Since Local Falcon is a different way of visualizing ranking data, we know you have a lot of questions. Let's just start with the basics…
What does Local Falcon do? Local Falcon displays Google My Business rankings for listings that show up either in the Maps portion of the organic search, or from a search in the Google Maps Local Finder (i.e. Google Maps). It scans multiple points at varying distances from the target business and displays them at the same onto a Google Map. How to use the Local Falcon Map Scan tool (step-by-step guide + video) Using the Local Falcon Map Scan tool only takes a few steps. While there are multiple ways to perform a scan (Map Scan, Bulk Scanner, or via the API), we've outlined the basics in the steps and in the video, below: Don't forget you can also convert your favorite scans into "auto scans" so you can see how business ranking changes over time by using the popular "Trend Report". Here's a quick overview video, narrated by Yan Gilbert: Does the Rank Scanner work for all businesses? What localities does this Rank Scanner work in? How accurate is Local Falcon? We would not have released the tool if it was not providing accurate information. If you want more details, we created an article: comparing our scan to two other local rank trackers. What pricing plans are available? To provide as much flexibility to as many people as possible, there are four monthly packages, four enterprise packages, and a pay-as-you-go system. The details of the plans can be found here (when logged in): https://localfalcon.com/billing/purchase-credits The details are also available on the public pricing page here: https://www.localfalcon.com/pricing Credits in the monthly package plans expire at the end of the billing month, while individual credit purchases do not expire and will stay in your account until they are used. Do you have a yearly price instead of pay as you go? What payment processing do you accept? Why are the results sometimes different than when I check in my browser? If you have used your browser to perform a search, Google will remember that and personalize search results it further provides for you. Since we are pulling our data directly from "clean" Google searches, this raw data might be slightly different than a browser search. If you are performing a search on Google Maps, the zoom level of the map will be a factor as to what results are displayed as well. Since we need to set the zoom to a default level, it might be different than the zoom level you are looking at. Lastly, we want to stress that rankings are highly variable and dependent on many factors. These include variables such as has the IP address been used before to perform a similar search, are you logged in to Google or not, is the browser in incognito mode, are you using a mobile or desktop. There is no 'perfect' rank scan for local results, because everyone sees slightly different results in a real world scan. Local Falcon will provide for you a picture of the coverage area of a business for a specific keyword. This helps you compare your listing to competitors, and to see if your optimization tasks are improving the coverage area for specific keywords. Why are the results sometimes different than some other rank trackers? Can I scan my competitor's listings? My industry has a lot of hidden address businesses, can this tool still workl? Do you save the results of a scan that is performed? Can Local Falcon scan multi-location businesses at the same time? If I change the address of the business on Google Business Profile (GBP) will the scan still work? Do I have to always center the scan at my business location? Has Local Falcon been proven to work by others? We'd like to think it has, yes! We've been pretty well reviewed over the years. Here's an article we wrote highlighting Local Falcon's coverage in the news. What information do you collect about me while using the site? We will only ask for information that is necessary to be in compliance with the law. For example, we will need your address when upgrading your account to comply with tax regulations. All scan data is saved in your account for future reference and that information is kept on our servers. We are in compliance with GDPR and will not release any information about you or your account without your authorization or compelled to by law. How do I cancel my account? To cancel your subscription, please visit this page and use the 'cancel subscription' button: https://localfalcon.com/billing/purchase-credits Your existing monthly credits will be available for use until the end of your billing month. If you have any individual credits left in your account, those will not expire and will still be available to you after the end of your billing month. Note: By canceling your credit package, at the end of your billing month your payment method will remain on-file and your Local Falcon account will downgrade to "Pay As You Go" (with no recurring monthly credit package charges). This is done in order to accomodate any auto-scans you may have set up. In order to remove a payment method entirely, all packages must be in a state of cancelation or fully canceled. Do I need a Google API key for your system to work? What does ARP & ATRP mean? ARP = Average Rank Position The difference is that the ARP is an average of only the pins that actually have a result (position 20 or less). ATRP averages all the pins even when a business is not found (20+). This difference helps you compare if a business is ranking well across a wide area, or if they are ranking well in only a small area in the search grid. I have a Service Area Business (SAB) and the address is hidden, will Local Falcon still work? Yes. Local Falcon works with SABs. Most of the time our system will still be able to find the exact location of a listing. However, in those cases where our system is not finding a location, you can manually set a center point by navigating to the Locations tab and using the pencil edit icon to enter an address. The map doesn't have a grid when I choose a listing from my dropdown. Does Local Falcon have an API? Yes. Local Falcon offers two different types of API access, the details of which can be found here: https://localfalcon.com/local-search-api Can I share the results of a local ranking report? Yes! It's easy to share the results of your Local Falcon scans. Just tap the "share" button on the report page. Sharing is available on all report types and for all account types. No login is necessary to view the results of a scan, and the reporting URL is provided in a "white label" format so you don't have to let the recipient know what tool you used to perform the scan, either! What is Local Falcon's Suggested Keywords feature? Where can I find Suggested Keywords in Local Falcon? Do I have to connect a Google Business Profile account to use Local Falcon's Suggested Keywords feature? You must connect the Google Business Profile account you use to manage your business listing(s) if you want to receive suggested keywords based on actual search terms and their volume of impressions. You can run a Map Scan without a connected Google Business Profile, but you will only receive suggestions based on your business locations' current Google Business Profile categories. Can I run a Local Falcon Map Scan using multiple Suggested Keywords? What is the Map Scan Radius? The Map Scan Radius is a search area defined by the distance from your business that your Map Scan covers (in all directions), as well as the number of data points you are using within the search area. Changing these parameters allows you to see better, more detailed data on how your business ranks for different keywords at specific distances, so you can pinpoint exactly where your rankings for different keywords start to fall off. What's the best Grid Size for Map Scans? The larger the grid you select, the more data points your Map Scan uses, which means you get more detailed data and more accurate ARP and ATRP scores. In general, it's always better to use more data points, but each data point you use also adds to the cost of your Map Scan, which is why you may sometimes choose to use smaller grids, depending on your budget and the number of locations you want to run scans for. For example, Map Scans using 7 x 7 grids offer a good balance between detail of data and cost, which is why this is one of the most popular Grid Sizes among Local Falcon users, especially those running lots of scans for multiple locations. When should I disable certain data points in the Map Scan Radius Grid? Disable any data points over large bodies of water or other irrelevant areas, where people are not likely to be searching for your business on Google, to save credits on your Map Scan. Can I edit Reports I send to Looker Studio? What are Campaigns in Local Falcon? How should I group multiple business locations together for Campaigns? Can I edit a Campaign after I create it? Yes, you can edit the business locations and keywords, Campaign schedule, and Campaign Report notification email, as well as turn the Campaign on and off, at any time after you create a Campaign in Local Falcon. Grid Size and Scan Radius settings can be edited up until the first scan runs. What should I do if I'm not sure what Scan Settings to use for Campaigns? Do I have to send Campaign Report notification emails after Campaign Auto Scans? Can I export all of my scans to a csv? Yes! There are many ways to do this, however, you'll need to have let a scan run twice in order to export in bulk or use Campaigns. You can also use this Looker Studio Template if neither of those cases are available to you. The map is not loading at all / There is a white space where the map should be Please email us if you do not see a map on the Scan page. You can always try loading the map scan page in another browser. If the maps loads, then it is specific to one browser and we need to change a setting. Here are some setting that may fix the problem. Chrome Fix The scan is showing no result (20+) but that does not make sense There are millions of businesses with all kinds different variables and although we have done our best to accommodate the majority of them, there will always be some that don't fit the mold for whatever (technical) reason. As always, we appreciate your continued use, and if you have any questions feel free to contact us at account [at] localfalcon.com. The scan has different color ranking pins seemingly at random Normally the best ranking position should be at the location of the business and then the numbered positions should get higher as you radiate away from the center. If you see a scan that is very jumpy or ranks better further away from the center point, this can indicate an error and we would be happy to take a look at the specific search. How can I get started with the Looker Studio (formerly 'Google Data Studio') Integration for Local Falcon? There are numerous applications for creating custom Local Falcon reports using Looker Studio, and getting started is simple! Our Knowledge Base has a step by step tutorial on how to get started: Using the Looker Studio Integration for Local Falcon. What Local Falcon Report Types are available in the Looker Studio integration? Is the Looker Studio integration for Local Falcon white labeled? Does the Looker Studio integration for Local Falcon incur any additional cost? How can I get support on the Looker Studio Integration for Local Falcon? In addition to finding us on our live chat, or by emailing us directly, you can also use the step by step guide found over in our Knowledge Base. We've created a detailed article here: Using the Looker Studio Integration for Local Falcon. How do I send a Local Falcon Report to Looker Studio? There are two ways to send Reports to Looker Studio. You can either view and send any Report directly from the Report's screen in Local Falcon, or select a recent Report to send using a Looker Studio Template. What type of Local Falcon plan do I need to send Local Falcon Reports to Looker Studio? What are Looker Studio Templates? Looker Studio Templates are custom Report templates we've built out for different types of Local Falcon Reports, making it easier to instantly get the data visualization you need when you send Reports to Looker Studio.How to Use Local Falcon:
ATRP = Average Total Rank Position
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