Google Business Profile (GBP) is a powerful free tool that local businesses can use to manage their online presence and engage with customers via Google Search and Google Maps.
But it takes more than just setting up and maintaining a GBP to truly leverage all the benefits of the platform — understanding the insights it provides can be key to maximizing engagement and conversions.
When it comes to tracking the performance of your Google Business Profile, GBPs native Insights analytics offer plenty of ways to see how users are finding and interacting with your profile.
Keep reading to find out how business owners and local SEO professionals can use Google Business Profile Insights to track performance and optimize their profiles, even potentially using data from Insights to guide other marketing and business strategies.
What Are Google Business Profile Insights?
Google Business Profile Insights is an analytics feature within the GBP dashboard that provides valuable data on how customers interact with your business listing.
GBP Insights offer various metrics on visibility, engagement, and actions taken by users, helping you understand how your profile is working to attract and convert leads.
Key Google Business Profile Insights Metrics to Monitor:
Views
Google Business Profile Insights offer two metrics for views: search views and maps views.
Search views show how often your business profile appeared in Google Search results (for browser-based searches), while Maps views indicate how often your business was found on Google Maps.
These metrics are a good indicator of your overall visibility (although they don't show your ranking). They also provide insights into whether your potential customers prefer to look for businesses via Google Search vs Maps, or desktop vs mobile.
Search Queries
The search queries section of GBP Insights reveals the specific search terms people have used to find your business. It helps identify popular keywords and potential areas for content optimization.
Customer Actions
Google Business Profile's customer actions data offers insights into the specific actions users are taking when they come across your GBP listing.
Here are all the potential customer actions metrics:
- Website Visits: Tracks the number of users who clicked through to your website from your GBP.
- Direction Requests: Indicates how many times users requested directions to your business.
- Calls: Measures the number of calls initiated from your business profile.
- Messages: Tracks the number of messages sent to your business via Google Business Profile (you must have GBP messaging enabled to see this).
- Bookings: Shows booking clicks and completed bookings for businesses that offer direct booking through GBP (like hotels).
- Food Orders: Shows the number of food orders for pickup or delivery placed through a restaurant's GBP, if online orders are enabled.
- Menu Clicks: Tracks the number of clicks on a profile's menu items, including photos, links, and item info.
Popular Times and Visit Duration
These insights provide data on the busiest times of the day and week at your business, as well as the average time customers spend at your location and estimated wait times, if applicable.
Google aggregates anonymous data from users who have opted in to Google Location History to provide these estimates to both businesses and customers via Google Business Profile listings.
How To Use GBP Insights To Improve Visibility, Engagement, Conversions, and Service
Analyze Search Queries
Use the GBP search queries data to understand what exactly potential customers are looking for when they come across your profile.
If certain keywords frequently lead to your profile, consider incorporating those terms into your website content and GBP content to increase relevance and visibility and entice more users to click on your profile, which can in turn lead to other desirable customer actions.
Leverage Customer Actions Data
Look at the customer actions data available in Google Business Profile Insights to identify ways to improve engagement and conversions using the various features available.
For example, if you see that the number of messages sent is high, make sure you have someone dedicated to promptly responding to all GBP messages. You might also set up automated answers to frequently asked questions, which can take some of the manual work out of responding to common types of messages.
Or, if you're getting a high number of calls, many of which are related to making reservations or appointments, you might want to consider adding a booking link to your Google Business Profile to automate some of your booking.
Utilize Popular Times Data
Use the data on popular times to optimize staffing and operations. Knowing when you're busiest and when wait times are longest can help ensure you're adequately staffed and prepared to provide excellent service during peak hours.
General Tips for Optimizing Your Google Business Profile
Optimize Photos
Since photos play a significant role in user engagement, regularly update your photo gallery with high-quality images. Show different aspects of your business, such as the inside/outside, products, services, employees, and customer interactions.
Regularly Update Information
Keep your business hours, contact information, and special announcements current. Seasonal changes, holiday hours, and new services should be promptly reflected on your GBP.
Post Regular Updates
Use Google Business Profile Posts to share updates, promotions, and events. Regular posts keep your profile active and engaging, providing users with fresh content to generate more leads.
Encourage Customer Reviews
Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. Positive reviews not only improve your profile's attractiveness, but also boost your local search ranking.
Make sure to also respond to all Google reviews, both positive and negative, and leverage feedback to improve your business's offerings and service!
Track Performance Over Time
Regularly review your GBP Insights data to identify trends and measure the impact of any changes you make. Look for patterns in customer behavior and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Engage with Users
Use the messaging feature to engage directly with potential customers. Prompt responses to inquiries can lead to higher conversion rates and better overall customer satisfaction, leading to more positive reviews.
Conclusion
Google Business Profile Insights provides a wealth of data that can help you understand how customers interact with your Business Profile online.
By regularly analyzing these insights and making informed adjustments to your profile, you can enhance engagement, attract more customers, and ultimately drive more conversions.
Keep in mind that GBP Insights don't tell you anything about your local search ranking or competition — you'll need Local Falcon for that!