How to Run a Market Scan

By the MarketRadar team · 4 min read ·3 steps ·Last updated Invalid Date

A scan pulls live local business data from Google Maps and/or Bing Places for your chosen keyword and location. It scores each business and calculates market-level stats so you can see exactly how competitive the space is.

Overview

A scan pulls live local business data from Google Maps and/or Bing Places for your chosen keyword and location. It scores each business and calculates market-level stats so you can see exactly how competitive the space is.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

  • A MarketRadar account (free or paid)
  • A keyword in mind (the service or product category)
  • A target location (city, neighborhood, or ZIP)

Step 1: Open the scan page

From your dashboard, click New Scan in the left sidebar. This takes you to the full-page scan interface.

Step 2: Enter your keyword

Type the product or service category you want to research. Keep it simple — MarketRadar works best with local service keywords like:

  • plumber
  • personal injury lawyer
  • urgent care
  • breakfast restaurant
  • yoga studio

Avoid brand names or very broad terms. The more specific the keyword, the more actionable the results.

Step 3: Enter your location

Type a city and state, a neighborhood, or a ZIP code:

  • Austin, TX
  • Downtown Chicago
  • 90210
  • Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Step 4: Choose your scan source

Google — pulls Google Maps results. Best for GBP completeness data, review counts, and star ratings.

Bing — pulls Bing Places results. Often surfaces businesses that rank differently on Bing vs. Google, giving you a fuller picture.

Both (recommended) — runs both scans and combines the data. Results may take slightly longer but give you the most complete market view.

Step 5: Run the scan

Click the Run Scan button. The progress bar shows real-time status. A typical scan takes:

  • Google only: 20–40 seconds
  • Bing only: 30–60 seconds
  • Both: 45–90 seconds

Step 6: Review and export

When the scan finishes you'll see the full report automatically. From there you can:

  • View each business's individual score
  • Click any business to see their detailed breakdown
  • Export as a PDF (branded or plain)
  • Save the scan to your history

Troubleshooting

Scan is stuck at 0% — This usually means the search returned no results. Try broadening your keyword (e.g. dentist instead of pediatric dentist Phoenix) or checking your location spelling.

Results look incomplete — Some markets have fewer than 10 active businesses in the top results. This is expected for very niche keywords or rural areas.

Scan failed — Refresh the page and try again. If the issue persists, contact support.