## **📋 Overview**

Search Atlas allows you to monitor how your business stacks up against local competitors — not just search engines. This guide explains how to configure competitor tracking for local SEO and build reports that surface actionable insights for your market.

## **🏁 Before You Begin**

Make sure you have the following ready before setting up local competitor tracking:

- At least one active Local project set up in Search Atlas
- The business names or Google Business Profile names of your local competitors
- A clear idea of the geographic area and keywords you want to track

## **📍 Step 1: Access Your Local Projects**

Navigate to your local setup by going to **Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects**. This opens your GBP Projects dashboard at **/gbp-galactic/gbp-projects**. Select the project that corresponds to the business location you want to track competitors for. If you have not yet created a project for this location, set one up before continuing.

## **🔍 Step 2: Identify the Right Local Competitors**

Effective local competitor tracking starts with choosing the right businesses to monitor. Follow these guidelines when selecting competitors:

- **Focus on geographic relevance:** Choose businesses that serve the same city, neighbourhood, or service area as your client.
- **Match business category:** Select competitors in the same primary category on Google Business Profile.
- **Check local rankings:** Use **Left sidebar → Local → Local SERPs (Local Search Engine Results Page)** to run keyword searches and see which local businesses appear in the top results for your target terms.
- **Aim for 3–5 competitors:** This gives you a focused, manageable comparison set without diluting your reporting.

## **🛠️ Step 3: Add Competitors to Your Report Builder**

Once you have identified your competitors, add them to your reporting setup:

1. Open the **Report Builder** from your dashboard.
2. Locate the **Competitors** field or section within the report configuration panel.
3. Remove any pre-populated search engine entries if your goal is local competitor comparison rather than organic search engine benchmarking.
4. Enter the business names or URLs of your chosen local competitors. Use the exact name as it appears on their Google Business Profile for the most accurate matching.
5. Save your competitor selections before moving to the next step.

**Important:** The Report Builder distinguishes between search engine competitors (used for organic ranking comparisons) and local business competitors (used for GBP and local visibility comparisons). Make sure you are editing the correct competitor field for local reporting.

## **📊 Step 4: Build Meaningful Local Competitive Reports**

With your competitors configured, build reports that tell a clear story about your local competitive position. Include the following data points for the most actionable insights:

- **Local keyword rankings:** Compare how you and each competitor rank for your target local search terms. Pull this data from **Left sidebar → Local → Local SERPs (Local Search Engine Results Page)**.
- **Review volume and rating:** Track the number of reviews and average star rating for each competitor via **Left sidebar → Local → Reviews (GBP Reviews)**.
- **Citation consistency:** Use **Left sidebar → Local → Local Citations** to compare how well your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data is distributed versus competitors.
- **Post activity:** Check **Left sidebar → Local → Posts** to see how frequently competitors publish GBP content compared to your own cadence.
- **Media presence:** Use **Left sidebar → Local → Media Library** to assess photo and media activity on your profile relative to competitors.

## **📅 Step 5: Schedule and Share Your Competitive Reports**

To turn competitor data into an ongoing reporting workflow:

1. Set your report to run on a **monthly or weekly cadence** so you can spot trends over time.
2. Add a **competitive summary section** to your report that highlights wins (areas where you outperform competitors) and gaps (areas needing improvement).
3. Share reports with stakeholders using the Report Builder's export or sharing options.

## **💡 Best Practices for Local Competitive Reporting**

- Revisit your competitor list every quarter — local markets change, and new businesses may enter your client's space.
- Pair competitor ranking data with your own task list from **Left sidebar → Local → My Tasks** to prioritise actions that close competitive gaps.
- Use the **Overview** page (**Left sidebar → GBP Projects → Overview**) as your starting point each reporting cycle to get a high-level snapshot before diving into competitive details.
- Document baseline metrics when you first set up tracking so you can show progress over time.

## **🆘 Need Help?**

If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.