Local rank tracking works through a five-step pipeline from grid layout to scheduled archive.

The underlying measurement problem

Google's local algorithm blends relevance, distance and prominence, so the local pack a searcher sees depends on where they stand. Measuring "a ranking" therefore requires defining where the measurement happens. The pipeline below is the standard solution: it turns a vague question — "where do we rank?" — into a set of well-defined per-point measurements.

Step 1: Define the listing and keyword set

The measured entity is the business's Google Business Profile listing, because that is the record Maps and the local pack display. Keywords are chosen to match customer language: service terms, category terms and "near me" variants. Both choices constrain everything downstream — a scan can only measure the queries it asks about.

Step 2: Lay the geo-grid

A grid of points is arranged around the business. Grid size (3×3 to 13×13 and beyond) sets resolution; grid span sets geographic extent. A dense small grid resolves neighbourhood variation; a broad grid shows city-scale coverage. The mechanism is detailed in geo-grid rank tracking.

Step 3: Query per point and record positions

From each point, the tracker issues the keyword query and records the returned ordering: the business's position in the local pack and Maps, or its absence. Positions are stored per point, per keyword, per scan — the atomic records of the whole system.

Step 4: Archive and render

Stored scans are rendered as colour-coded coverage maps — green near the top three positions, warmer colours below — and archived by date. The archive converts isolated measurements into evidence: two scans can be compared to attribute movement to a change in the listing, the website or review profile.

Step 5: Re-scan on a schedule

Repetition is what makes the data decision-grade. Weekly or monthly re-scans build the time series that agencies report to clients (agency use case) and multi-location teams use to compare sites (multi-location use case). LocalRank automates scheduling and reporting with plans from $29 per month; see localrank.so for current plan structure.

Return to the site home for the network frame.

For the parent category, see what is local SEO software.

FAQ