Quick answer
How do I check local search results in another European city?
Open a private browser window through a residential proxy in that city, set the local interface language and search a handful of key terms by hand. With EuroCity Proxies, the city is one username parameter, such as -country-pl-city-gdansk, included on every plan from $0.95 for 1 GB (October 2026). Keep checks manual and occasional.
Why do results differ between two cities of one country?
Search engines adapt results to the searcher's location. Map packs, local business listings, delivery-based results and some ads change from Munich to Hamburg, or from Lyon to Lille, even for the same query.
Search Console reports clicks and positions by country, not by city. A city IP fills that gap: it shows the actual page a household in that city gets, with its local pack and its language.
Providers suited to this work are scored in best proxies for local SEO in Europe 2026; more methods are in the use case overview and the buyer guides.
How do I run a city check step by step?
Pick the city
Open its city page and copy the parameter, for example
-country-it-city-bologna.Use a sticky session
Add
-session-seo1-ttl-10so every page of the check comes from one IP. up to 30 minutes (the IP can change earlier).Set a clean browser profile
Use a private window or a fresh profile with the local language (Italian for Bologna). Leave the proxy on port 7777; browsers do not send a SOCKS5 password.
Confirm the exit
Open an IP lookup first. If it shows another city, start a new session ID before checking anything.
Search a few terms by hand
Note the local pack and the first results. Close the session before moving to the next city.
What should not be automated?
Do not script queries against search engines through proxies. Google's terms prohibit automated access that ignores robots.txt, and google.com/robots.txt disallows /search. Since January 2025, Google also requires JavaScript for search pages, so a plain HTTP request gets an empty shell.
For tracking hundreds of keywords, use Search Console data or a SERP data provider. Keep the city IP for the visual check of a few queries, the kind of work a person does in an audit.
Why can two checks from the same city disagree?
Results also depend on the time, the search history and small differences in location. Geolocation databases can place an address block in a neighbouring town; each city page lists the towns you may see, such as Leverkusen around Cologne or Saint-Denis around Paris.
Compare two or three checks rather than relying on one, and read the geolocation accuracy guide before drawing conclusions from small differences.
How much traffic does it use?
A results page with images can weigh a few megabytes, and a check of ten queries in one city may use tens of megabytes. Measure one check with your browser's network panel, then size your plan.
$0.95 buys 1 GB, enough to try several cities. Prepaid residential and rotating-mobile traffic never expires: unused GB stay on your account until you use them, so a 10 GB plan ($8) can serve months of occasional audits.
Local SEO checks: FAQ
Can I check Google Maps rankings in a city?
Yes, by hand, the same way: a city IP, a clean profile and the local language. Maps also uses the location you type and the map area on screen, so keep those consistent with the city you test.
Which search language should I use?
The main local one: German in Vienna, Polish in Kraków, Catalan or Spanish in Barcelona depending on your audience. Each country page names the main search language.
Can I check several cities at the same time?
Yes, with one browser profile per city and one username per profile, for example -country-es-city-madrid and -country-es-city-valencia.
Does a city IP change my ad results?
It can, but do not use live searches to verify ads: each one that shows your ad counts as an impression. See ad verification.
Sources (1)
- Google, robots.txt of google.com (Disallow: /search) (2026-10-18)