Scheduling Recurring Heat Maps
How to configure grid size, load keywords, and set up weekly heat map tracking
Heat maps are one of the most powerful tools in LeadSnap for tracking your client’s local search rankings over time. A heat map shows how a GBP ranks across a geographic grid for specific keywords, giving you a visual map of where rankings are strong and where they need work. This guide walks through the full setup in eight steps.
Step 1
Select the GBP Location
In the LeadSnap left navigation, click on the GBP location selector and choose the client’s location you want to set up a heat map for.
Important: Always navigate into the specific GBP location first before creating a new heatmap. This ensures the correct location is pre-loaded and you don’t accidentally create a heatmap for the wrong client. |
Step 2
Open a New Heat Map
Once you’re inside the correct location, Find “Heat Maps” in the left navigation, then click “New.” The new heat map page will open with the client’s GBP location already pre-selected.
Step 3
Load Your Keywords
Click on the Keywords box at the top of the new heatmap page.
If you haven’t created a keyword list yet:
Click “Manage Keyword List.”
Click “Create New.”
Paste in your keywords from your keyword research.
Press Enter after each keyword, give the list a name, and click Save.
If you’ve already created a keyword list:
Click the Keywords box.
Click “Load Saved List.”
Select your list and close the keywords box.
Tip: If you already created a keyword list during keyword research, simply click Keywords → Load Saved List → select it. No need to recreate it. |
Step 4
Choose Your Grid Size
Before setting the grid, assess these four factors that determine how large your heatmap should be:
City population — larger, denser cities require a smaller starting grid.
Niche competitiveness — highly competitive niches are harder to rank across a wide area.
Target service areas — defined by the areas the client wants to rank in.
Current ranking performance — determined by your test scan results.
Critical: Always center the heatmap grid around the address where the GBP is registered — whether it’s a service area business or a physical storefront. Rankings radiate outward from that point, so the grid must reflect that. |
Use this framework to choose your starting grid:
Scenario | Grid | Spacing | When to Expand |
High competition + dense city | 9 x 9 | 0.5 miles | Only after majority of scores reach 1–3 |
Moderate competition | 9x9 or 13x13 | 1 mile | When most grid points score 1–3 |
Low competition + suburban | 13 x 13 | 1–2 miles | When dominating the current grid |
Important: A grid that’s too large for a client who doesn’t rank well yet sets false expectations and makes progress invisible. Start tight, show wins, then expand. |
Step 5
Confirm Grid Size from Your Test Scan
If you’ve already run a test heatmap, use those real ranking results to confirm the right grid size before locking in a recurring schedule.
Client ranked well (majority scores of 1–3): Consider expanding the grid to cover more of their service area.
Client ranked poorly (majority scores of 4+): Keep the same grid size. Do not expand until rankings improve.
Critical: The test scan is a critical step — it tells you whether your grid is the right size before you lock in a weekly recurring schedule. Never skip it. |
If the client is dominating their current grid and you need to expand:
Increase the grid size to cover more target cities and neighborhoods.
If the client is near a coastline or non-populated area, use the Polygon option to draw a custom grid shape. This prevents heatmap points from landing in the ocean or over uninhabited land.
Expand incrementally — don’t jump from a 9x9 to a massive grid in one step.
Tip: The polygon grid option is especially useful for coastal businesses or rural areas where a square grid would waste points on uninhabited land. |
Step 6
Click "Make Recurring"
Once you’re satisfied with the grid size, do not click “Run Scan” again. Instead, click “Make Recurring.” This converts the heatmap from a one-time scan into an ongoing tracking tool that builds historical ranking data over time.
Tip: Make Recurring is what builds the historical ranking data you need to show clients their progress. A one-time scan only gives you a snapshot. |
Step 7
Name the Schedule and Set Frequency
Give the recurring schedule a clear, identifiable name using this format:
Format | Example |
[GBP Name] + [Frequency] | Smith Plumbing Austin — Weekly |
[GBP Name] + [Frequency] | Downtown Dental — Weekly |
Set the frequency to once per week. Weekly scans give you enough data to track meaningful ranking trends without over-scanning.
Tip: A consistent naming format makes it easy to find and manage heatmaps across a large client roster. |
Step 8
Set the Scan Time to Business Hours
Schedule the scan to run only while the client’s business is marked as open. Google ranks open businesses higher during operating hours, so running a heatmap while the business is listed as closed will produce artificially lower scores that don’t reflect true performance.
Critical: If you are in a different time zone than the client, convert their business hours into your time zone before setting the schedule time. This is easy to get wrong when managing clients across multiple time zones — always verify first. |
Quick Reference
Step | Action | Key Detail |
1 | Select GBP location | Navigate into the correct client location first |
2 | Open new heatmap | Left nav → Heatmaps → New |
3 | Load keywords | Load Saved List or create new via Manage Keyword List |
4 | Choose grid size | 9x9 (competitive) to 13x13 (low competition) |
5 | Confirm from test scan | Expand only if majority scores are 1–3 |
6 | Click Make Recurring | Not Run Scan — this builds historical data |
7 | Name + set frequency | [GBP Name] + Weekly; once per week |
8 | Set scan time | During client’s business hours (adjust for time zone) |