LocalFalcon Tips - Multiple Uses For Geogrid Ranking Tools

[Stefan Somborac]

I recently saw a comment from a well-respected local SEO saying that they're not a fan of geogrid rank checkers. I was really surprised by the comment because I find geogrid scans really helpful for a bunch of different things. In fact, when it comes to troubleshooting GBP ranking problems, Local Falcon is one of my go-to tools.

So, I’m starting this thread not to throw shade (use whatever tools work for you!) but to create a collection of useful things you can do with Local Falcon and other similar grid rank tracking tools.

• I’m going to write each idea as an individual post so there’s a unique link to each one
• Accordingly, I'll start each post with an h1 heading
• And I’m going to encourage anyone who has figured out a clever way to use local ranking grids to add it to this thread. (One idea per post + h1 heading, please!)

For those who aren’t that familiar with geogrids, there’s one foundational idea you need to understand. Without it, a lot of what follows won’t make much sense. It’s this: Distance (often called “proximity”) is a significant local ranking factor. The closer the searcher is to the business, the better it’s going to rank. So, a Business Profile will rank best for a searcher standing right there, at its address (which is generally set to the centre of the grid), and the rankings will decline as you radiate outward from the address.

I refer to this pattern, where rankings decline as you radiate outward from the business address, as the “typical” ranking pattern.

 

[Stefan Somborac]

Use LocalFalcon To Check For The Local Filter​

When the local filter is in play, instead of showing the typical ranking pattern, you can expect to see one of two patterns:

1.) The profile doesn’t rank in huge sections of the grid, which indicates that the profile has largely been filtered out.

2.) The profile doesn’t rank at random pins across the grid. (My colleague Colan Nielson wrote about troubleshooting the local filter with geogrids back in 2023. He described this pattern as looking like Swiss cheese.)

In either case, you can click the pins where your profile isn’t ranking to identify which businesses do. Then you can inspect those profiles to figure out how you might be able to solve the problem.

Note: When a profile doesn't rank over much of the grid (pattern #1), it isn’t necessarily a filtering issue. a.) It’s possible that the profile just ranks badly for the keyword. (i.e. a relevance issue)

b.) Or, the profile might rank badly over the area because the grid is way too big. You can check this by running a similar scan for a nearby competitor who ranks well. If other businesses rank poorly over a similarly sized area, your grid is too big. In this case, you will likely observe the "typical" ranking pattern, just in a very small part of the grid, as shown below. (Also, repeating the scan on a much smaller area should help you figure out if the grid size is the problem.)

 

[Stefan Somborac]

Use A Geogrid to Locate Where an SAB Ranks​

We know the service area doesn’t impact where a profile ranks, yet when you search for something like “plumber near me” the search results are likely to include some SABs that service your area. Google has some location awareness for SABs.

If this "location" isn’t managed by the selected service areas, SABs clearly have a location stored somewhere in Google’s databases.

SABs don’t show an address, but they have an address.

Google “locates” SABs at their verification address. And sometimes that stored location gets changed or lost, especially after a suspended profile gets reinstated. If the geogrid rankings for your SAB tank, the stored location may have changed.

This used to be really common. Usually, you’d find the SAB ranking in Independence, Kansas.

Today, these cases aren’t that common, but they do occur. In my experience, when an SAB profile isn’t ranking where you expect it to, it’s often just 25 or 50 miles away.

• Scan a large grid and look for the spot where the profile ranks best to ballpark the stored location
• Then, run a scan on a small grid centred on that location to narrow it down to the nearest intersection
• Use gs location changer to put yourself at that intersection and run a manual scan. It should show the SAB in the 3-pack
• Grab a screenshot of that and take it to Google support to show them how the profile is in the wrong location

Note: Google won't help with ranking issues, so avoid that word altogether. Describe your problem as a location issue, not rankings.

 

[Stefan Somborac]

Local Falcon as a Spam Fighting Tool​

Joy wrote a comprehensive post on how to report map span. It focuses on gathering proof and taking action. For the very first step—finding potential spam—a geogrid tool is great. Simply click a pin to see which profiles are ranking at that location.

• See a spammy name?
• A new competitor that wasn't there a few months ago?
• A business that doesn't actually exist at the address on the profile?

Geogrids bring the top-ranking spam into easy view.