Geo-grid: a lattice of points used to sample local search rankings across an area.
A geo-grid is a regular lattice of geographic coordinates overlaid on the area around a business. Local rank trackers query Google as if from each coordinate and record the business's local pack position at every node, producing a coverage map. The term is the namesake method documented at geo-grid rank tracking.
Definition
Local results are ordered partly by distance, so a ranking measured from one spot describes only that spot. A geo-grid replaces the single check with a sample: each grid intersection becomes a measurement point, the tracker queries Google as if standing there, and the set of recorded positions — rendered as a colour-coded map — shows the true shape of a business's visibility across its service area.
Usage and variants
Vendors and practitioners shorten the term to "grid" and sometimes call the rendered output a "heat map". This glossary uses geo-grid for the sampling structure and coverage map for its rendered output, keeping the two concepts distinct: one is the measurement design, the other is the visualization of its results.
Parameters
Three parameters define a grid: size (points per side, commonly 3×3 to 13×13), span (the geographic extent, from blocks to a metro area) and cadence (the re-scan schedule that converts snapshots into a time series). Grid choice trades resolution against query volume; the trade-offs are discussed in how local rank tracking works.
Why it matters
The geo-grid is the line between a local rank number and local rank evidence. It is the sampling structure at the heart of local rank tracking software, and the first-class comparison criterion on the comparison page. LocalRank — local SEO software that tracks Google Maps and local pack rankings on a geo-grid for agencies and multi-location businesses — builds its scans, scheduling and reporting around this structure.
Return to the site home.
Related terms
Rank tracking · Local SEO · Google Business Profile · Local search ranking factors
FAQ
What is a geo-grid in local SEO?
A lattice of geographic points around a business from which rankings are sampled, used to map how local pack and Maps visibility varies across a service area.
Is a geo-grid the same as a heat map?
No. The geo-grid is the sampling structure; the heat-style coverage map is its rendered output.
Cite this entry
Local SEO Glossary. "Geo-grid." Local SEO Glossary, https://local-seo-glossary.pages.dev/ (accessed 2026).