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Rank Report Benchmarking Procedure

Parent Process: Google Ads Onboarding Process

Last Edited: 2026-06-29 01:32

Description

Step-by-step configuration guide for establishing ranking benchmarks and tracking campaigns in Whitespark and BrightLocal.

Goal

Configure accurate, white-labeled tracking instances across local search trackers to record pre-launch baseline metrics and support monthly analysis cycles.

Definitions / Prerequisites

• Whitespark: Local SEO rank tracking tool.
• BrightLocal: Local SEO auditing, citation tracking, and search grid analysis tool.
• Local Search Grid (LSG): A map-based rank tracking grid showing visibility at specific coordinate offsets.
• CID (Company ID): Unique PagePilot client identifier.

Workflow

Step 1: Whitespark Campaign Setup

1. Open the KeywordReportGen-WS tool (under Docs > Advanced Products Team Docs > Ranking Reports).
2. Enter basic client business information starting at cell B1.
3. Prune irrelevant industry categories from the categories checklist.
4. Input target cities in the City section.
5. Log in to Whitespark Local Rank Tracker using the team account (help@pagepilot.com).
6. Select New Campaign in the upper right.
7. Set the campaign name: (CID) Company Name (e.g. (1545) Online Access). Click Save & Continue.
8. Paste keywords generated from the General Keyword List.
9. Toggle Campaign Tracking to ON.
10. Check the tracking engines: Google Maps, Google Organic, Bing Local, Bing Organic.
11. Set the default engine view to Google Organic.
12. Turn email reports OFF.
13. Turn White-label Access to ON.
14. Under "Tracking Items", enter the company's root domain in the Domains & URLs field.
15. Locate the client's official Google Business Profile (GBP) and paste the exact business name into the Business Names field.
16. Enter the client's business phone number in the Phone Numbers field.
17. Adding Locations:
    • Click + Add tracking location.
    • Select the target Country.
    • Type the target City or ZIP code.
    • Match the location with the relevant city in the KeywordReportGen-WS helper sheet.
    • Add location-specific keywords.
    • Click Save.
    • Repeat until five primary locations are added.
18. Click Save Changes in the upper right.
19. Click Edit on the campaign, copy the final digit sequence at the end of the Share URL, and paste it into the client's Google Tools section in PagePilot admin (Analysis > Google Tools).

Step 2: Configure Keyword & Location Groups in Whitespark

1. Wait for the ranking report to complete its initial run.
2. Select Rankings on the campaign.
3. Click the + icon next to "Filter by keywords".
4. Select all keywords belonging to a specific category, type the Group Name, and click Filter.
5. Save the selection as a Keyword Group. Click X to clear active filters.
6. Repeat until all categories from the keyword sheet are added. Do not repeat keywords across different groups.
7. Click the + icon next to "Filter by locations".
8. Select the primary location and save as 1st City – Primary City.
9. Select secondary locations and save as 2nd City – Secondary City and 3rd City – Third City respectively.

Step 3: Add Competitors to Whitespark

1. Click the client's highest-volume search term (e.g. "AC Repair") inside Whitespark rankings.
2. Click the eyeball icon to view the live search engine results.
3. Identify two competitors ranking above the client in organic search. Record their name, phone number, and domain.
4. Review the client's Local Search Grid report and identify one maps competitor positioned directly adjacent to the client in the maps ranking stack. Record their business name, phone number, and domain.
5. In Whitespark, click Edit Campaign and scroll to Competitors.
6. Click Add Competitor and enter details for the three identified competitors.
7. Click Save Campaign. Send a confirmation message listing the 5 tracked cities to the Startup Coordinator.

Step 4: BrightLocal Location Configuration

1. Log in to BrightLocal.
2. Go to Locations Overview and click Add Location(s) +.
3. Under Add Single Location, click Add Location.
4. Search for the GBP listing in the search bar. If the address is hidden (Service Area Business / SAB), click Manually Enter Location.
5. Complete all address details, Category, Phone, and the client's Google CID reference.
6. Write the business description incorporating categories and service areas:
   • Formula: [Company Name] is a [service type] company based in [city]. We provide several services including [service1] and [service2]. Our company proudly services [city1], [city2], and [city3].
7. Add matching business categories (e.g. HVAC, Plumbing, or Electrical category groups).
8. Upload 3–5 brand photos (sourced from GMB or Facebook).
9. Add payment methods and social media links. Click Add Location.

Step 5: BrightLocal Citation Tracker Setup

1. In BrightLocal, click Local SEO Tools > Citation Tracker.
2. Click New Citations Report. Select the client's location.
3. Set the report name to the client's Company Name.
4. Under "Do you want this report to be available on an external URL?", select Yes.
5. Choose the appropriate White-label profile matching the client's class.
6. Under frequency settings, select Adhoc (run reports manually).
7. Set email alerts to No. Click Run Citation Search.

Step 6: BrightLocal Local Search Grid (LSG) Setup

1. In BrightLocal, click Local SEO Tools > Local Search Grid.
2. Click + Add New. Select the location.
3. Select Google Maps URL option (ideal for SABs to ensure correct listing resolution) and paste the GBP maps URL.
4. Set Grid Parameters: 7 x 7 grid, 2 miles spacing, distance unit Miles.
5. Input target keywords based on primary services (e.g. "Furnace Repair", "AC Repair", "Plumber").
6. Set frequency to Ad Hoc and disable email notifications.
7. Click Create Report.

Step 7: National or Statewide Benchmarking

1. If the client is regional or national, skip Whitespark and Local Search Grid.
2. Open Ahrefs and search for 3–4 competitors in the client's niche.
3. Create a Project in Ahrefs using the client's domain.
4. Review competing domains using "Keywords your target ranks for" and export high-intent terms.
5. Apply geographic state filters if the scope is statewide.
6. Add competitor domains in the project settings.
7. Complete the Citation Tracker setup in BrightLocal.
8. Reassign task to the coordinator indicating national setup is complete.

QA / Troubleshooting

• CID Retrieval: If the Google CID is missing, extract it using the Google Business Profile ID converter tool before configuring BrightLocal.
• Keyword Duplication: Double-check that keyword filtering in Whitespark does not result in a keyword existing in multiple groups.