How local grid scans work

See exactly where your business ranks on Google Maps across your whole service area — not one number, but a colour-coded map of your real position at every point.

Your Google Maps ranking isn’t a single number — it changes depending on where the searcher is standing. You might sit in the top three a street away from your shop and vanish off the map two miles out. A local grid scan measures exactly that: it checks your rank from a grid of points spread across your area and draws the result as a colour-coded map, so you can see your true visibility at a glance.

What a grid scan actually does

We take a keyword — say “emergency plumber” — and a grid of map points around your business. From each point, we ask Google where you rank in the local results for that keyword, then plot every point on a map. Green pins are strong positions, amber is middling, red is where you don’t show. One scan turns a vague “are we ranking?” into a picture of your real coverage.

How to run one

Add your business. Search for it and confirm the Google listing — no Google connection is needed for rank scans.
Open Local grid scans from the sidebar of that location.
Enter a keyword your customers actually search — the phrase, not your business name.
Pick a grid size: 3×3 for a quick look, 5×5 for a fuller picture, or 7×7 for the widest coverage.
Run the scan. In under a minute you get a colour-coded map and your average position.

Reading the map

Green — top of the local pack. You’re winning searches from here.
Amber — on the map but not the top few. Reachable with a push.
Red — you don’t appear here. This is where the opportunity is.

The pattern matters more than any single pin. Green near your address fading to red at the edges is normal — the question is how far your green reaches, and whether a competitor owns the areas you don’t.

Choosing a grid size and keywords

Start with a 5×5 on your main keyword to see your core coverage, then widen to 7×7 if you serve a large area or want to see how far your reach really goes. Run the same keywords each time so scans compare like for like, and scan the two or three phrases that actually bring you customers rather than a long list — a focused set you track monthly beats a scatter of one-off checks.

Tracking rankings over time

Every scan is saved, so you can compare month over month and see whether your green area is growing. Local rankings move slowly, so monthly is enough for most businesses — run a scan, do the work (posts, reviews, citations), and scan again next month to see it pay off. You can also save a scan as a shareable report to show a client exactly where they stand.

Do I need to connect Google?

No. Grid scans read public Google results, so they work the moment you add a business — no Business Profile connection required. Connecting Google adds performance data, review replies and posting on top, but your rank map doesn’t depend on it.