Local rank tracker with a Google Maps geo-grid
A local rank tracker shows where a business ranks on Google Maps from points around it. OpenGMB scans a grid from 3x3 to 13x13, shows your rank at every point and the competitors that show up, and repeats the scan every day, week or month. Until DataForSEO is connected, heatmaps are labeled sample data.
Last updated 2026-10-23
How does geo-grid rank tracking work in OpenGMB?
Three steps, from a location to a heatmap you can read.
Set up a tracker
Pick a location and up to 5 keywords. Choose a grid size from 3x3 to 13x13 and a radius from 100 m to 50 km, measured from the center to the edge. A 7x7 grid is the default.
See the cost before it runs
A cost preview shows what a scan will cost, what you have spent this month and what is left in your budget. Owners, admins and managers see it. Clients never see cost.
Run it now or on a schedule
Scan on demand, or set a tracker to run daily, weekly or monthly. Every scan is kept in a history, so you can compare it with the one before.
Until DataForSEO is connected, heatmaps carry a "Sample data" badge. Setup, costs and schedules work the same either way.
What does each scan show?
Every point on the grid gets a rank from 1 to 20, colored on a heatmap. Three numbers summarize the whole grid.
Average rank is the mean rank across the grid. A point where the business is not in the top 20 counts as 21, so a gap pulls the average down.
Top 3 share is the share of points where the business ranks 1, 2 or 3.
Found share is the share of points where the business shows up at all.
The same ranks are available as a table, with north at the top, for anyone who prefers numbers to colors.
Which competitors show up most?
A table lists the top 25 businesses seen across the grid, and your own business is marked in it.
For each business you see its address, its rating and review count, how many points it appears at, its average rank and its best rank.
It is the quickest way to tell who owns the area you want.
Can I scan a prospect?
Yes. A quick scan checks one keyword for one business you do not manage.
Paste the business's Google place id, pick a keyword and a grid, and run it once. Business search is not available on this server, so the id is pasted.
A quick scan uses the same budget and the same prices as a tracker. It never repeats on a schedule.
Built in: what keeps rank tracking honest and affordable?
A budget caps the spend, and sample data is always labeled as sample data.
Spending stays inside a budget
Each account has a monthly scan budget of $25 by default. An owner or admin can change it. A scan that would go past the budget is refused before it starts.
If you bring your own DataForSEO key, scans on it are billed by DataForSEO at cost, with no markup, and they do not count against the budget.
Labeled sample data
Until DataForSEO is connected, rank data is sample data. Every heatmap says so with a "Sample data" badge, so nobody mistakes a sample for a real rank. The DataForSEO sandbox returns made-up data too, and it is labeled the same way.
Once DataForSEO is connected, ranks come from DataForSEO Google Maps and the badge goes away.
A separate, free relevance check exists too. It is not Google Maps rank, and it is labeled that way wherever it shows.
Who uses a local rank tracker: owners and agencies
Local business owner
A plumber wants to know whether the company shows up for "emergency plumber" across the whole service area, or only near the shop. A 9x9 grid answers that in one heatmap.
Run it monthly and compare. A rank change shows up as a color shift on the map.
Agency managing several clients
Scan a prospect before the pitch with a quick scan, then track the clients you win. The heatmap makes a clear page in a monthly report.
Clients see ranks and competitors. They never see what a scan costs.
Comparing tools? See OpenGMB as a Local Falcon alternative.
Which credits does rank tracking use?
As of 2026-10-24, OpenGMB costs $10 a month per account. The $10 is usage credit, and only AI drafts and rank scans use it.
Details are on pricing.
Guides and related features
Related features
- Profile managementEdit hours, categories and services, and see a 23-check health score.
- Performance and reportsCalls, directions and website clicks, with 18 months of history.
- Client portalClients approve work and see results under your brand.
Questions about local rank tracking
What is a geo-grid rank tracker?
It checks where a business ranks on Google Maps from many points around it, not just one. The result is a grid of ranks on a map. OpenGMB grids run from 3x3 to 13x13, so one scan covers 9 to 169 points.
Is the rank data live?
It is once DataForSEO is connected, and then ranks come from DataForSEO Google Maps. Until then every heatmap is labeled sample data, so a sample is never passed off as a real rank.
How much does a scan cost?
Points times keywords times the data source's price per point, plus 28%. A 7x7 grid for 1 keyword: 49 points, about $0.0377. Opening results and setting up trackers is free.
Can my clients see what a scan costs?
No. Only owners, admins and managers see cost. Clients see ranks and competitors.
Set up your first rank tracker.
$0.50 free credit, no card. Sample data is labeled until DataForSEO is connected.