Are there any Accurate Local Search Rank Checkers?
Yes SearchStation is the only one. You may want to know why.
why Local Search Rank Checkers are not really local at all
Because they are not located where you are. Makes sense right? But you won’t be able to cut through all the marketing that tries to conceal that fact.
Read more about how the marketing of local search checking says one thing and the reality is a a lot different.
Search engines provide search results depending on where you are located (your browser tells them where). Either you manually check local search results one-by-one (who needs an app for that?), or you use an inaccurate web-based service, or you get a search rank checker that is located right next to you.
SearchStation can be located where ever you want to put it.
If you are trying to be found in local search, you will sooner or later become aware of your search rank short-comings. There is always some keyword or phrase you would like to be found for.
The first step to any search optimization initiative is to determine where you do rank and who is the competition.
There are several services that provide so-called “local” search rank reporting. However, a closer look reveals that “Local” is whatever they call it in the fine print.
Most local search rank checkers provide local search results by using local keywords and proxy servers located in datacenters in or near (major) cities. Some of these services only go so far as to provide country-level accuracy.
You usually have to use a local keyword “qualifier” to get relevant results. That means you must augment the search term instead of using the actual search term your customer uses. That is not accurate, so why bother?
a look at the existing products and their limitations
Country Level Accuracy
- RankTracker (Link Assistant) see the list of servers at the link
- WebCEO no detail available
City Level Accuracy
(check if your cities are listed):
- AWR (Advanced Web Ranking) uses proxy servers by Trusted Proxies and appends location keywords to your search phrase “telling” search engines where the query “should be” located. But we know from Adwords that Google is aware of such not-really-local searches.
- GeoRanker “GeoRanker connects to servers from over 25000” servers
This level of local (major city) search rank reporting is probably just fine for big retailers, but they are inadequate for any business that competes with another business in the same city. Such business segments are often called “hyper-local” for this reason, such as automotive (car dealers), the flower delivery business, restaurants, pizza and coffee shops, etc.
Hyper Local Search Rank Accuracy is required when your competition is located 3 blocks away. Only SearchStation is capable of delivering the business intelligence the hyper-local business requires.