> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.surnex.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Local SEO overview

> Track your positions in local pack and Google Maps results.

**Local SEO** — "Monitor your keyword positions in local & Maps results" — tracks a separate set of keywords against local results rather than standard organic ones.

Local rankings are their own system. Your organic position for "plumber" and your position in the local pack for "plumber near me" are unrelated, which is why this section has its own keyword list rather than reusing your [tracked keywords](/tracking/add-keywords).

## Stat cards

| Card              | What it counts                           |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Keywords**      | Local keywords tracked                   |
| **With Rankings** | How many currently rank in local results |
| **Top 3**         | How many are in the top 3                |
| **Avg Position**  | Mean position across those that rank     |

**Top 3** is the card that matters. The local pack typically shows three results before requiring a click to expand, so position 4 in local search is closer to invisible than position 4 in organic results. Judge the section on this number, not on **Avg Position**.

## Adding local keywords

Click to open the panel and enter keywords **one per line**:

```
plumber near me
best dentist cape town
```

Then set **Location** and **Language**. Location defaults to United States; both are the same searchable dropdowns used elsewhere.

Local keywords are phrased differently from organic ones. Include the intent that triggers a local pack — "near me", a city or suburb name, or a service plus a place. A bare service term usually returns organic results with no local pack, and will simply never rank here.

Location matters more here than anywhere else in Surnex. Local results are computed for a specific place, so tracking "plumber near me" against a country-level location measures something different from tracking it against a city.

## The keyword list

Each keyword shows its **location** alongside its position. Paused keywords appear dimmed.

* **Pause** a keyword to stop checking it while keeping its history
* **Edit** to change its location or language
* **Remove** to delete it and its history — confirmed with *"Are you sure you want to stop tracking '…'? This action cannot be undone."*

Click a keyword to open its [history](/local/keywords).

## Schedule

Click **Settings** to open the **Local SEO Schedule** panel: **Frequency** (Every day / Every 3 days / Once a week), a **Check Hour**, and a **Timezone**.

Local SEO defaults to **daily at 00:00 UTC**.

The **Timezone** is applied, and cadences are intervals from the last run rather than calendar rules. See [How data collection works](/projects/data-collection).

## Empty state

**No local keywords tracked** — "Add keywords to monitor their Google Maps and local search rankings".

Local keywords are seeded when a [project is created](/projects/add), so an empty list usually means they were removed or the initial job failed.

## When local SEO applies

This section is only relevant if you have a physical location or a defined service area. For an online-only business, local results won't feature you regardless of what you track, and the keyword quota is better spent on [organic tracking](/tracking/add-keywords).

## Related

* [Local keywords](/local/keywords) — ranking history and result detail for one keyword
* [Rank tracking](/tracking/overview) — organic positions, tracked separately