Google Places¶

Overview¶

The Google Places task shows how a business appears on Google Maps. It runs on BaseCloud's own Google access, so there is nothing to connect.

It has three actions:

When to use this task:

• Track a client's local visibility for the searches that matter to them, week by week.
• Send a client a map of where they show up and where they don't.
• Show a prospect how they compare with the businesses that beat them.
• Fill in a new lead's phone, website and rating from their Google listing.

Configuration¶

Builder fields¶

The Field column is the label as it appears in the task builder; Key is the name the value is stored under and referenced by.

Choosing the business¶

The Business field has two modes, switched with the button beside it:

• Search: type the business name and pick it from Google's listings. This is the most reliable choice.
• Variable: use a value from an earlier step, or type the business name and town (Joe's Plumbing, Austin TX). A value from an earlier step can be a Google place ID, such as location_place_id from the Google Review Received trigger, or a name. When you type a name, also fill in Business website so the task picks the right business when several share a name.

Local rank grid settings¶

Output Fields¶

Local rank grid¶

Look up a business¶

business_name, place_id, address, phone, international_phone, website, rating, review_count, category, opening_hours (one line per day), maps_url, business_status (Open, Temporarily closed or Permanently closed), latitude, longitude.

Competitor snapshot¶

The grid image¶

With Create a grid image on, the task saves a PNG to Files named Rank grid - <search> - <date>.png. It shows:

• the business, search, grid size and date, with the average position, top 3 share and top 20 share
• a map with a numbered circle at every point: green 1–3, amber 4–10, red 11–20, grey not in the top 20
• a dark diamond marking the business when the grid is centred somewhere else

Attach it with the Email task using {{task_ID_grid_image_file_id}}, or place {{task_ID_grid_image_url}} in a PDF.

Real-World Examples¶

Weekly visibility report for a client¶

Schedule                   Every Monday, 7am
  └─ Google Places         Local rank grid, "emergency plumber", 7 × 7, image on
      └─ AI Prompt         "Summarise this week's local visibility for the client in 3 sentences"
          └─ Email         summary + grid image to the client

Track several searches¶

Schedule
  └─ Loop                  over "emergency plumber, water heater repair, drain cleaning"
      └─ Google Places     Local rank grid, Search = the Loop item
          └─ Table         add a row: date, search, average position, top 3 %

Keeping one row per run in a Table gives you the history to chart.

Alert when visibility drops¶

Google Places              Local rank grid
  └─ If Statement          average_rank_change is greater than 2
      └─ Email             tell the account manager, with the grid image

Prospecting¶

Form Submission            prospect's business name and town
  └─ Google Places         Competitor snapshot, Business = the prospect
      └─ Email             "You're #9 for 'dentist'. The top 3 average 180 reviews; you have 42."

Best Practices¶

• Run on a schedule and keep the settings fixed. The change since last run only compares runs with the same business, search, grid size, distance and centre.
• Use searches customers actually make. The client's Google Business Profile search terms are a good source.
• Read the whole grid, not single points. One point moving from 3 to 5 is often noise; the average and top 3 share are the trend.
• Watch reviews alongside positions. Review count and rating are among the biggest local ranking factors, and often move before positions do.
• Match the distance to the business. A grid far wider than the business's real service area mostly shows red, which says little.

Troubleshooting¶

Frequently Asked Questions¶

Does this cost credits? No.

Does the client need to connect anything? No. It works for any business on Google Maps, including prospects and competitors.

Why is my average position 21? The business was not in the top 20 anywhere on the grid. Check you have the right business, or try a smaller distance between points.

Why doesn't it match exactly what I see on my phone? Your phone personalises results and shows ads. This task measures the same neutral way every time, so it is best for tracking change.

Does it show where the website ranks in Google search? No. It measures Google Maps listings only.

Related Tasks¶

• Loop - Run the grid for several searches
• Table - Keep a history of each run
• Email - Send the summary and grid image
• PDF - Put the grid image in a report
• Google Review Received - Supplies location_place_id for the business