Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Does the Rank Scanner work for all businesses?
Yes!
Our rank scanner works for all businesses, including Service Area Businesses (SAB) with hidden addresses.
What localities does this Rank Scanner work in?
Local Falcon works everywhere in the world and with any language!
How Accurate is Local Falcon?
What pricing plans are available?
To provide as much flexibility to as many people as possible, there are four monthly packages, and a pay-as-you-go system.
The details of the plans can be found here:
https://localfalcon.com/billing/purchase-credits
Credits in the monthly 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.
What happened to the old pricing plans?
The old pricing plan of buying individual credits is still available, however we have now added new monthly subscriptions that drastically reduce the cost of credits.
The details of the plans can be found here:
https://localfalcon.com/billing/purchase-credits
Do you have a yearly price instead of pay as you go?
At this point in time we only have a pay-as-you-go system, or monthly plans available.
What payment processing do you accept?
Currently we are only accepting automated payments through Stripe.
Why are the results a bit 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 numbers directly from the Google API, 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 a bit different than some other rank trackers?
Other rank trackers make you choose a location to scan from, usually a zip or postal code, and will choose one spot to scan from within that area. Since a map ranking scan result can be different with even a small amount of distance, it is normal that this difference would sometimes appear.
That's not to say that there won't be any anomalies. The Google API can return some funky data sometimes. If you see anything that doesn't make sense, please let us know.
Can I scan my competitors?
Definitely! You can initiate a scan from any listing and our reports will show you exactly how your competitors rank as well.
My industry has a lot of hidden address businesses, can this tool still workl?
Yes! There is no limitation to our scans. All businesses will be displayed in our reports.
Do you save the results of a scan that is performed?
Every scan is saved in your account. Saved scan results will be found in the Results page menu item. Data will be recorded in a csv (spreadsheet) file which includes the longitude-latitude coordinates of the scan points, and an ordered list of businesses that appeared at each of those locations.
If you wish to record a visual representation of the scan, you will need to save a screenshot before performing another scan. We will need be added saved screenshots as a new feature shortly.
Can your tool scan multi-location businesses at the same time?
Not at this time. Multi-location business scanning features will be added shortly.
If I change the address of the business on Google My Business will the scan still work?
Yes, however…when you update your address in the Google My Business dashboard, Google might ask you to reverify listing, usually by postcard. This means that you won't have ownership access for a week or more, (to respond to reviews for example) until you receive your new PIN.
Also note that once verified, the listing won't show up in the tool autocomplete right away as it will take a few extra days for the Google API to update completely. However, you can always send over an email to us and we'll let you know how to get a scan completed in that in-between period.
Do I have to always center the scan at my business location?
You are not limited to only scanning from the business location. You can drag the red center pin on the map to re-center the scan point and begin scanning from any point you want.
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 till the end of the 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.
Do I need a Google API key for your system to work?
No.
You can use Local Falcon without signing up for any Google API keys.
What does ARP & ATRP mean?
ARP = Average Rank Position
ATRP = Average Total 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.
