Google Maps, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini each serve different results depending on whether they think you are a local business or a national/global brand. Our scanner auto-detects your mode and adjusts the entire audit strategy accordingly.
Your business falls into one of two categories based on the signals your website sends to search engines and AI models.
You serve customers in a specific city or region. Walk-ins, service areas, or local appointments.
You sell online, serve the whole country, or operate a brand that is not tied to one city.
The scanner checks 6 signal categories and assigns a score. A total of 15 points or higher = Local. Below 15 = National/Global.
| Signal | Points | Example |
|---|---|---|
| LocalBusiness schema found | +40 | @type: "Dentist" or "Restaurant" |
| City name in title, meta, or headings | +25 | "Best Plumber in Edmonton" |
| City in schema address | +20 | addressLocality: "Calgary" |
| Local schema subtype | +15 | ProfessionalService, FinancialService, AutoRepair |
| areaServed defined | +10 | areaServed: "Greater Edmonton Area" |
| City name in domain/URL | +10 | edmonton-dental.ca |
| National keywords detected | -30 | "nationwide", "free shipping", "e-commerce", "SaaS" |
The scanner, the Command Center, and all reports adapt their analysis based on your detected mode.
areaServedYes. The Command Center has a Local / National toggle at the top of the dashboard. If the auto-detection is wrong (e.g., you are a local business but your website lacks local signals), you can switch modes manually. This changes:
It checks 6 signal categories: LocalBusiness schema (+40), city in content (+25), city in schema address (+20), local schema subtypes (+15), areaServed (+10), and city in URL (+10). National keywords like "nationwide" subtract 30 points. Score of 15+ = Local.
Local mode focuses on Google Maps ranking, GBP, NAP congruency, geo-grid visibility, and city-specific competitors. Global mode focuses on domain authority, Product/Organization schema, national competitor benchmarking, and brand entity recognition.
Yes. Franchises and multi-location businesses can serve specific cities while having a national brand. The scanner picks the primary mode from your homepage signals, but you can toggle manually in the Command Center to explore both views.
Your website is missing local signals. Most commonly: no LocalBusiness schema, no city name in the title or meta description, and no structured address in JSON-LD. Add these and AI search engines (and our scanner) will correctly identify you as local.
Our $27 scan auto-detects your mode and gives you a full breakdown of what signals are present, what is missing, and exactly what to fix.