEM become add-ons, camps, or trials—not homepage heroes.
Example 2: Yoga Studio
You want to promote:
Sound healing
Breathwork
Vinyasa yoga
Search data shows:
“yoga near me” → 2,400/month
“morning yoga” → 700/month
“sound healing” → 30/month
Insight:
Market Yoga first.
Sell sound healing inside the yoga funnel.
Example 3: Café / Workshop Space
You’re planning:
Coffee tastings
Latte art workshops
Search data shows:
“coffee near me” → huge
“latte art workshop” → tiny
Insight:
Coffee brings footfall.
Workshops monetize the regulars.
How to use this immediately
Once you know your local demand:
Your homepage headline should match the top searched term
Your Google Business Profile categories should reflect it
Your program names should use search language, not brand language
Your new offerings should start where demand already exists
One mindset shift to keep
If people aren’t searching for it, you’re educating the market.
If they are searching for it, you’re simply showing up.
Most SMBs grow faster by choosing the second.
I will see you next week,
Until then, open Keyword Planner.
Your market is already talking.
P.S I went looking for a simple, relevant tutorial on using Google Keywords and found this one to share with you all: How to Use Google Keyword Planner for SEO (It’s FREE!)