LocalGrow Documentation
Everything you need to install, configure, and get production-quality AI blog posts running on your WordPress site in under 15 minutes.
What is LocalGrow?
LocalGrow is a WordPress plugin that automatically generates SEO-optimized blog posts for local service businesses — using AI to produce professional content, featured images, and schema markup on a set schedule.
Scan your site
LocalGrow reads your existing pages, services, and categories to understand your business.
Generate keywords & topics
AI generates 30–40 SEO keywords and 10–20 blog topic ideas tailored to your industry and service area.
Publish posts automatically
On your chosen schedule (daily, 3x/week, etc.), LocalGrow writes full posts with featured images, meta descriptions, internal links, and Yoast-ready SEO — and publishes them as drafts or live.
Download the Plugin
After purchasing, you'll receive a license key and download link by email.
Check your email
A download link and your license key are sent automatically after checkout to the email you used to purchase.
Download the ZIP
Click the download link in the email. You'll receive localgrow.zip — the WordPress plugin file. Save it to your computer.
Didn't get the email?
Check spam. Still nothing? Email support with your order email and we'll resend it immediately.
Install & Activate
LocalGrow installs like any standard WordPress plugin — no FTP or coding required.
Go to Plugins → Add New
In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
Upload the ZIP file
Click Choose File, select localgrow.zip, then click Install Now.
Activate the plugin
After installation completes, click Activate Plugin. You'll see LocalGrow appear in your left sidebar.
Activate Your License
Your license key ties the plugin to your domain and unlocks post generation.
Open LocalGrow → Settings
In your WP dashboard, click LocalGrow in the sidebar, then go to the Settings tab.
Paste your license key
Copy the license key from your email and paste it into the License Key field.
Click Activate License
Hit the Activate button. You should see a green "License Active" confirmation. You're ready to generate posts.
Running Your First Site Scan
The site scan reads your existing content and generates keyword & topic recommendations. Run it once per month.
Go to the Dashboard tab
In LocalGrow, click the Dashboard tab. You'll see a "Scan Site & Generate Keywords" button in the Quick Actions panel.
Set your Service Area first
Before scanning, go to Settings → Service Area and enter your target location (e.g. Nassau County, Suffolk County, Long Island NY). This ensures keywords are location-specific.
Click Scan & wait
The scan takes 30–60 seconds. It reads your pages, generates 30–40 SEO keywords, and creates 10–20 blog topic ideas. Topics appear on the Topics tab.
Settings Reference
All settings are found in LocalGrow → Settings tab.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| License Key | Your unique key — activates the plugin and ties it to your domain. |
| Service Area | Your target location for keywords and posts (e.g. "Long Island, NY" or "Nassau & Suffolk County"). Set this before scanning. |
| Industry Override | Optional. Manually set your industry if the scan misidentifies it. |
| Post Frequency | How often posts are auto-generated: Daily, 3x/week, 1x/week, etc. Set to Off to disable auto-posting. |
| Auto-Publish | Publish posts immediately as Live, or save as Draft for your review first. |
| Enable Images | Toggles AI-generated featured images on/off for each post. |
| Enable Yoast | Automatically sets Yoast SEO fields (title, meta description) on each post. |
| GA4 Measurement ID | Optional. Your GA4 ID for tracking post performance. |
Branding & Image Settings
Found in LocalGrow → Customize tab. These settings directly control how AI-generated images and post content reflect your brand.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Brand Guidelines | Describe your brand's writing style and tone. Used for post content generation. |
| Primary Brand Color | Your main brand color (hex). Used to set the truck/vehicle color in AI images. Enter the hex code directly (e.g. #3B9A00). |
| Secondary Brand Color | Accent color for secondary elements. |
| Image Generation Style | Photography style preference, e.g. "professional photorealistic, outdoor daylight." |
| Brand Reference Images | Upload 1–3 photos of your actual trucks, team, or job sites. The AI analyzes these and matches the visual style in every generated image. |
| Image Theme / What to Show | Describe the types of scenes to generate — your vehicles, team members, service locations, neighborhoods. The more specific, the better the images. |
Topics & Keywords
After a scan, generated topics appear on the Topics tab. Each topic is a blog post waiting to be written.
Review generated topics
Go to the Topics tab. You'll see 10–20 topic ideas with titles, focus keywords, and categories. These are generated from your keywords and service area.
Topics don't look right?
Check that Service Area is set in Settings, then use Clear All Topics and rescan. The Service Area field overrides whatever the scanner detected.
Clear & regenerate
Use the 🗑️ Clear All Topics button to remove the current list without affecting any settings. Then force a rescan for fresh topics.
Generating Posts
Posts can be generated manually or on a schedule.
Manual: Generate Post Now
On the Dashboard, click Generate Post Now to write and publish the next topic immediately. Great for testing before enabling auto-scheduling.
Automatic: Set a frequency
In Settings → Post Frequency, choose how often posts are generated. LocalGrow uses WordPress Cron to trigger generation on schedule.
Review your posts
Generated posts appear in Posts → All Posts in WordPress (as Drafts or Published, per your setting). The History tab in LocalGrow shows all posts generated so far.
AI Image Generation
LocalGrow uses Google Imagen 4 + Gemini Vision to generate professional, brand-matched featured images for every post.
Enable images in Settings
Go to Settings → Enable Images and make sure it's checked.
Set up your Image Theme
In Customize → Image Theme / What to Show, describe the types of scenes you want — your vehicles, team, neighborhoods. This is the most important setting for image quality.
Upload Brand Reference Images
Upload 1–3 real photos of your fleet or team in Customize → Brand Reference Images. The AI will match the truck color and visual style from these photos.
Test before posting
Use the 🧪 Test Image Generation tool in the Customize tab. Enter a topic description and hit Generate — results appear in ~10 seconds with no post created.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many posts can I generate per month?
Your plan includes a monthly post limit. Check the Dashboard tab for your current count and limit. Limits reset on the 1st of each month.
Will posts sound like AI?
LocalGrow uses Claude Sonnet — one of the best models for natural writing. Setting detailed Brand Guidelines and a specific Service Area significantly improves authenticity. Always review posts before publishing live.
Can I use it on multiple sites?
Each license key is domain-locked to one site. Purchase separate licenses for each domain, or contact us about agency pricing.
The scan ran but topics look wrong
Make sure Service Area is filled in Settings before scanning. This overrides the scanner's location detection. Clear topics, rescan, and they should be local and relevant.
How do I cancel?
Cancel anytime via the billing portal link in your purchase confirmation email, or email us and we'll handle it immediately. No questions asked.
Get Help
We're a small team and we actually respond.
Email Support
Email us at hello@localgrow.app and include your license key and a description of the issue. We typically respond within a few hours.