Local SEO
How to read a local rank grid
A local rank grid shows where a business appeared for one keyword across a defined search area at a recorded time. Read the settings first, then use individual points and the full pattern to choose what to investigate.
Reviewed by LocalCMO Editorial Team Last reviewed
Before you start
- Choose the business location and exact keyword you want to check.
- Confirm the search area, grid size or spacing, and checked time.
- Keep the observed competitors available so you can compare the same local market.
Steps
Check the search settings
Confirm the business, location, keyword, search area, grid size or spacing, and checked time. These settings define what the map can and cannot tell you.
Read one grid point
Open a point to see the result observed from that part of the search area. A strong point near the business and a weak point farther away can both be accurate.
Read the whole pattern
Look for clusters rather than one unusually high or low point. Use the number or heatmap view to see where visibility changes across the area.
Compare the businesses shown first
Open the results behind weak areas and record which nearby competitors appeared first. This tells you what was observed, not what caused the order.
Choose one gap to investigate
Check business information, local relevance, customer feedback, or useful location content only when the grid and source records point to a real gap. Do not treat correlation as a ranking cause.
Run a fair recheck
Repeat the same keyword, business location, search area, grid size or spacing, and comparable time. Compare the pattern and individual points with the earlier dated report.
EXPECTED RESULT
What you should see when you finish
- The report identifies the business location, keyword, search area, grid settings, and checked time.
- You can explain what an individual point showed and where the wider grid is strong or weak.
- Any before-and-after comparison uses the same settings and keeps both report dates visible.
If something does not look right
A point is blank or unavailable
Check whether the report completed and whether the search area or point is valid. Treat an unavailable result as missing data, not as rank zero.
Two reports look very different
Compare the keyword, business location, search area, grid size or spacing, and checked time. If any setting changed, describe the reports separately instead of calling the difference an improvement or decline.
How to read a local rank grid FAQ
What does one local rank grid point mean?
It is the position observed for the selected business and keyword from one point in the defined search area at the checked time.
Why does local ranking change across the grid?
Each point represents a different search position. Distance and the local result set can change, but the grid alone does not prove which factor caused the order.
How do I compare local rank grids over time?
Keep the keyword, business location, search area, grid size or spacing, and timing comparable, then review both the full pattern and individual points.