🔍 Overview
When you download an individual Local SEO Heatmap report from the Report Builder, you may notice that the business results comparison data columns or sections appear blank in the exported PDF. This article explains why this happens and the steps you can take to resolve it.
⚙️ Why Comparison Data Is Missing
Comparison data in a Local SEO Heatmap report requires at least two separate heatmap scans to exist for the same location and keyword. The report uses these scans to calculate the difference in rankings between two points in time. If comparison data is not populating in your downloaded PDF, one of the following is likely the cause:
- Only one heatmap scan has been completed for the selected location and keyword — there is no earlier scan to compare against.
- The date range selected in the report does not include two or more scans.
- The heatmap scan was recently added to the report and the second data point has not yet been generated.
- The individual report was built before a comparison scan was available, and the report configuration has not been refreshed.
🛠️ How to Fix the Issue
- Verify your heatmap scan history. Go to Left sidebar → GBP Projects → Overview and open the relevant GBP project. Confirm that there are at least two completed heatmap scans recorded for the location and keyword you are reporting on.
- Check your scan schedule. If you only have one scan, wait until the next scheduled scan completes. Scans run automatically based on the frequency you configured when setting up the project. You can review or adjust the scan frequency inside your GBP project settings.
- Review the date range in Report Builder. Navigate to Left sidebar → Reports and open the relevant report. Make sure the date range you have selected in the report configuration spans a period that includes two or more heatmap scans. Narrow date ranges may exclude the earlier scan needed for comparison.
- Rebuild or refresh the report. If the report was created before the second scan was available, the comparison data may not have been pulled in automatically. Open the report in Left sidebar → Reports, remove the Local SEO Heatmap widget, re-add it, and reconfigure the date range. Then download the PDF again.
- Re-download the PDF. After confirming that at least two scans exist and the date range covers both, download the report again from the Report Builder. The comparison columns should now populate correctly.
✅ Confirming the Fix
Once the steps above are complete, open the downloaded PDF and look for the comparison columns in the heatmap section. You should see before and after ranking values alongside the difference indicators. If the data still appears blank after following all the steps, the issue may require further investigation.
💡 Tips to Prevent This in the Future
- Allow at least one full scan cycle to complete before generating a comparison report for a new location or keyword.
- Set a consistent scan frequency — weekly or bi-weekly scans give you more data points and richer comparison reports over time.
- When building a new report in Report Builder, always confirm the date range includes multiple scan dates before downloading.
🙋 Still 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.