Local SEO competitor audit

1. 01Search what customers search

   Run the searches customers type, each as its own call. position is the order in the Maps list; drop sponsored results before you compare positions.

   GET /v1/search?engine=google_maps&q=plumbers+in+Denver&country=us · results.0

   {
     "position": 1,
     "title": "Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric",
     "place_id": "ChIJkWUJx22Ha4cRVVLq4AJk7Ng",
     "data_id": "0x876b876dc7096591:0xd8ec6402e0ea5255",
     "cid": "15630978370222314069",
     "latitude": 39.7583004,
     "longitude": -105.0512657,
     "rating": 4.8,
     "reviews_count": 17793,
     "category": "Plumber",
     "price": null,
     "address": "5000 W 29th Ave",
     "open_state": "Open · Closes 10 PM",
     "phone": "(303) 444-1633",
     "website": "https://www.applewoodfixit.com/",
     "description": null,
     "wheelchair_accessible": null,
     "action_links": [
       {
         "label": "Book online",
         "url": "https://book.servicetitan.com/lhxa271djh03w5bfje81s0qd"
       }
     ],
     "thumbnail": null,
     "sponsored": false,
     "url": "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJkWUJx22Ha4cRVVLq4AJk7Ng"
   }

2. 02Compare the businesses above you

   Rating, reviews_count, and category explain much of the order. A competitor with ten times the reviews, or a more specific category, will usually rank above you.

   GET /v1/search?engine=google_maps&q=plumbers+in+Denver&country=us · results.1

   {
     "position": 2,
     "title": "Brothers Plumbing, Heating & Electric",
     "place_id": "ChIJszGcvzV0bIcR3_6j5Gru8sM",
     "data_id": "0x876c7435bf9c31b3:0xc3f2ee6ae4a3fedf",
     "cid": "14119609924629823199",
     "latitude": 39.8096461,
     "longitude": -104.9881312,
     "rating": 4.7,
     "reviews_count": 9173,
     "category": "Plumber",
     "price": null,
     "address": "6201 Broadway",
     "open_state": "Open · Closes 8 PM",
     "phone": "(720) 994-7132",
     "website": "http://www.brothersplumbing.com/",
     "description": null,
     "wheelchair_accessible": true,
     "action_links": [
       {
         "label": "Book online",
         "url": "https://book.servicetitan.com/xlcp8o3v3fnyrpk2sh94bcux"
       }
     ],
     "thumbnail": null,
     "sponsored": false,
     "url": "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJszGcvzV0bIcR3_6j5Gru8sM"
   }

3. 03Read what reviews mention

   Place returns review_topics, the phrases Google extracts from reviews with how often each is mentioned, plus the rating histogram and the week's hours. Topics a competitor is praised for are services to name in your own profile.

   GET /v1/place?engine=google_maps&place_id=ChIJszGcvzV0bIcR3_6j5Gru8sM · place.review_topics

   [
     {
       "topic": "furnace repair",
       "mentions": 315
     },
     {
       "topic": "knowledgeable staff",
       "mentions": 2454
     },
     {
       "topic": "water heater replacement",
       "mentions": 166
     }
   ]

# Local competitor audit: how a business compares with the others Google
# Maps shows for the searches its customers make.
import os, requests

API = "https://api.clair.im"
HEADERS = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['CLAIR_API_KEY']}"}
MY_PLACE_ID = "ChIJszGcvzV0bIcR3_6j5Gru8sM"
SEARCHES = ["plumber denver", "water heater repair denver", "emergency plumber denver"]

def get(path, **params):
    r = requests.get(f"{API}{path}", headers=HEADERS, timeout=120,
                     params={"engine": "google_maps", **params})
    r.raise_for_status()
    return r.json()

for q in SEARCHES:
    results = [p for p in get("/v1/search", q=q)["results"] if not p["sponsored"]]
    mine = next((p for p in results if p["place_id"] == MY_PLACE_ID), None)
    print(f"\n{q}: position {mine['position'] if mine else 'not listed'} of {len(results)}")
    for p in results[:5]:
        print(f"  #{p['position']} {p['title']}: {p['rating']} stars, {p['reviews_count']} reviews")

# What customers mention most, for you and the top competitor of the last search.
for place_id in [MY_PLACE_ID, results[0]["place_id"]]:
    place = get("/v1/place", place_id=place_id)["place"]
    topics = ", ".join(f"{t['topic']} ({t['mentions']})" for t in place["review_topics"])
    print(f"\n{place['title']} [{place['view']} view]: {topics}")

Set CLAIR_API_KEY to a key subscribed to the Google Maps API. Each call is one request against that API's monthly quota.

• Maps positions depend on where the searcher is. Clair searches from the country you pass, and centres the map on latitude and longitude when you send them; a phone in a different neighbourhood can see a different order.
• Google does not publish how it ranks local results. Rating, review count, category, and distance explain much of it, not all.
• Place details can come back in Google's limited view, without review topics or the histogram. place.view says which view you got.