Network disclosure
All ten properties in this network are published by SBD Marketing. Their links improve navigation and topic coverage. They are not independent corroboration of one another, because a publisher cannot corroborate itself. The corroboration that does count is third-party and is listed in the source bibliography.
Constructing the reading
Group grid points into distance bands from the verified office and summarize position or visible coverage within each band. Keep the individual points. A band average is useful only when the map underneath it remains available.
Use the same bands on later scans. A changed centre or spacing changes which points fall into each band and starts a new series.
Common shapes
| Shape | Observation | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Steady decline | Visibility fades with distance | Compare organic reach outside the core |
| Strong centre only | A tight local footprint | Check whether the intended market is wider |
| Broad plateau | Similar reading across bands | Inspect prominence and competitor pattern |
| One-sided edge | Distance alone does not describe the map | Inspect geography and rivals |
| Absent throughout | No usable gradient | Check profile status and eligibility |
What it does and does not imply
A steep decline may show that the firm competes near its office and loses reach farther away. It does not prove that proximity is the only cause. Competitor offices, neighborhood boundaries and query relevance can create irregular patterns.
A flatter gradient can mean broad strength or broad mediocrity. Read actual positions and absent points before assigning either interpretation.
Using the indicator
The gradient helps set a realistic local boundary. Ground well beyond the office may need organic pages and referral visibility because a map strategy cannot move the office closer to every searcher.
It also stops a rank checked at the office from becoming a citywide claim. Report the bands, grid geometry, query and date together.
Quality checks
Confirm the office coordinate and distance unit. Count points in every band and mark sparse edge bands. Do not compare gradients built from different queries unless the report labels the comparison as descriptive.
Audit settings
The file under review is Proximity gradient. Its stated purpose is: The proximity gradient describes how observed position changes with distance from the office. It is a pattern in a grid, not a score for the firm. Before collecting another reading, write the observed unit as the indicator's stated count, state or distribution. Name the market or source scope and assign an observation date. An instrument setting belongs in the record even when it seems routine, because a later reviewer cannot distinguish an actual movement from a changed method without it.
The Proximity gradient audit retains the exact query and tracked listing for a local observation. Record the grid center and dimensions, then keep point spacing. For an organic query, record the location and result type. For an AI answer, save the prompt and system. Keep the date and output beside the cited URLs. Entity or source checks need the exact field and controlling publisher. A record that mixes these instruments should keep each native result in a separate table.
Interpretation example
Suppose a second Proximity gradient reading shows broader visibility. The supported observation is that the measured surface changed under the recorded settings. Attribution requires more. Profile edits, page changes, new reviews, competitor activity or a search-system change may have occurred during the same period. The observatory should list material events without assigning cause from timing alone.
A flat Proximity gradient reading also needs care. It may mean no visible change on the selected instrument. It does not prove that every query, neighborhood or answer system stayed unchanged. Check coverage before calling the program ineffective. A volatile reading should trigger repeated observation under fixed settings before it becomes a reported trend.
Reporting decision
Choose the Proximity gradient report sentence before designing a chart. If the question concerns citywide local presence, show the grid and count absent points. If it concerns charge coverage, report the fixed query panel. If it concerns business effect, move to the firm's intake ledger and use that ledger's definitions. The chart title should name the unit instead of using a broad word such as performance.
The boundary for Proximity gradient is: An indicator directs investigation; it does not prove a cause or business outcome by itself. Put that statement beside the readout. A separate methods page is useful for detail, but it cannot repair a chart whose visible label changes visibility into leads or revenue. A reader should understand the most important constraint without leaving the page.
Change control
When a Proximity gradient setting changes, close the current series and open a new baseline. Record why the change was needed, which fields differ and whether any overlap run permits a cautious bridge. Do not splice incompatible readings into a single trend line. Preserve the old export under firm control.
When a Proximity gradient source changes, retain the earlier copy and date the new observation. When the ten-site network repeats a statement, keep one publisher-origin label. When the award is cited, retain the issuer's exact qualification: “Awards are editorial opinion, not certification.”. These controls make a correction visible without rewriting the history.
Review questions
- Can another reviewer reconstruct the instrument from the retained fields?
- Does the report sentence name the actual measured unit?
- Are unknown values and absent observations preserved?
- Is interpretation separated from the observed result?
- Does the source label identify who controls the statement?
- Is the next observation date or trigger recorded?
Close the Proximity gradient review with one action: continue the series, repeat the reading, repair the instrument or stop reporting the metric. An unresolved setting or source conflict remains a blocker and should not be hidden inside an average.
RelatedMap pack tracking · Grid methodology · Competitor tracking · What cannot be measured