1. Key Metrics in Google Business Profile Analytics

Search Queries

• • Direct: People who searched for your business name or address directly.
  • Discovery: People who found your listing by searching for a category, product, or service.
  • Branded: People who found your listing by searching for a brand related to your business.

Views (Impressions)

• • Search Views: How many times your business listing appeared in Google’s search results.
  • Maps Views: How many times your listing was viewed on Google Maps.

Customer Actions

• • Website Clicks: How many users clicked through to your website from your GBP listing.
  • Phone Calls: How many times users tapped “Call” on your listing.
  • Direction Requests: How many users requested directions to your business.
  • Messages (if enabled): How many messages were initiated through your listing.

Photo Views and Photo Quantity

• • The number of views your uploaded photos receive.
  • Comparisons to the average photo views of similar businesses (to gauge your visual presence).

Popular Times and Peak Hours

• • Shows when your business location tends to be busiest (if enough data is available).
  • Useful for staff planning and marketing activities

2. Interpreting the Data

Search Queries Breakdown

• • A high proportion of “Discovery” searches indicates your business is being found by category/keyword (good for attracting new customers).
  • A higher “Direct” search number means people are actively seeking your specific brand (loyal or existing customer base).

Views (Search vs. Maps)

• • Search Views: If most views come from Google Search, ensure your website and business info are optimised for relevant keywords.
  • Maps Views: A high number of Maps views suggests people are actively looking for local services and directions, so keep address and business hours accurate.

Customer Actions

• • Website Clicks: A strong indicator of interest—consider optimising your GBP description and photos to encourage these clicks.
  • Phone Calls: If phone calls are high, ensure you have staff ready to respond. Also, track call leads to measure quality.
  • Direction Requests: Indicates in-person visits; track any correlation to actual foot traffic or in-store sales.

Photo Views

• • Engaging images can lead to more interest and more clicks.
  • If your photo views are lower than the average for similar businesses, consider adding fresh, high-quality images regularly.

3. Using Analytics to Improve Performance

Optimise Your Listing

• • Make sure your business name, address, phone number, and category are accurate.
  • Add relevant keywords in your business description (within Google’s guidelines).
  • Use high-resolution photos and videos showcasing products, interior/exterior shots, and your team.

Encourage and Respond to Reviews

• • More reviews and higher star ratings can improve visibility in search.
  • Replying to reviews (both positive and negative) demonstrates good customer service.

Leverage Insights for Marketing

• • Identify peak days/times when your listing gets more views or actions, and consider running promotions or ads during those periods.
  • Compare weekly or monthly data to spot trends, like seasonal fluctuations.

Keep Your Profile Updated

• • Update business hours for holidays or special events.
  • Post Google Updates (short posts about offers, news, or events) to keep your listing fresh.

Track Changes and Experiments

• • Make one change at a time (e.g., new photos, updated description) and monitor analytics for a few weeks.
  • Compare metrics before and after to see if your changes drive more actions.

4. Best Practices & Tips

• Consistency is key: Make sure your GBP details match what’s on your website and other online directories.
• Respond quickly to inquiries: If you have messaging enabled, timely responses can increase customer satisfaction and conversion.
• Use UTM parameters: If you want to see how many people visit your website from your Google Business Profile listing, add UTM tags to your website link for deeper analytics in Google Analytics.
• Stay aware of Google updates: Google often adjusts how they report metrics or what’s included, so check for announcements or changes in your GBP dashboard.