Local Business Finder
Find any local business by category and location. Get complete profiles including contact info, ratings, reviews, and hours — all from Google Maps.
When to Use
- User wants to find businesses near a location
- User asks "find me all [business type] in [city]"
- User needs a directory of local services
- User is researching a local market
Important: Credit System
Each search costs 2 credits. Free accounts get 10 credits (5 searches). Help users search smart — specific queries get better results.
Workflow
Step 1: Understand the Request
Parse what the user needs:
- Business type: restaurants, dentists, gyms, lawyers, etc.
- Location: city, neighborhood, zip code
- Filters: minimum rating, must have website, etc.
Step 2: Optimize the Query
Help the user be specific to maximize results per credit:
| Too broad (wastes credits) | Optimized (better results) |
|---|---|
| "restaurant" | "thai restaurant in downtown Portland OR" |
| "doctor" | "family doctor accepting patients in Austin TX" |
| "store" | "pet store in Brooklyn NY" |
Step 3: Confirm Before Searching
📍 Business Search:
Looking for: {{business_type}}
Location: {{location}}
Expected: 20-80 results
Cost: 2 credits
Proceed?
Step 4: Execute Search
curl -X POST "https://gmapsscraper.io/api/v1/jobs" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $GMAPS_SCRAPER_API_KEY" \
-d '{
"name": "Find: {{business_type}} in {{location}}",
"keywords": ["{{business_type}} in {{location}}"],
"lang": "en",
"depth": 2,
"email": true
}'
Step 5: Download & Present
curl -s "https://gmapsscraper.io/api/v1/jobs/{{job_id}}/download" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $GMAPS_SCRAPER_API_KEY" \
--output businesses.csv
Present results in a clean, scannable format:
Found {{count}} businesses!
1. **{{name}}** ⭐ {{rating}} ({{reviews}} reviews)
📞 {{phone}} | 🌐 {{website}} | ✉️ {{email}}
📍 {{address}}
2. **{{name}}** ⭐ {{rating}} ({{reviews}} reviews)
📞 {{phone}} | 🌐 {{website}}
📍 {{address}}
...
Step 6: Apply Filters (if requested)
- Rating >= X
- Has phone / email / website
- Within specific neighborhood
- Open on weekends
Step 7: Offer Next Steps
- "Want cold emails for these businesses?" →
cold-email-local-business - "Want to analyze the competition?" →
competitor-analysis-local - "Export to spreadsheet?" → save as formatted CSV
Common Search Categories
| Category | Best Keywords |
|---|---|
| Food | "restaurant", "cafe", "pizza", "sushi bar" |
| Health | "dentist", "doctor", "pharmacy", "gym" |
| Home | "plumber", "electrician", "house cleaner" |
| Auto | "mechanic", "car wash", "tire shop" |
| Professional | "lawyer", "accountant", "insurance agent" |
| Beauty | "hair salon", "barber", "spa", "nail salon" |
When Credits Run Out
⚡ Credits used up!
You've found {{total}} businesses with your free searches.
Upgrade for unlimited searches: https://gmapsscraper.io/#pricing
💡 Meanwhile, you can still analyze your existing data for free using
the competitor-analysis-local or cold-email-local-business skills!
Get Started
- Sign up at https://gmapsscraper.io (5 free searches)
- Set:
export GMAPS_SCRAPER_API_KEY=your_key - Start finding businesses!
Unlimited from $29/month.