How it works
Social Pulse
A single number, 0 to 100, that tells you how alive a place feels right now.
What it measures
Social Pulse is a freshness score, not a quality score. A higher number means more people are actively saving, visiting, and posting about a place this week — it does not mean the food is better or the room is nicer. Think of it as a heartbeat: louder when a place is in motion, softer when it's resting.
The five signal groups
Pulse blends five groups of first-party signal. Each group is normalized to 0–100, then weighted into the final score. Recent activity always counts for more than old activity.
- Intent · 50%Saves, collection adds, and return visits. The strongest evidence of genuine interest in actually going.
- Action · 20%Real-world clicks: directions, website, call, reservation, social profile, share. Friction crossed = stronger signal.
- Momentum · 15%Score change over the last 7 days vs. the prior 30. Rewards acceleration, not just volume.
- Discovery · 10%Profile views and search appearances. Capped — views alone can never produce a high score.
- Trust · 5%Claimed profile, verification, completeness, and how recently the listing was updated.
Time decay
Every signal is bucketed by age and weighted on a sliding scale, so the score stays fresh:
Hidden Gem boost
We compute a hidden quality metric, the Save Rate (saves divided by views). We never display it, but places with an unusually high ratio earn a modest bonus on the score. That's how small, beloved spots can outrank larger, more visible places that don't convert interest into intent.
Trend
The arrow next to the score compares today's pulse to the previous calculation. A change of 3 points or more in either direction flips the badge to Trending or Cooling. Smaller swings read as Steady.
Preview scores
New places start with a seeded preview score so the map isn't empty. You'll see a small dot or a "Preview" label next to those — it means no real activity has rolled in yet. As soon as the place gets its first saves, views, or a connected social account, the score becomes live.
Trust & independence
Social Pulse, momentum, and rankings are never influenced by paid placement or by any paid Locaia plan.
- Pro does not increase Social Pulse or organic rank.
- Multi-location does not increase Social Pulse or organic rank.
- Featured only affects visibility — where a place appears — and is always clearly labeled.
- An automated independence check verifies this on every deploy.
Momentum & rankings
Pulse tells you how much attention a place is generating right now. Momentum tells you which direction it's moving — `+12 this week` means Pulse has gained 12 points over the last 7 days.
Every place is also ranked within its category and city. A place with a lower overall Pulse can still trend higher on the Trending leaderboard if its momentum is climbing faster.
What it is not
- It's not a star rating or a review aggregate.
- It's not paid placement — Featured slots are labeled separately.
- It's not a popularity contest across cities. Pulse only makes sense compared to other places in the same neighborhood and category.
What's coming
We're building two additional layers that are not yet part of the public Social Pulse: External Social Buzz (verified external social relevance) and Creator Influence (trusted creator-driven discovery). When they meet our coverage, freshness, and validation gates, they'll be added — and we'll explain the change here first.
Own a place?
Claim your listing to keep the details accurate. Connecting Instagram or TikTok helps consumers discover your socials directly from your Locaia profile — it does not currently change your Social Pulse score.