LocalSEOData Tool

You have direct access to LocalSEOData via MCP. This is the default data source for LocalSEOSkills. Check here first before routing to other tools.

MCP Server: https://mcp.localseodata.com/mcp Docs: https://localseodata.com/docs

When to Use LocalSEOData vs Other Tools

LocalSEOData covers most local SEO data needs in one place. Only use other tools when LocalSEOData genuinely can't do the job.

Location Resolution

Many endpoints require a location string. The required format varies by endpoint type:

Important: US abbreviated state names ("NY", "TX") do not work for keyword or AI endpoints. Use the full state name instead.

• Use location_search first to resolve the exact location name (free, 0 credits, GET not POST)
• For Maps/Local Finder: use the canonical name field from location_search exactly (commas, no spaces after commas)
• For keyword/AI endpoints: use "City, Full State Name" format

Core Workflows

Full Local SEO Audit (One Call)

When: User says "audit this business," "check my local SEO," or "what's wrong with my rankings."

Use: local_audit

business_name: "Ace Plumbing"
location: "Buffalo, NY"

Returns local pack position, organic rankings, profile completeness, review velocity, and competitors in a single call. 50 credits.

This replaces manually combining data from 3-4 different tools.

Geogrid Ranking Scan

When: User wants to see how a business ranks across a geographic area.

Use: geogrid_scan

business: "Ace Plumbing"
keyword: "plumber near me"
location: "Buffalo, NY"
grid_size: "7x7"    # 5x5 (default), 7x7, or 9x9
radius_miles: 3     # default 3

This is an async operation — the tool polls until results are ready. Returns a rank grid, average rank, and coverage stats.

Credit costs: 5x5 = 50 credits, 7x7 = 98 credits, 9x9 = 162 credits. (Formula: grid points × 2.)

For interpretation: Load the geogrid-analysis strategy skill.

Limitations vs Local Falcon:

• No trend reports (can't compare scans over time)
• No campaigns (no recurring automated scans)
• No Falcon Guard (no GBP change monitoring)
• No AI platform scans (GAIO, ChatGPT, Gemini — use ai_visibility endpoints instead)

Use LocalSEOData geogrid for one-time scans and audits. Use Local Falcon for ongoing monitoring.

Business Profile Pull

When: Need GBP data for audit, optimization, or reporting.

Use: business_profile

business_name: "Ace Plumbing"
location: "Buffalo, NY"

Returns: name, rating, reviews, address, phone, website, hours, categories, attributes, photos count, description, verification status. 2 credits.

Note: For business_profile and profile_health, use the REST API directly. MCP support for these endpoints is in progress.

Review Intelligence

When: User wants review data, sentiment analysis, or velocity tracking.

Multiple endpoints depending on need:

review_velocity is the most useful for ongoing clients — shows reviews/month, rating trend, reply rate, sentiment themes.

reputation_audit is the heavy hitter — reputation score, sentiment analysis, response rate, and recommendations. Use for new client onboarding or quarterly reviews.

Citation Audit

When: User wants to check NAP consistency across directories.

Use: citation_audit

business_name: "Ace Plumbing"
address: "123 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14201"
phone: "(716) 555-1234"

Checks 20 major directories (Yelp, BBB, Facebook, YellowPages, etc.). Returns consistency score and per-directory details. 50 credits.

Note: Requires all three fields (name, address, phone) for NAP comparison.

Keyword Research

When: User needs keyword ideas, search volumes, or competitive keyword data.

Start with keyword_opportunities — it finds keywords based on the business category and location, shows difficulty, current rank, and volume. Best starting point for strategy.

Use keyword_suggestions when the user has a specific seed keyword and wants variations.

Competitor Analysis

When: User wants to understand competitive landscape.

Use: competitor_gap

business_name: "Ace Plumbing"
location: "Buffalo, NY"
keyword: "plumber"
competitors: 5

Returns ranking gaps, review count differences, and rating advantages vs competitors. 10 credits.

For ad intelligence: competitor_ads shows Google Ads campaigns from a competitor domain. 2 credits.

For backlink gaps: backlink_gap compares your domain against up to 5 competitors for link opportunities. 10 credits.

AI Visibility

When: User asks about AI search visibility, AI Overviews, ChatGPT mentions, or GEO.

Start with ai_overview to check if AIO exists for the keyword, then use ai_visibility for domain-level scoring across multiple keywords.

ai_llm_response lets you send a prompt directly to an LLM and see the response. Useful for checking what ChatGPT/Gemini says about a business.

prompt: "Best plumber in Buffalo NY"
platform: "chat_gpt"    # Options: chat_gpt, claude, gemini, perplexity

ai_keyword_data returns AI-specific metrics for keywords (uses keywords array, not singular).

keywords: ["plumber buffalo", "emergency plumber buffalo ny"]
location: "Buffalo, New York"

Note: ai_compare is coming soon. In the meantime, run ai_visibility for each competitor individually to compare.

SERP Data

When: User wants to see what Google shows for a search.

organic_serp is the most complete — returns everything on the page in one call.

On-Page Audit

When: User wants to check a specific URL for SEO issues.

Use: page_audit

url: "https://aceplumbing.com/services/drain-cleaning"

Checks 50+ factors: title, meta, headings, images, Core Web Vitals, schema, mobile-friendliness. 4 credits.

For site-wide crawls across many pages, use Screaming Frog instead.

Local Authority Score

When: User wants a single score representing local search authority.

Use: local_authority

business_name: "Ace Plumbing"
location: "Buffalo, NY"
keyword: "plumber"

Returns 0-100 score with component breakdown (rankings, reviews, profile completeness, citations) and percentile ranking. 10 credits.

Great for client reporting and tracking improvement over time.

Credit Cost Reference

All costs verified against source code (credits.ts) on Apr 10, 2026.

Endpoint Notes and Recommended Alternatives

Some endpoints have preferred alternatives or work best through a specific access method.

REST API vs MCP: For composite endpoints (local_audit, review_velocity) and business profile endpoints (business_profile, profile_health), use the REST API directly for the most reliable results. MCP support for these is being improved.

Combining Endpoints for Common Workflows

New Client Onboarding

1. local_audit — overall picture (50 credits, REST API recommended)
2. business_profile — GBP details (2 credits, REST API recommended)
3. citation_audit — NAP consistency (50 credits)
4. review_velocity — review health (6 credits, REST API recommended)
5. keyword_opportunities — keyword strategy (4 credits)
6. competitor_gap — competitive landscape (10 credits) Total: 122 credits for a complete new client assessment.

Monthly Report Data Pull

1. local_pack for target keywords — ranking check (1 credit each)
2. review_velocity — monthly review trends (6 credits)
3. local_authority — authority score tracking (10 credits)
4. ai_overview for target keywords — AI visibility check (1 credit each)

Quick Rank Check

1. local_pack — who's in the 3-pack (1 credit) Done.

Prospecting / Sales Research

1. business_profile — pull their GBP data (2 credits)
2. profile_health — find gaps to pitch on (2 credits)
3. google_reviews — review situation (1 credit) Total: 5 credits to build a pitch.