How is the real-world search location determined in a Local Search Rank Tracker report?

The rankings in a Local Search Rank Tracker (AKA Rank Tracker) report are determined using a single point on a map which we call a 'search location', and which is based on the city, town or zipcode you entered in the report setup.

The report emulates a real-world search from that point on the map. We don't, for example, calculate an average based on your business's ranking positions for the whole city.

What determines the real-world search location?

When a searcher types a city name or zipcode into Google Maps, Google will show that area and place a pin at the point it considers to be the center of that area. This is sometimes referred to as the 'centroid'.

This is the search location we use when running Rank Tracker reports.

For example, in the image below, Google has determined the central point for San Diego and placed the red pin there. Therefore, when a Rank Tracker report is run for a business where the search location has been input as 'San Diego', the rankings they’d see in their report would be based on results found at this point on the map.