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Local SEO checker: are you on the map where customers look?
Check whether your business shows up on Google Maps for what you do in your town, and whether your listing is in good shape. Free, with no sign-up.
Local Search Snapshot
What this tool does and doesn’t do
- Reads one map search, “what you do in your town”, through BOOSTD’s licensed data service. It never scrapes Google.
- Shows a snapshot from one point in the town. Customers in other neighbourhoods may see a different order.
- Doesn’t change your Business Profile or ask you to log in.
- Doesn’t keep what you type. Each check is counted, not stored.
Sound familiar?
Why businesses go missing from the map
- You search for your own service and see only competitors
- Often your main category on Google doesn’t match the words customers use, so Google doesn’t connect your listing to the search at all.
- Your listing shows up for your name but not for what you do
- Google knows you exist but not what you are best at. A complete profile, services listed in plain words and recent reviews help it match you.
- You appear in one part of town but not another
- Distance is one of the three things Google weighs, alongside relevance and prominence. You can’t move your address, but you can strengthen the other two.
How it works
What the snapshot checks
The search
It builds the search a customer would make, such as “dentist in Hamilton”, from what you typed.
You get: The exact search it checked
The map results
It reads the map results for that search from one point in your town, through a licensed data service.
You get: Where you appear, if at all
Your listing
If it finds your profile, it runs a few quick checks on the things that most often hold a listing back.
You get: A short list of what looks good and what to fix
Quick wins
Five things to check on your listing today
- Your main category is the single best description of what you do.
- Your business name, address and phone number match your website exactly.
- Your opening hours are right, including holidays.
- You have reviews from the last few months, and you have replied to them.
- Your services are listed in the words customers use, not trade jargon.
Questions
Google Maps listing questions
Why is my business not showing on Google Maps?
The usual reasons are a missing or unverified Business Profile, a main category that does not match what people search for, or a business name, address and phone number that differ across the web. Distance matters too: Google favours businesses close to the searcher.
Why is my position different when I search on my phone?
Map results change with where the searcher is standing, what they searched before and the time of day. This snapshot looks from one point in your town, so treat it as a guide, not a fixed rank.
Will this change my Google Business Profile?
No. It only reads public map results through a licensed data service. Nothing is changed, and you don’t log in to anything.
Why does it say it isn’t connected?
The snapshot only shows real map data. If that connection is switched off, it tells you so and points you to the free checkup, rather than showing a position it made up.
References
Sources for local SEO checker
The official documents and research this page is based on. Platform rules change, so check the source before you act on a detail.
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Check your website as well
Your map listing and your website work together. The free checkup shows what on your site is holding you back, in about a minute.