How to Track Local Rankings with Sparkforge SEO Heatmaps

Local rankings vary block by block. Sparkforge Local SEO heatmaps plot where your business shows up for a keyword across a grid or radius around your location, so you can see exactly where you dominate and where you disappear. This is a paid upgrade through Search Atlas SEO.

What a local SEO heatmap is

The heatmap is an interactive grid that answers the question: if someone searches for [keyword] near point X, where does my business rank? Pins display ranks 1 to 20 (or 21+) at each location with color coding for easy reading.

• Pins / Grid: 7x7 grid or concentric circles around your business address.
• Rank Numbers: color-coded position 1-20 at each pin.
• Average Rank: overall score across every pin for that keyword.
• Competitor Overlay: optional layer showing how a rival ranks in the same grid.
• Multiple Keywords: separate heatmaps per business, one per keyword.

How to set up a Local SEO project

1. Connect Google Business Profile. Under SEO Settings, link your Google account and grant access to your GBP.
2. Add a new local business. Go to Sites > SEO > Local SEO, click Create New, and pick your business from the list (search by exact GBP name).
3. Configure the project. Name it, then Sparkforge displays the business with columns for Average Rank, # of Keywords, and Google Rating.
4. Add keywords to track. Open the business, add target keywords one at a time, and the system runs the first heatmap pass.
5. Set grid size and radius. Pick the geography you care about — a tight 7-pin radius for a single neighborhood or a wider grid for a service area.

Reading the heatmap

Green pins = top-3 rankings. Yellow = positions 4-10. Red = 11+ or off the map. The Average Rank summary tells you where the business stands across the whole grid for that keyword.

Competitor comparison

Overlay a competitor on the same heatmap to see where they outrank you. Use this to prioritize content, citations, and service-area pages where the gap is widest.

Credit usage

Each heatmap scan consumes points from your Local SEO credit pool. Run scans on schedule (weekly or biweekly) rather than ad-hoc to avoid burning credits on the same data twice.

Local SEO best practices

• Keep GBP info, hours, and categories accurate — heatmaps lag if your listing data is wrong.
• Build citations on industry-specific directories, not just generic ones.
• Earn reviews on a schedule; review velocity and rating both move local rank.
• Run separate heatmaps for each high-value service keyword, not just your category.