What is LocalSEO Grid? LocalSEO Grid is a live ranking scanner that creates a geographic grid of points across your service area and simultaneously checks how your business and competitors rank at each location for your target keywords. It helps you understand local SEO performance and identify geographic gaps or strong competitive areas.

Key Features:

• Geo Grid Creation: Define a geographic area with center coordinates, grid spacing, and dimensions (rows × columns)

• Live SERP Results: Real-time ranking data pulled directly from search engine results for your target keyword

• Competitor Tracking: See how your business and competitors rank at each point on the grid

• Heatmap Visualization: Colored grid overlay shows ranking strength - green for top 3, lime for top 10, amber for top 20, orange for outside top 20

• Scheduled Scans: Set up daily, weekly, or monthly automatic scans to track ranking trends over time

• Credits-Based Pricing: Pay only for what you scan; credits are deducted per point scanned

Getting Started:

Step 1: Create a Grid

- Click "Create New Grid" in the LocalSEO Grid dashboard

- Enter a descriptive grid name (e.g., "Downtown Service Area")

- Set the center coordinates (latitude/longitude) of your service area

- Choose grid spacing in meters (default 500m)

- Set rows and columns (e.g., 5×5 = 25 points)

- Enter your target keyword (e.g., "pizza near me")

- Click "Create Grid" to save

Step 2: Review Your Grid

- Your new grid appears in the Grids list

- The grid map shows the points you'll scan colored by availability

- Green points are active and will be scanned

- Gray points are deactivated (to save credits, you can exclude them)

Step 3: Run a Scan

- Click the "Run" button next to your grid

- The scan begins immediately; watch the status indicator

- Credits are deducted in real-time as each point is scanned

- Scan status shows: Pending → Running → Complete

Step 4: Review Results

- Once complete, results display in a heatmap visualization

- Each colored square shows the rank and competitor name

- Hover over a square to see full competitor details

- View the results table for detailed ranking data at each point

Grid Configuration Tips:

- Spacing: Smaller spacing (250m) = more granular data but higher cost; larger spacing (1000m+) = faster scans, lower cost

- Grid Size: 5×5 grids (25 points) are good for testing; scale up to 10×10 or larger for comprehensive coverage

- Keyword Selection: Use location-specific keywords (e.g., "best pizza in downtown") for best results

- Deactivate Points: If you have more grids than needed, deactivate individual points to save credits

Credit Management:

Current Balance: The Credits card on the dashboard shows your current balance.

Recent Ledger: View your last 50 transactions including scan debits and credit purchases.

Buy Credits: Choose from preset packs (Starter 100, Growth 500, Scale 1000) or enter a custom amount.

Pricing: Credits are priced per unit; exact pricing varies by market and pricing tier. See the Credits card for current rates in USD and ZAR.

Checkout: Select credits and click "Checkout with Paystack" to pay securely. Receipts are emailed by Paystack; credits are added to your account immediately upon payment confirmation.

Scheduled Scans:

- Manual Scans: Run a scan immediately by clicking "Run"

- Recurring Scans: Set a frequency (Daily, Weekly, Monthly) and optional start date

- Automatic Execution: Scheduled scans run at the configured frequency; credits are deducted automatically

- Edit Schedules: Pause, resume, or delete schedules anytime from the Grid settings

Understanding Results:

Heatmap Colors:

- 🟢 Green: Rank #1–3 (strong positioning)

- 🟩 Lime: Rank #4–10 (solid presence)

- 🟨 Amber: Rank #11–20 (visible but not top)

- 🟧 Orange: Rank #21+ or no result (needs work)

Competitor Names: Hover over any square to see the top-ranking competitor at that location. Helps you identify who to watch.

Point-Level Data: The results table shows exact ranking, competitor name, and keyword for every point scanned.

Best Practices:

- Regular Scans: Schedule weekly or bi-weekly scans to track ranking trends over time

- Multiple Grids: Create overlapping grids at different scales to understand local performance nuances

- Keyword Variations: Test multiple keyword variations (e.g., "pizza," "pizzeria," "best pizza") to understand search behavior

- Budget Planning: Estimate costs: Small grid (25 points) ≈ 25 credits; Scale wisely based on your credit budget

- Competitor Tracking: Use heatmaps to identify areas where competitors dominate and prioritize local SEO efforts

Troubleshooting:

Insufficient Credits: The scan will not run if you lack credits. Buy credits from the Credits card before scanning.

No Results for a Point: "N/A" indicates no ranking data was returned for that location/keyword combo. Try a different keyword or area.

Slow Scan Performance: Very large grids (50×50+) may take several minutes. Check the scan status indicator.

Invalid Coordinates: Ensure latitude/longitude are valid (latitude: -90 to 90, longitude: -180 to 180).