The Local SEO Heatmap tool helps you track organic visibility for local searches. It shows where a business appears in the Google Map Pack for its target geographic locations and allows you to analyze rankings across specific areas.
You can sign up to get your Google Business Profile listed with Google at the following link: https://business.google.com/us/business-profile/
▶️ Creating a Local SEO Heatmap
▶️ Creating a Local SEO Heatmap
To create a new heatmap:
✅ Navigate to GBP Galactic → Local SEO Heatmap
✅ Define your search area — city, county, or neighborhood
✅ Choose grid type — Circle or Rectangle (Circles are most common)
✅ Select the business to track — use Business Name, Place ID, or Business URL
✅ Click + Save to add it to your dashboard
✅ Add keywords — enter them separated by commas
📎 Configure settings:
Shape & Radius: Circle or Rectangle, radius 1–100 miles
Layers/Pins: Larger service areas need more pins
Center Pin: Move to reorient the report (useful for Service Area Businesses)
Omitting Pins: Click a pin until it turns red to exclude that location
📎 Set refresh cadence & time:
Choose daily, weekly, monthly, or once
Always schedule during business hours (rankings vary by open/closed status)
For demos, use Once
Example: Circle, 3 layers, 5 miles, monthly refresh at 9 AM
▶️ Using the Heatmap
▶️ Using the Heatmap
View rankings by pin: Click a pin to see results for that location
Competitor comparisons: Compare your pins against competitor visibility
Date comparisons: Compare current scans with past scans
Grid adjustments: Center pin resets to GBP address after refreshes; move it manually if needed
▶️ SOP: Accurate Comparison of Local SEO Rankings
▶️ SOP: Accurate Comparison of Local SEO Rankings
To ensure reliable comparisons over time, follow this SOP:
Pre-Setup Validation
Confirm business location (exact city/neighborhood/ZIP, not generic city/state)
Verify keyword lists are identical across comparisons
Ranking Report Configuration
Use consistent radius and grid spacing (e.g., always 5 miles)
Align timing with business hours
Adjust for time zone differences
Comparing Data Over Time
Compare only reports with identical settings
Always use the business’s local time zone
Validate Location Accuracy
Simulate searches from the business’s exact service area
Documentation & Standardization
Keep a log for each client/project with:
• Location & time zone
• Keywords tracked
• Radius & spacing
• Report schedule
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Changing radius or spacing → inconsistent data
Running outside business hours → skewed results
Comparing national vs. local rankings → invalid
Assuming rankings are uniform across an entire city
❓ Local SEO Heatmaps FAQs
❓ Local SEO Heatmaps FAQs
How can I optimize keyword tracking and quota usage?
Quota depends on keywords, frequency, and platform (desktop, mobile, or both). To optimize:
Track on one platform only
Reduce refresh frequency to weekly
Limit keywords per project
How does quota handling work?
Each pin = one quota point. A scan consumes quota equal to the number of pins.
How many pins does each heatmap use?
Circle: 1 layer = 7, 2 = 20, 3 = 39, 4 = 64, 5 = 95, 6 = 132, 7 = 175
Rectangle: 3×3 = 9, 4×4 = 16, 5×5 = 25, 6×6 = 36, 7×7 = 49
Example: 3-layer circle (61 pins) with weekly crawls = 244 credits/month
How can I confirm ranking accuracy?
Click the Lat/Long coordinates in blue to verify manually.
How does Search Atlas get ranking data?
For each pin, Search Atlas scrapes GBP and analyzes the top 20 results.
How are rankings beyond position 20 handled?
Any keyword beyond position 20 is recorded as position 21.
Can I share a heatmap?
Yes:
Share → Public URL or iFrame embed
Export → Download as PDF
Why are results different from other tools?
Different tools use different scraping methods and refresh cycles.
Why hasn’t my updated GBP business name synced?
GBP names sync weekly.
Why do Search Atlas rankings differ from another tool?
Differences come from crawling frequency, indexing logic, and timing.
📊 Local SEO Heatmaps Glossary
📊 Local SEO Heatmaps Glossary
Heatmap Keywords: Number of keywords configured for tracking. If 0, add keywords via View.
View (Heatmap): Opens the heatmap for a selected business. Add keywords, set crawl frequency, and define radius.
Delete a Business: Remove via the three-dot menu → Delete.
Average Ranking Position: Overview of visibility based on rankings. Green = strong; Red = weak.
Heatmap Radius: Size of the map in miles, measured from center to edge.
Crawl Frequency: How often scans refresh (once, daily, weekly, monthly).
Crawl Time: Time of day the scan runs.
Keywords: List of tracked terms, refreshed based on settings.
Last Scan / Settings: Shows last refresh date and applied settings.
💡 Pro Tip
Regularly align your scan settings with business hours and maintain a client log to ensure consistent, reliable comparisons.