The short answer
A geo-grid is a rank check run from a grid of points across your service area instead of from one spot, showing where your business appears in the map results at each point. Because Google weighs distance, the same company can sit near the top close to its shop and be missing on the far side of town, and a geo-grid makes that visible.
Why a single ranking misleads
Google says local results are based on relevance, distance, and popularity, and defines distance this way: "Distance refers to how far each business is from the customer who’s searching." Two homeowners searching for the same service from different streets are, in effect, running different searches.
A single "we rank third" report picks one point and hides the rest. An owner can be told things are fine while whole neighborhoods, possibly where the best jobs are, never see the company.
What a geo-grid shows
Each point on the grid records the position the business holds when the search is run from that location. Laid on a map, the points show where you are strong, where you fade, and where a competitor owns the area. That tells an owner whether the gap is a profile problem, a reviews problem, or simply distance from the shop.
It is a diagnostic, not a promise. Rankings move, so the useful part is the comparison between one run and the next.
How we use the grid
Our Local SEO scope includes a geo-grid baseline and monthly rank tracking, described on the geo-grid rank tracking page. The results show up in the map pack, and the grid is drawn around the area you list as a service area business. Start with the free 100-point audit, or see the full glossary.
Questions about geo-grid
How often should a geo-grid be rerun?
- Often enough to see change but not so often that normal movement looks like a trend. We pair a geo-grid baseline with monthly rank tracking, so each month's map is compared with the last one and with the starting point.
Is a geo-grid the same as a rank tracker?
- A standard rank tracker checks one location, usually a city center. A geo-grid runs the same search from many points, so it shows how position changes with distance. It answers a different question: where in your service area customers can actually find you.