FundamentalsBy the Local SEO Heatmap teamPublished 5 min read
Geo-grid rank tracking, explained
What a grid scan is, how pins are searched, and how to read the colours.
A geo-grid scan places a grid of points over a map, runs your keyword on Google Maps from each point, and records where your business appears in the results at that point.
How a pin is searched
Each pin is a latitude and longitude. The search is executed as if a user stood at that coordinate. The ranked list at that pin is stored in full, so you can open any pin later and see every business that appeared.
Reading the colours
- Dark green: rank 1
- Green: rank 2 to 3, inside the map pack
- Amber: rank 4 to 10, visible on 'more places'
- Orange: rank 11 to 20
- Red: not found in the top 20
Frequently asked questions
What is geo-grid rank tracking?
It is a way of measuring local search visibility by searching the same keyword from a grid of coordinates around a business and plotting the rank at each point as a coloured heatmap.
What do the heatmap colours mean?
Dark green is rank 1, green is rank 2 to 3 (the map pack), amber is 4 to 10, orange is 11 to 20 and red means the business was not found in the top 20.
How is a grid different from checking Google yourself?
Searching from your office shows one location and is affected by your own history. A grid searches from many fixed coordinates, so results are comparable across scans.