skills/local-falcon-mcp/references/analysis-frameworks.md

# Analysis Frameworks — Deep Guide

This reference provides structured analytical frameworks for interpreting Local Falcon data and translating it into actionable recommendations. Use this when performing comprehensive assessments or when SKILL.md workflows reference analysis frameworks.

## The 5-Step Analytical Framework

Apply these steps in order when analyzing any scan report, trend report, or comprehensive assessment.

### Step 1: Read the Landscape

Gather the headline metrics and form an initial picture:
- What percentage of the grid does the business appear in? (Found In / total grid points)
- What is the ATRP? (Overall visibility health)
- What is the ARP? (Ranking quality where visible)
- What is SoLV (maps) or SAIV (AI)? (Top-tier visibility)
- How does the business compare to the top competitor? (Competition SoLV, Max SoLV)
- Is the grid visualization showing a clear geographic pattern?

### Step 2: Interpret the Dynamics

Identify the limiting factor driving the current performance:

**Proximity limitation:** Green zones (good rankings) cluster near the business location, with red zones (poor rankings) at the scan edges. This is normal and expected for storefronts. The business is performing well within its proximity zone and the scan radius may extend beyond its natural competitive reach.

**Competitor density wall:** Red zones appear near the business, especially in a specific direction. A strong competitor is located nearby and absorbs top-3 positions in that area. Check the competitor report to identify who and assess whether their advantage is proximity-based, review-based, or category-based.

**Relevance gap:** The business appears inconsistently across the grid — some clusters of visibility with unexplained gaps. This suggests category misalignment, incomplete GBP content, or keyword mismatch. Verify primary category, business description, and service keywords.

**Authority deficit:** The business consistently appears at positions 5-10 across most of the grid. It is being found (high Found In) but not breaking into the map pack. This typically requires more review volume, better review velocity, or stronger local citation authority to overcome.

**Opportunity corridor:** Areas of the grid where no competitor dominates (low Competition SoLV in specific zones). These are quick-win areas where relatively small improvements can yield top-3 rankings.

### Step 3: Diagnostic Branching

Based on the limiting factor identified in Step 2, apply the appropriate diagnostic branch:

**Branch A — Poor rankings near the business (red zones in proximity):**
- If caused by high competitor density: Acknowledge the proximity limitation. Identify whether the competitor has structural advantages (keyword-in-name, better category, more reviews). If the advantage is reviews or content, those are addressable. If the advantage is location proximity, recommend Google Maps Ads for contested zones and organic focus on opportunity areas.
- If SAB with offset pattern: Assess customer concentration, service areas, competitors, relevance, and proximity before judging the pattern. Consider whether the scan center represents the customers being studied; the office is not automatically the right center. Do not classify an inverted pattern as healthy or problematic without context.
- Otherwise: Pull the competitor report and compare the top 3 businesses in that zone. Identify the specific gap (review count, rating, category, content) and prescribe targeted action.

**Branch B — Low AI visibility (low SAIV):**
- Identify the authoritative sources that AI platforms are citing for this keyword/market. What websites, directories, and publications appear in AI responses?
- Assess the business's presence on those sources. Is it listed? Is the listing complete and positive?
- Recommend a citeability strategy: get mentioned on the top 3-5 sources that AI platforms reference. This is fundamentally different from GBP optimization.

**Branch C — Credit optimization needed:**
- Review the scan configuration. Is the grid size appropriate for the business type? Oversized grids waste credits without providing additional strategic value.
- Evaluate scan frequency. Monthly scans are sufficient for most businesses. Weekly or daily scans are only justified during active optimization campaigns where rapid feedback is needed.
- Suggest campaigns for ongoing monitoring instead of repeated manual scans — campaigns consolidate reporting and are easier to manage.

**Branch D — Campaign or multi-scan analysis:**
- Summarize aggregate trends across scan dates (ARP/SoLV movement).
- Identify best-performing and worst-performing location/keyword combinations.
- Apply Branch A diagnostic to declining or underperforming entries.
- Acknowledge what is working in improving entries — do not only focus on problems.

### Step 4: Prescribe Actions

Structure recommendations in three tiers:

**Immediate (today/this week):**
- GBP profile fixes: correct category, update hours, fix address, add missing attributes
- Scan configuration adjustments: center point, radius, grid size corrections
- Respond to unanswered reviews
- Fix any "closed during scan" flags — verify and correct business hours in GBP

**Medium-term (next 2-4 weeks):**
- Review generation campaign: target a specific number of reviews per month, with keyword-relevant content
- Local citation building: submit to top directories, ensure NAP consistency
- GBP content improvement: enhanced description (150-300 words), service listings, photo uploads, Google Posts
- Competitor-specific actions: match or exceed the top competitor on their differentiating factor

**Long-term (ongoing):**
- Sustained review velocity: maintain consistent monthly review flow
- AI content strategy: earn mentions on authoritative sites for AI platform visibility
- Local PR and content marketing: generate local press coverage and community engagement
- Re-scan timing: recommend specific intervals for validation scans to measure progress

### Step 5: Validation and Benchmarks

Set measurable targets tied to specific metrics:
- "Aim for ATRP below 7.0 within 30 days after implementing GBP fixes"
- "Match Competitor B's review count (currently 78 vs. your 34) within 60 days"
- "Target SoLV improvement of 5-10 percentage points by next month's scan"

Recommend specific validation timing:
- After immediate fixes: re-scan in 2 weeks
- After medium-term optimizations: re-scan in 30 days
- Ongoing monitoring: monthly campaign scans

Compare progress against specific competitors, not abstract benchmarks. "Your SoLV improved from 18% to 27%, closing the gap with Competitor A (34%)" is more actionable than "Your SoLV improved."

## GBP Optimization Benchmarks

Use these as directional guidance when assessing a business's Google Business Profile. These are not absolute thresholds — always contextualize relative to competitors in the same market.

### Reviews

- **Volume target:** Match or exceed the top 3 competitors' review counts. There is no universal "enough" — it depends on the market.
- **Velocity target:** Consistent monthly flow matters more than bursts. 5-10 reviews/month sustained over time outperforms 30 reviews in one month followed by silence.
- **Freshness:** No gaps exceeding 3-6 months without new reviews. Stale profiles signal declining relevance to both algorithms and consumers.
- **Response rate:** Target 100% of recent reviews responded to. Personalized responses outperform generic templates. Respond within 24-48 hours.
- **Rating:** 4.5+ with 50+ reviews provides credibility. 4.8+ with 100+ reviews positions as authority. A 5.0 from fewer than 10 reviews is less credible than 4.7 from 200+ reviews.
- **Photo reviews:** Encourage customers to include photos — these carry additional perceived authenticity.
- **Local Guide reviews:** Reviews from Google Local Guides may carry additional algorithmic weight. Do not specifically solicit from Local Guides, but note their presence as a quality signal.

### Profile Completeness

- **Primary category:** Must precisely match the business's core service. "Plumber" vs. "Plumbing Service" can affect ranking for different keywords.
- **Secondary categories:** Add all relevant categories, but do not over-categorize with unrelated services.
- **Business description:** 150-300 words with natural keyword inclusion. Describe what the business does, serves, and specializes in. Avoid keyword stuffing.
- **Services/Products:** List all services with descriptions. This helps match to specific long-tail keywords.
- **Attributes:** Complete all applicable attributes (wheelchair accessible, payment methods, etc.).
- **Photos:** Regularly upload high-quality photos. Businesses with more photos tend to receive more engagement.
- **Google Posts:** Post weekly or biweekly. Posts signal activity and can feature promotions, events, or updates.
- **Hours:** Accurate and complete, including special hours for holidays. Incorrect hours cause "closed during scan" flags and erode customer trust.

## Analysis Types

Different scan contexts require different analytical lenses:

### Own Brand Search

Scanning the business's own brand name (e.g., "Joe's Plumbing"). The business should dominate these results.

- Unexpected gaps in brand-search coverage warrant checking for competitors with similar names, duplicate listings, or GBP issues.
- Strong brand search performance is the baseline — it confirms GBP health but does not indicate market competitiveness.
- Use brand search scans as diagnostic tools: if the business can't rank for its own name, generic keyword optimization will not succeed.

### Competitor Brand Search

Scanning a competitor's brand name to assess their position.

- Useful for understanding the competitor's geographic footprint and dominance areas.
- The target business may appear in competitor brand searches at low positions — this is normal (Google sometimes shows alternatives).
- Compare the competitor's brand SoLV to their generic keyword SoLV to understand how much of their visibility is brand-driven vs. organically earned.

### Generic Keyword Search

Scanning non-branded keywords (e.g., "plumber near me," "best Italian restaurant"). This is the primary competitive analysis.

- The most useful scan type for strategic planning.
- Always check multiple keywords to build a complete picture — a business may dominate one keyword and be invisible for another.
- Compare across related keywords to identify the business's keyword strengths and weaknesses.

## Geographic Pattern Interpretation

### Proximity Bias

Google Maps heavily weights proximity. This creates predictable patterns:

- **Storefronts:** Strong rankings radiate outward from the business location, weakening with distance. The grid visualization shows a green center fading to red at edges. This is normal and expected.
- **Service Area Businesses (SABs):** May show strong rankings far from the office address, in areas where they serve customers. Evaluate weak rankings near the office against customer concentrations, service areas, competition, relevance, and proximity; do not assume the pattern is healthy or problematic.
- **Multi-location businesses:** Each location creates its own proximity zone. Scanning from one location's center point will show that location's dominance nearby and weakness in areas closer to another location.

### Keyword-in-Name Advantage

Businesses with the target keyword in their business name (e.g., "Dallas Emergency Plumbing" for the keyword "emergency plumbing") have a ranking advantage. This is a known Google Maps bias.

**When you encounter this:**
- Identify it explicitly: "Competitor X has a keyword-in-name advantage for this term."
- Do not recommend the user rename their business to include keywords — this violates Google guidelines and may result in suspension.
- Instead, recommend competing on other factors: review volume, category optimization, content authority, and GBP completeness.
- Suggest targeting related keywords where the competitor does not have a name advantage.

### Proximity Bias Overrides

Proximity is the strongest factor, but it can be overcome:

- **Reviews:** Significantly higher review count and velocity can extend a business's competitive radius beyond its proximity zone.
- **Category precision:** A business with a more precisely matched category can outrank closer competitors with broader or mismatched categories.
- **Authority:** Strong website authority, backlink profile, and citation consistency can extend reach.
- **Content relevance:** Detailed service descriptions, posts, and Q&A content that match the search keyword.

### Directional Patterns

When the grid shows poor rankings concentrated in a specific direction (e.g., northeast quadrant is all red):

1. Check the competitor report — there is likely a strong competitor located in that direction.
2. Identify what that competitor has: proximity advantage, more reviews, keyword-in-name, better category match.
3. Determine if the advantage is addressable (reviews, content) or structural (proximity, name).
4. If structural: recommend accepting the limitation in that zone and focusing on opportunity zones where competition is weaker.
5. If addressable: prescribe the specific action to close the gap.

## Hypothesis-Driven Analysis

Always apply this pattern when interpreting data:

1. **Form a testable theory** about why a pattern exists. Example: "ARP drops from 3.0 to 12.0 in the northwest quadrant because Competitor B is located there with 50 more reviews."
2. **Cross-reference data** for validation. Check the competitor report: does Competitor B actually have 50 more reviews? Is their location in the northwest? Does their SoLV correspond to the areas where the target business is weak?
3. **Distinguish correlation from causation.** The business may rank poorly in the northwest AND Competitor B may be strong there, but the cause could be a geographic barrier (highway, river) or a different primary category.
4. **State the likely mechanism** before prescribing action. "Competitor B's 78 reviews to your 34 likely accounts for their position advantage in overlapping proximity zones" is better than "get more reviews."
5. **Prescribe with specificity.** Not "improve your reviews" but "generate 10 reviews per month mentioning emergency services, which would close the review gap with Competitor B in approximately 4 months."

## Scan Configuration Guidance

### Radius Selection by Business Type

Use these as starting points, adjusting for local context:

- **Food/Beverage (restaurant, cafe, bar):** 1.0 mi base
- **Retail (shops, stores):** 1.5 mi base
- **Health/Medical (dentist, doctor, clinic):** 2.0 mi base
- **Professional Services (lawyer, accountant):** 2.5 mi base
- **Home Services SAB (plumber, electrician, HVAC):** 5.0-10.0 mi base
- **Specialty/Niche (antique shop, custom jeweler):** 3.0-5.0 mi base

**Density adjustment:**
- Urban core: multiply by 0.7 (competitors are denser, service areas smaller)
- Suburban: multiply by 1.0 (baseline)
- Rural: multiply by 1.5-2.0 (service areas are larger)

### Grid Size Selection

- **Small radius (0.5-1.5 mi):** Grid 3x3 or 5x5. Sufficient for dense urban storefronts.
- **Medium radius (1.5-3.5 mi):** Grid 5x5 or 7x7. Balances coverage and credit cost.
- **Large radius (3.5-7.0 mi):** Grid 7x7 or 9x9. Appropriate for suburban or SAB businesses.
- **Very large radius (7+ mi):** Grid 9x9 to 13x13. For broad service areas or rural businesses.

Larger grids cost more credits but provide finer geographic resolution. For ongoing monitoring, start with a moderate grid (7x7) and increase only if finer geographic detail is needed for decision-making.

### Center Point Placement

- **Storefronts:** Center on the business location. The scan measures visibility radiating from the physical location.
- **SABs:** Choose a center that represents the customer concentration and service area being studied. The office is not automatically the right center; residential neighborhoods may better represent an HVAC company's customers.
- **Multi-location:** Run separate scans centered on each location to understand each location's competitive position independently.

## Credit Management Strategy

- **Avoid duplicate scans:** Always check `listLocalFalconScanReports` before running new scans. If a recent scan exists with similar settings, use that data.
- **Right-size configurations:** Match grid size and radius to the business type. A 15x15 grid with a 20-mile radius for a single-location restaurant wastes credits without providing useful additional data.
- **Use campaigns for ongoing monitoring:** Campaigns consolidate reporting and schedule automatically, reducing manual scan overhead.
- **AI Analysis toggle:** May use additional existing credits. Explain the option and use the user's approved choice; ask only if that choice has not already been made. Aggregate metrics may suffice for routine monitoring.
- **Prioritize platforms:** Most businesses should focus credits on Google Maps scans. Add Apple Maps and AI platforms selectively based on business type and audience.
- **Optimize frequency:** Monthly scans are sufficient for most businesses. Increase to weekly or biweekly only during active optimization campaigns where rapid feedback justifies the credit spend.