Prospecting Tools
The 19 signals we score on every local business
Most lead tools score six things, all of them fields on a Google listing. Here are the 19 we score, and where the difference actually is.
The opportunity
The number of signals is not the point. The point is which ones you can reach. Listing fields are free to anyone and competed for by everyone. What the site actually does is where the defensible prospects are.
Why most lead tools miss this
11 of these 19 cannot be answered from a map listing. They need the website fetched, rendered and read. A tool that never opens the site can only ever score the other six.
How it works
- 1Every business is scored against all 19 signals.
- 2Signals are weighted by category, because what is weak for a restaurant is normal for a locksmith.
- 3The result is one visibility score plus the specific gaps behind it.
- 4Every gap carries the evidence, so it can go straight into an email.
All 19 signals
11 of these require the website to be fetched and rendered. The rest can be read from a Google listing, which is why they are the ones every other tool scores.
- Poor photographyNeeds the site
Photos are dark, blurry, amateur, or too few.
- A weak or outdated siteNeeds the site
The site loads but is thin, dated, or barely maintained.
- No website at allListing field
The listing has no site of its own.
- Invisible to AI searchNeeds the site
They do not come back when an assistant is asked for their service.
- Weak SEONeeds the site
Missing titles, headings and structure a search engine needs.
- Site is not secureNeeds the site
No certificate, so browsers warn visitors away.
- Not mobile friendlyNeeds the site
The site breaks or is unusable on a phone.
- No online bookingNeeds the site
No way to book without calling during opening hours.
- A stale websiteNeeds the site
Footer year and content are years behind, so nobody maintains it.
- Only a social pageListing field
The whole online presence is one social profile.
- No video contentNeeds the site
Nothing that shows the work being done.
- No virtual tourNeeds the site
No interior view for a business customers walk into.
- No before and after galleryNeeds the site
No proof of results for a trade that sells on results.
- An unclaimed Google profileListing field
Nobody has taken ownership of the listing.
- Buried on GoogleListing field
They rank far down the local results for their own category.
- A low star ratingListing field
Rating sits below the bar customers expect in the category.
- Barely any reviewsListing field
Too few reviews to build trust against nearby competitors.
- Never replies to reviewsListing field
Reviews go unanswered, including the negative ones.
- A weak online presence overallListing field
The combined score, not a single gap.
Frequently asked questions
How is a local business lead scored?
Packleads scores 19 signals covering the Google listing, the website itself, review health over time, and whether AI assistants can find the business. Signals are weighted by category and combined into one visibility score with the underlying gaps kept visible.
Why do most lead tools only score around six signals?
Because they read the Google Maps listing and nothing else. Presence of a website, phone, opening hours, rating, review count and listing age are all fields on that listing. Anything about the website itself requires fetching and rendering it.
Which signals cannot be read from a Google listing?
11 of the 19. Site quality, SEO structure, AI search visibility, security certificate, mobile usability, online booking, video, galleries, virtual tours, footer freshness and answerable content all require opening the site.
Does more signals mean better prospects?
Only if the extra signals reach somewhere others cannot. Scoring the same listing fields more times adds nothing. The value is in the gaps that require work to detect, because those are the ones your competitors are not pitching.
Run this search on your city
Describe the market in your own words. Every business comes back scored, with the gaps and the evidence attached. One credit per delivered prospect, refunded when nothing qualifies.
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