Template
Local search ranking observation log
Copy one self-contained record for each measurement. Record the exact query and intent, the searcher's location and context, the measured surface and mode, the timestamp, the profile identity, the observed result and position, the link state, the evidence pointer, and the limits. One record describes one capture, not a guaranteed position.
By Sergey Sulimko, Founder · · 8 sources, read Oct 20, 2026
| Situation | Jump to the record or rule |
|---|---|
| A Google Maps, Search, or Local Finder result | Single local-search observation |
| The profile is not visible in the checked results | Not-observed result |
| An AI surface returns the result | AI-surface observation |
| A worked illustration of the fields | Bare record beside a filled example |
| Field and comparison rules | How should I use this log? |
| Boundaries | What should I not claim from one observation? |
Show all 6 rows
Single local-search observation
Copy this block once for one Google Maps, Search, or Local Finder capture. Replace every bracketed value. Use not available when the surface does not expose a field, and use not observed when the result itself was not present.
Single local-search observation
Observation ID: [unique record ID]
Measured at: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
Time zone: [time zone]
Query: [exact search string]
Query intent: [branded, non-branded, service, location, informational, or other]
Searcher location: [location supplied or estimated for this observation]
Latitude: [latitude or not available]
Longitude: [longitude or not available]
Precision or location source: [device location, map point, IP estimate, manually selected location, or not known]
Device: [device type]
Browser or app: [browser or app]
Interface language: [display language]
Query or result language: [query language and returned-result language, or not observed]
Surface: [Maps / Search / Local Finder]
Surface mode or product: [Google Maps search, Google Search local results, Local Finder, or other exact view]
Profile URL: [URL or not observed]
Place ID: [observed Place ID or not available]
Place ID checked on: [YYYY-MM-DD or not available]
Observed result: [business or profile exactly as shown, or not observed]
Result type: [Business Profile, local result, Local Finder result, or other]
Observed position: [ordinal position, such as 1 or 3, or not observed]
Link card or inline link present: [yes / no / not applicable / not observed]
Link URL or target: [URL or target exactly as shown, or not observed]
Clickability observed: [clickable / not clickable / not tested / not observed / not applicable]
Evidence pointer: [screenshot filename, capture ID, export, or stored observation]
Limitations: [time, location, device, surface, identity, and evidence conditions; this observation does not establish a cause or guarantee a future position]
The record keeps the captured position beside the conditions that produced it. Google says local results appear on Maps and Search and are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. Google also says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking and that its ranking-system details are confidential.1
Read the full section
Google's location guidance says current location can help results in Maps, Search, and Gemini. Google may estimate a general area or use a more precise device location when available, so record the location input and its precision or source instead of assuming every observation has a precise coordinate.2 Keep interface language separate from query or result language because Google says display-language settings change buttons and other display text, not the language of search results.3
Not-observed result
Use this branch when the profile is not visible in the declared result set. not observed is an outcome of this capture. It is not a numeric rank and does not mean the profile is absent from Google everywhere.
Not-observed local result
Observation ID: [unique record ID]
Measured at: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM, time zone]
Query: [exact search string]
Query intent: [intent]
Searcher location and precision or source: [location input and how it was supplied or estimated]
Device and browser or app: [device, browser or app]
Interface language: [display language]
Query or result language: [language details or not observed]
Surface and mode: [Maps, Search, Local Finder, and the exact view]
Result cutoff or checked set: [visible result set, cutoff, or other declared boundary]
Observed result: not observed
Observed position: not observed
Profile URL or Place ID: [not observed / identity value checked separately]
Evidence pointer: [screenshot filename, capture ID, export, or stored observation]
Limitations: [declared cutoff and context; this record does not establish a universal absence, causal explanation, or future position]
Record the cutoff or checked set with the outcome. A later reader can then distinguish “not observed in this capture” from an unbounded claim that the profile did not appear anywhere.
AI-surface observation
Use this variant when the measured surface is an AI response. Name the product and mode, then record the actual link or card state. Google’s October 15, 2026 announcement describes increased inline-link prominence and a test of a dedicated link display in AI Search experiences. The announcement does not establish that every user or query has the same display.4
AI-surface observation
Observation ID: [unique record ID]
Measured at: [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]
Time zone: [time zone]
Query or prompt: [exact query or prompt]
Query intent: [intent]
Searcher location: [location supplied or estimated, or not available]
Precision or location source: [device location, selected location, IP estimate, or not known]
Device: [device type]
Browser or app: [browser or app]
Interface language: [display language]
Query or result language: [query language and returned-result language, or not observed]
Surface: AI
Surface mode or product: [Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Bing AI Performance, or another named product and mode]
Response present: [yes / no / not observed]
Business, profile, or page named: [exact name or not observed]
Observed result: [what the response showed, or not observed]
Result type: [business mention, profile result, cited page, link card, or other]
Observed position: [ordinal position if the surface exposes one, or not applicable / not observed]
Link card or inline link present: [yes / no / not observed]
Link URL or target: [URL or target exactly as shown, or not observed]
Clickability observed: [clickable / not clickable / not tested / not observed / not applicable]
Evidence pointer: [screenshot filename, capture ID, export, or stored observation]
Limitations: [rollout, testing, beta, approximation, context, and evidence conditions; this observation does not establish an AI rank, cause, click-through rate, or future inclusion]
Keep Bing’s Topics Portfolio measurements separate from Google Maps and Google AI positions. Microsoft describes its Topics Portfolio as a beta view with selected-period, approximate citation, cited-site, and query measures. Microsoft says to treat those numbers as directional planning signals, not a precise ledger.5
What does a filled record look like?
The filled column below is illustrative, not a measurement. It shows how a bare field becomes a traceable observation without turning a placeholder into a claim about a real business.
| Field | Bare record | Filled illustrative value |
|---|---|---|
| Query | [exact search string] |
[example: emergency plumber near me] |
| Searcher location | [location supplied or estimated] |
[example: selected map point, precision recorded separately] |
| Surface | [Maps / Search / Local Finder] |
[example: Maps] |
| Observed result | [business or profile exactly as shown] |
[example: profile name exactly as displayed] |
| Observed position | [ordinal or not observed] |
[example: 3] |
| Evidence pointer | [screenshot or capture ID] |
[example: capture-2026-10-20-001] |
| Limitations | [context and evidence limits] |
[example: one map-point capture; no causal or future-position claim] |
The example uses bracketed values so a reader can see which parts must be replaced. Do not copy the example as evidence.
How should I use this log?
- Create one record before the search. Assign an observation ID and fill the query, intent, location input, device, browser or app, languages, surface, mode, and timestamp.
- Run the declared search. Record the profile or result exactly as shown. Save its ordinal position when it is visible. If it is absent from the checked set, write
not observedin the result and position fields. - Preserve identity separately from rank. A profile URL or Place ID identifies the place in the evidence. It is not the observed position. Google defines a Place ID as a textual place identifier and says Place IDs may change over time, so keep the value and the date checked together.6
- Record links as observations. For a link card or inline link, preserve the target and whether the capture showed it as clickable. Do not convert a visible link into a click, visit, lead, or customer outcome.
- Repeat comparable observations. Keep the query, location, device, language, surface, mode, cutoff, and evidence convention stable when the question is whether a later capture differs. If a condition changes, record the change before comparing the results. Google’s Search Console guidance says results can vary with time, place, device, and recent history.7
The guide to tracking local search rankings separates local placement, Business Profile activity, and website Search reporting. The repeatable local search ranking checklist covers frozen scan settings and repeated runs. Use this log for the individual observation those workflows refer to.
What should I keep separate from this record?
| Record or metric | Keep it separate because |
|---|---|
| Search Console average position | Google defines it as the average position of a site’s topmost result for the selected grouping. It is a Search reporting metric, not the ordinal position of a profile captured in Maps, Search local results, or Local Finder.7 |
| Business Profile Performance data | Searches, views, and profile actions describe the profile report for its selected period. Record them separately from this observation’s captured position.8 |
| AI link or citation observation | A named or linked result is what the capture showed. A click, visit, sale, or customer outcome needs its own record and evidence. |
| Profile URL or Place ID | Keep these identity fields with the observation. For a Place ID, keep the value and the date checked because Google describes it as a textual place identifier that may change.6 |
| Bing AI Performance values | Bing’s beta, selected-period, approximate measures are not Google Maps ranking evidence and should not be merged with a local observation.5 |
If you need a tracker that covers both local results and AI surfaces, the guide to choosing a local rank tracker for AI search lists the context, source, and export fields to check. The AI Overview measurement guide keeps direct appearance checks separate from Search Console impressions and Web clicks.
What should I not claim from one observation?
| Do not claim | Record instead |
|---|---|
not observed means position zero or absence everywhere |
The declared result cutoff, the capture context, and not observed. |
| The observed position explains why Google showed the result | The position, surface, time, location, device, and other conditions. Google keeps ranking-system details confidential.1 |
| One profile position is a universal rank or a promised future position | The ordinal position in this dated capture and the conditions that produced it. |
| A Place ID or profile URL is the observed position | The identity value and the date checked. Google describes a Place ID as a textual place identifier and says it may change.6 |
| A link or card proves that somebody clicked, visited, booked, or became a customer | The link target and the clickability state that the capture actually showed. |
| A Google AI link display is available for every user or query | The named product and mode, rollout or testing context, and the observed link state.4 |
| Bing’s approximate beta measures are Google Maps positions | The Bing product, selected period, approximate value, and separate AI measurement record.5 |
The guide to measuring AI Overview visibility and clicks explains how to keep an appearance observation, Search Console impression, and Web click in separate records. For a wider scan, use the guidance on how big a geo-grid scan should be and keep its grid design with the observation.
Maps Agent service
Where your profile stands now
Visibility Score 0-100 · 20 scored factors · free · no signup
- Profile Completeness
- 11 checks · 40% of score
- Performance
- 4 checks · 35% of score
- Competitive Position
- 5 metrics · 25% of score
Sources
All read Oct 20, 2026
- 1Tips to improve your local ranking on GoogleGoogle Business Profile HelpGoogle local-ranking guidance
- 2Understand & manage your location when you search on GoogleGoogle Search HelpSearch location guidance
- 3
- 4AI Mode and AI Overviews updates to explore the webGoogleOctober 15, 2026. Google AI Search link announcement
- 5Introducing Topics Portfolio (Beta) in AI PerformanceMicrosoft Bing Webmaster BlogOctober 13, 2026. Topics Portfolio documentation
- 6
- 7Performance report (Search results): Overview and basic setupGoogle Search Console HelpSearch performance guidance
- 8Understand your Business Profile performance & insightsGoogle Business Profile HelpBusiness Profile performance guidance