In 60 Seconds
- •Traditional 'share of voice' metrics are too broad. They measure generic visibility, not Buying Moment dominance.
- •The Coverage Score is a binary metrics: For a specific high-intent search, do you appear in the top 3? Yes (1) or No (0).
- •If you dominate 'water heater repair' but are invisible for 'tankless water heater installation', your score might be 50%, but you are losing the higher margin work.
- •A high score means you own the infrastructure for that demand. A low score means you are renting visibility or entirely absent.
- •Tracking this score quarterly prevents the 'boiled frog' effect where competitors slowly steal market share.
You cannot manage what you do not measure.
Most business owners rely on "feel" to judge their market position. "I see our trucks everywhere." "Phones seem busy."
Feelings are not data. And feelings will lie to you while your market share erodes.
The Buying Moment Coverage Score is a simple, brutal metric. It strips away the vanity metrics of "total traffic" or "social likes" and asks one question:
When a customer has a verified Buying Moment, do you show up?
How to Calculate Your Score
You don't need a data scientist. You need a spreadsheet and an hour of honesty.
1. Define Your "Core 20"
List the 20 most important Buying Moments for your business. These should be specific, high-intent triggers (see Buying Moment Map).
- Example: "Emergency AC repair", "New AC financing", "Trane AC installer", "AC blowing warm air".
2. The Search Test
Perform a search for each of the 20 terms in an incognito window, localized to your service area.
3. Scoring Criteria
For each search, give yourself points based on owned visibility (not ads).
- 1 Point: You are in the Local Pack (Map) Top 3.
- 1 Point: You are in the Organic Top 3 results.
- 0 Points: You are anywhere else.
Note: Why exclude ads? Ads are rented. Coverage Score measures Infrastructure. If you stop paying, ads vanish. Infrastructure stays.
4. The Formula
(Total Points / 40) * 100 = Coverage Score
- Max Score: 100% (You own the Map and Organic for every term).
- Good Score: >60%
- Danger Zone: <30%
Interpreting Your Score
The 80-100% Zone (Dominance)
You are the "Gorilla" in your market.
- Action: Defend. Competitors are gunning for you. Focus on Proof and Trust to ensure conversion remains high.
The 40-79% Zone (Contender)
You have a strong base but act like a "Generalist."
- Action: Attack the gaps. You likely rank for "Plumber" but miss "Leak Detection." Build specific Landing Pages for the zeros.
The 0-39% Zone (Invisible)
You are surviving on referrals or expensive ads. You have no owned asset value.
- Action: Emergency build. You need to construct the basic Local Visibility Systems immediately.
Why This Score Matters More Than Ranking
Rankings fluctuate daily. Infrastructure is stable.
If your Coverage Score is high, it means you have built a digital moat. Even if Google changes an algorithm, you have enough breadth of coverage (across maps, organic, specific services) that you won't vanish.
If your score is low, you are fragile. One policy change, one suspended profile, or one aggressive competitor can wipe out your lead flow overnight.
Verification Checklist
- Core 20 List Created: Have you identified the 20 terms that actually pay the bills?
- Incognito Verification: Did you test from a "clean" browser to avoid personalized results bias?
- Score Recorded: Write it down. Date it. This is your baseline.
- Gap Analysis: Highlight every "0" on your list. That is your content roadmap for next month.
Common Mistakes
[!TIP] Don't Cheat with Brand Terms Do not include your own company name in the Core 20. Of course you rank for "Bob's Plumbing." That isn't a Buying Moment; that's a referral. You need to know if you rank for strangers.
- Ignoring the Map: "I'm #1 organically!" doesn't matter if the customer only looks at the Map Pack.
- Expanding Too Fast: Don't try to score 100% in 5 cities at once. Dominate one zip code or city, then expand.
- Confusing Ads with Coverage: "I'm at the top!" (because you paid for it). That is meaningless for this score.
FAQ
Q: Can I automate this tracking? A: Yes. Tools like Semrush or BrightLocal can track rankings. But for the initial audit, manual is better. You need to see what the customer sees (including the spammy competitors).
Q: What if I have a 0% score? A: Don't panic. It means you have massive upside. Every piece of infrastructure you build now will directly increase lead flow.
Sources and References
- Moz: Local Search Ranking Factors - The definitive guide to what drives local coverage.
- Search Engine Journal: The Zero Click Search Crisis - Why being in the snippet/map matters more than being link #1.
Changelog
- 2024-03-14: Initial publication.
Read Next in This Hub:
- Buying Moment Map - Build your Core 20 list.
- Competitor Coverage Audit - See what they are scoring.
Related System:
- Local Visibility Systems - Improve your organic reach.