How to get local search results [tip from developers]

Sometimes you need to check how the SERP looks like in another location than you are currently in, i.e. when you need to inspect local advertisements in Adwords or when you are doing a local SEO keyword research. This tip for local search results works best for search queries such as “pizza near me”, “best hotel in town” or so.

Use browser developer tools in Google Chrome

You can get local search results by simulating your location in your browser thanks to setting up a location preset or selecting custom location by entering GPS coordinates. I will show you how to do this in the following steps:

1. Open an Incognito mode in Google Chrome and head over to google.com
2. Submit a search query: you will get SERP for your location
3. Open Developer tools (F12 on Windows or CMD + ALT + I on OSX)
4. Open the “Three dots” menu > More tools > Sensors
   
   
5. Select your location or enter custom GPS coordinates
6. Scroll down to bottom of the SERP and click “Update location”
   
   
7. Reload the page (F5 on Win, CMD + R on OSX)

Now you get exactly the same SERP as seen by a person in the selected location. In the examples below, I simulated two locations: “San Francisco” from the location presets and “Springfield, Missouri” with custom GPS coordinates.

You can get exact GPS coordinates by doing a right-click anywhere in Google Maps.

Another option is to use Internet Explorer’s developer tools with a similar process.

The easier method: SERPChecker

Pretty cool, isn’t it? We have used this method in Mangools to test if SERPChecker gives the right results.

On the other hand, I admit it might be a bit too complicated. That’s why we’ve got this covered with a user-friendly tool called SERPChecker.

1. Head over to SERPChecker
2. Select the location from the location dropdown menu and submit your search query
3. Click “Preview snapshot” in the upper right corner

That’s it. You can get local search results much easier right in the SERPChecker.

What’s your method?

Do you use any other method to simulate locations when inspecting SERP? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below.