How often to run geo-grid scans
Daily, weekly or monthly: what each costs and when each makes sense.
Read the guide: How often to run geo-grid scansGuide
How many keywords to track per local client.
More keywords means more maps to explain and more credits to pay for. Choose them from what customers type, then check what that costs.
Last updated · Written by the Local Pinmeter team in Phoenix, Arizona
Choose
Start from what customers type
- One keyword for each main service, worded the way a customer would search it.
- Keep “near me” where customers use it. In our accuracy test, scanning without “near me” when the phone had searched with it put our scans 4.4 ranks from the phone on average, against 0.6 with it. The test and its limits.
- Expect a different map for each keyword. Take 99th Avenue: 20% of pins in the top 3 for “nail salon near me” and 38% for “pedicure near me”, on the same grid on the same day.
The cost
What each choice costs
One scan of every keyword uses keywords × grid points in credits. The right-hand figure is how many clients the Agency plan (45,000 credits a month) covers at one scan a month. Work out your own numbers.
| Keywords per client | 7×7 grid | 9×9 grid | 13×13 grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 keywords | 245 credits 183 clients on the Agency plan | 405 credits 111 clients on the Agency plan | 845 credits 53 clients on the Agency plan |
| 10 keywords | 490 credits 91 clients on the Agency plan | 810 credits 55 clients on the Agency plan | 1,690 credits 26 clients on the Agency plan |
| 15 keywords | 735 credits 61 clients on the Agency plan | 1,215 credits 37 clients on the Agency plan | 2,535 credits 17 clients on the Agency plan |
A starting point
Five to ten, then add on purpose
A sensible start, not a rule: five to ten keywords per client. The main service, its “near me” version, and one or two secondary services. Add more only when a client’s package pays for them.
Our case study scanned two keywords for each of five salons: 810 pins in all, one scan each. Small enough to read, enough to show which location needs work first.
Questions
Questions
Do more keywords cost more?
Yes. Credits are keywords × grid points × scans a month, so ten keywords on a grid cost twice as much as five. That is why the table above matters: pick the grid and the keywords together.
Can I pause a keyword without losing its history?
Yes. A paused keyword keeps its past scans and stops using credits.
How do I charge a client for extra keywords?
Keyword Ledger™ holds what each client’s package includes, such as “SEO, 10 keywords”, and gives you a month-end list of keywords beyond it for the invoice.
Should I track the business’s own name?
A search for a business’s own name usually finds it, so a map for it tells you little. Spend your credits on what new customers type, which is a service and often “near me”.
