The Area Difficulty Index in Localo helps you understand how challenging it will be to improve your business’s visibility in a specific area on Google Maps and search results. Whether you're a business owner aiming for more local customers, a freelancer juggling client rankings, or an SEO specialist managing multiple profiles, this feature simplifies strategic decision-making.
1- What Is the Area Difficulty Index?
The Area Difficulty Index measures how competitive a specific area is for your chosen keywords. It analyzes the presence of other businesses ranking in that area, evaluating both:
Competitor density: How many businesses are competing for the same keywords.
Competitor strength: How well-established those businesses are in terms of their online presence.
The index helps you anticipate how much effort and time will be needed to improve visibility in a given location.
For example, a downtown district with many high-ranking businesses will show a high difficulty index, indicating it’s a tougher area to rank in. Conversely, a suburban neighborhood with fewer competitors and lower optimization levels will show a lower difficulty index, representing an easier opportunity.
2 - How to Enable the Area Difficulty Index in Localo
If the Area Difficulty Index isn't visible by default in your account, you can activate it manually:
Navigate to your Localo dashboard.
Locate the position map for your selected keyword and area.
Toggle on the Area Difficulty Index option using the icon on the right-hand side.
You can also find this feature in Pro Features as below.
Once enabled, the difficulty levels will display across your grid, giving you instant insight into which parts of your local area are more challenging to compete in.
3 - How to Interpret the Area Difficulty Index
Localo categorizes area difficulty into three intuitive levels:
Easy (Green): Low competition, ideal for quick visibility improvements.
Medium (Yellow): Moderate competition, achievable with steady SEO efforts.
Hard (Red): High competition, requires consistent optimization and time to improve rankings.
Practical Example:
Clicking on a grid point will reveal local competitors, their ranking strength, and visibility factors.
Use this to identify why a specific area is challenging and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Pro Tip: Combine with Competitor Activity Tracking
For a more comprehensive strategy, pair the Area Difficulty Index with Localo’s Competitor Activity Tracking. This allows you to monitor what your top competitors are doing in the same area, giving you an edge in adjusting your tactics.
Ready to Get Strategic with Localo?
Schedule a personalized demo to see how the Area Difficulty Index can level up your local SEO strategy:
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