What is a geo-grid rank check?

What a geo-grid shows

A geo-grid rank check records where your business ranks in the local map pack or Google Maps for one keyword, searched from a grid of points around your location. Instead of a single rank, you get a map of ranks, one for each point.

This matters because local results depend on where the searcher is. Distance is one of the three factors Google names for local ranking, so someone two streets away can see a different list from someone across town. A single check from your office only tells you how you rank at your office.

Geo-grids are a practitioner technique, not a Google report. Tools simulate a search from each point's coordinates, which approximates, but does not exactly reproduce, what a real person standing there would see.

How to read the results

• Strong near the business and weaker toward the edges is normal. Distance works against you as the points move away.
• A weak patch in one direction is worth investigating. It can reflect a cluster of strong competitors on that side, or, for a service-area business, an area your profile and website say little about.
• Weak ranks even close to the business usually point to relevance or prominence: the wrong primary category, a thin profile, or fewer reviews than nearby competitors.
• Compare keywords. Ranking well for your brand name but poorly for your main service is common, and it shows where to focus.

Choosing grid size and spacing

Match the grid to your real service area. A grid that stretches far beyond where you take customers shows weak edges that do not matter, while one that is too tight hides problems in the neighborhoods you care about.

• A shop or restaurant that draws customers from nearby can use tight spacing, so each point covers a short distance.
• A service-area business that travels to customers needs a wider grid that covers the towns it actually serves.
• Keep the same center, size, spacing and keyword between checks, or the results will not be comparable.

More points give a finer picture but cost more to run. A modest grid checked regularly is usually more useful than a large one checked once.

Treat it as a trend, not a verdict

Local rankings move. Results can differ by device, by time of day, by the searcher's history and settings, and as Google tests changes. Any single grid is a snapshot with some noise in it.

• Run the same grid on a regular schedule and compare like with like.
• Look for a consistent direction over several checks, not a jump at one point.
• Log profile changes, review requests and website updates so you can line them up against shifts in the grid.