🔍 Overview
If you have noticed that your Local Heatmap produces different ranking scores when you run the same scan twice, or when you change the capitalisation of a keyword (for example, car repair vs. Car Repair), you are not alone. This article explains the known causes behind these inconsistencies, what our team is doing about them, and how to get the most reliable results in the meantime.
⚠️ Known Issues Currently Affecting the Heatmap
Our engineering team has identified and is actively addressing several bugs that can cause the behaviour you may be experiencing. Here is a plain-language summary of each one:
- Keyword case sensitivity: Searching for car repair and Car Repair were previously treated as two different keywords, which could return different ranking scores for the same business and location. A fix has been deployed to normalise all keywords to lowercase before they are submitted, so results should now be consistent regardless of how you capitalise your search term.
- Rankings that depend on system location: When using a pinned grid, ranking results could vary based on the server's detected location rather than the grid coordinates you set. This fix has also been deployed.
- Blank map or missing scan data: In some cases the heatmap displayed a blank map or failed to distinguish between a genuine ranking of 20+ (meaning your business was not found in the top 20 results) and a grid point where no scan data existed at all. Work is underway to make these two states clearly separate so you can trust what you see.
- Display label errors: A small number of copy and label errors on the heatmap interface have been confirmed and are scheduled for correction in an upcoming release.
📊 Why Results Can Still Vary Between Back-to-Back Runs
Even with the above fixes in place, some variation between scans is expected and is not a sign that the tool is broken. The following factors are outside our control and can cause natural fluctuation:
- Google's live index: Google updates local rankings in real time. A business's position can shift by one or two places within minutes based on review activity, proximity signals, or algorithm adjustments.
- Grid point resolution: Each pin on the heatmap represents a geographic coordinate. Slight differences in how Google interprets proximity at that exact coordinate can produce minor ranking changes between runs.
- Data freshness: If you run two scans very close together, one scan may pull fresher Google data than the other, leading to small differences in the results displayed.
A difference of one or two ranking positions between scans is considered normal. Large, unexplained swings in the same session on the same keyword are more likely related to the bugs listed above, which are being resolved.
✅ Best Practices for Reliable Heatmap Results
While remaining fixes are rolled out, the following steps will help you get the most accurate and consistent data from the Local Heatmap:
- Use lowercase keywords consistently. Although the platform now normalises casing automatically, entering keywords in lowercase (for example, car repair rather than Car Repair) ensures you are comparing like-for-like scans in your history.
- Wait at least 24 hours between comparison scans. Running scans back-to-back within minutes amplifies natural Google fluctuation. Daily or weekly comparisons give a more meaningful picture of ranking trends.
- Check for blank or greyed-out pins. If you see pins that appear empty or show no ranking number, this may reflect the known blank-map issue rather than a genuine absence of ranking data. Note these points and recheck them after the next platform update.
- Use the same grid size and radius settings each time you scan a keyword. Changing the grid configuration between runs will produce results that are not directly comparable.
🛠️ Current Fix Status
Here is a quick summary of where each known issue stands:
- Keyword case normalisation — Fixed and deployed.
- System-location dependency on pinned grids — Fixed and deployed.
- Blank map and no-data vs. 20+ ranking distinction — In progress.
- Heatmap display label corrections — Scheduled for an upcoming release.
We will update this article as each remaining fix is released.
💬 Still Seeing Unexpected Results?
If you have followed the best practices above and are still experiencing large ranking swings, blank maps, or results that do not make sense, our support team is ready to investigate your specific project. 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.