Why Analytics Matter

You've optimized your Google Business Profile. You're posting regularly. You're responding to reviews. But how do you know if it's actually working?

That's where Google Business Profile analytics come in. These insights show you exactly how customers are finding your business, what actions they're taking, and how your profile performance trends over time.

Understanding these metrics helps you:

• Identify what's working and double down on successful strategies
• Spot problems early before they impact your bottom line
• Make data-driven decisions instead of guessing
• Prove ROI on your local SEO investment
• Compete more effectively by understanding customer behavior

This guide will walk you through every metric available in your Google Business Profile Insights and show you how to use that data to grow your business.

Accessing Your Analytics

Desktop:

1. Go to business.google.com
   
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Select your business location (if you have multiple)
4. Click "Insights" in the left-hand menu
   

Mobile App:

1. Open the Google Maps app
   
2. Tap the Business icon on the bottom right menu
3. Tap "Performance"
   

Time Ranges: You can view data for:

• Last 7 days
• Last 30 days
• Last 90 days
• Last 12 months (quarterly view)

For most strategic decisions, the 30-day and 90-day views provide the best balance of recency and trend data.

Core Metrics Explained

1. Search Visibility Metrics

Your Google Business Profile Analytics Cheat Sheet

Total Searches

This is the total number of times your business appeared in Google search results or Google Maps.

What's Good:

• Steady or increasing trend month-over-month
• For local businesses: 500-2,000+ monthly searches (varies by industry and market size)
• Growing faster than your competitors in the same area

Red Flags:

• Sudden drops (may indicate algorithm changes, competitor activity, or profile issues)
• Consistently low numbers despite optimization efforts
• Declining trend over multiple months

Examples:

• "emergency plumber near me"
• "best Italian restaurant downtown"
• "HVAC repair Portland"

Why It Matters: This shows your keyword optimization is working and you're capturing customers who don't know your business name yet. These are often your most valuable leads.

Direct Searches (Branded) Customers searched specifically for your business name or address.

Examples:

• "ABC Plumbing"
• "Joe's Pizza Main Street"
• "Smith & Sons Contractors"

Why It Matters: This measures brand awareness and shows customers actively seeking you out. High direct searches indicate strong reputation and word-of-mouth referrals.

Healthy Ratio: Most successful local businesses aim for a 60/40 or 70/30 split favoring discovery searches. This means you're being found by new customers while maintaining strong brand recognition.

If your ratio is reversed (mostly direct searches), it means:

• You're not ranking well for service-based keywords
• Your keyword optimization needs work
• You may be missing out on new customer acquisition

• Searches for your category (e.g., "plumber," "restaurant")
  
• Searches for your products/services (e.g., "water heater repair," "pizza delivery")
• Searches related to your brand (your business name variations)
  

How to Use This Data:

• Double-check that your primary categories and services are accurately listed
• If you're not appearing for expected search terms, revisit your keyword strategy
• Add services that are searched for but you haven't listed yet

2. Customer Action Metrics

Website Visits

The number of times customers clicked through to your website from your Google Business Profile.

Benchmarks:

• 10-20% click-through rate from total searches is considered strong
• E-commerce and service businesses should aim for the higher end
• Restaurants and retail with walk-in traffic may see lower percentages (customers often just need directions)

Low Website Clicks May Mean:

• Your profile has all the information customers need (hours, menu, pricing), so they don't need to visit your site
• Your website link is broken or not prominent
• Your Google profile photos/info are more compelling than your website
• Customers are taking other actions instead (calling, getting directions)

Tip: If you want more website traffic, make sure your Google Posts include clear "Learn More" calls-to-action that link to relevant landing pages.

Industry Benchmarks:

• Service businesses: 50-200+ calls per month is typical for established businesses
• Restaurants: Lower call volume is normal (customers prefer directions/hours)
• Retail: Minimal calls expected

Call Patterns to Monitor:

• Peak call times: Adjust staffing to handle busy periods
• Call days: Most businesses see peaks Monday-Friday during business hours
• Missed opportunities: If calls spike outside business hours, consider call forwarding or extended hours

Pro Tip: Your Apex Media Solutions monthly report includes call tracking data. If you're missing calls, ask your DMM about call forwarding solutions or updated business hours.

• Retail stores
• Restaurants and cafes
• Service businesses with showrooms
• Medical/professional offices

Conversion Indicator: High direction requests typically mean:

• Strong local foot traffic potential
• Customers ready to visit in person
• Your location is easy to find and well-described

If Direction Requests Are Low:

• Verify your address is accurate and specific
• Add landmarks or parking information in your description
• Ensure your pin is correctly placed on Google Maps
• Include location photos (storefront, parking area, entrance)

• Younger customers (under 40) often prefer texting over calling
• Allows customers to reach you outside business hours
• Creates a record of customer inquiries
• Can be managed from your phone via the Google Business Profile app

Response Time is Critical: Google publicly displays your average response time. Aim to respond within:

• ✅ Under 1 hour: Excellent
• ⚠️ 1-24 hours: Acceptable
• ❌ Over 24 hours: Poor (may deter future inquiries)

3. Photo & Media Metrics

Photo Views

The total number of times all your photos have been viewed.

What This Tells You:

• Customers are visually evaluating your business before visiting/calling
• More photos = more views = more engagement
• Quality and variety matter

Best Practices:

• Upload at least 20-30 photos covering different aspects of your business
• Add new photos weekly or bi-weekly
• Include photos of: exterior, interior, products/services, team, completed work, and customers (with permission)

Photo Performance Tips:

• High-performing photos get more views—these should guide your content strategy
• Photos showing people, action, and results typically outperform static product shots
• Update seasonally (holiday decorations, seasonal products, weather-appropriate content)

Photo Comparison

Google shows how your photo views compare to similar businesses in your area.

Competitive Benchmarking:

• Above average: Keep doing what you're doing
• Average: Increase photo frequency and quality
• Below average: Immediate priority—audit competitors' photos and refresh yours

If you're below average, your competitors have a visibility advantage. Customers are more likely to choose businesses with robust, professional photo galleries.

• Video content receives up to 12x more engagement than text and images combined
• Perfect for showcasing:
  • Services in action
  • Customer testimonials
  • Behind-the-scenes content
  • Before-and-after transformations
  • Team introductions

Video Strategy:

• Keep videos short: 15-45 seconds performs best
• Include captions (many viewers watch without sound)
• Post videos as Google Posts for maximum visibility
• Mobile-shot videos are perfectly acceptable—authenticity beats perfection

4. Review & Reputation Metrics

Total Reviews & Average Rating

While not in the Insights section, these are critical metrics to monitor in the "Reviews" tab.

Rating Benchmarks:

• ✅ 4.5+ stars: Excellent—strong competitive advantage
• ⚠️ 4.0-4.4 stars: Good—room for improvement
• ❌ Below 4.0 stars: Urgent—reputation management needed

Review Volume Matters Too: A business with 200 reviews at 4.3 stars often outranks a competitor with 20 reviews at 4.8 stars. Quantity + quality = trust.

Monthly Review Goals:

• New businesses: 5-10 reviews per month minimum
• Established businesses: 10-25+ reviews per month
• High-volume businesses: 50+ reviews per month

Review Response Rate & Time

Responding to reviews isn't just good customer service—it's an SEO ranking factor.

Response Best Practices:

If managing review responses feels overwhelming, ask your Digital Marketing Manager about our Reputation Management Program, which includes automated review generation and professional response management.

5. Comparison Metrics

Profile Views Compared to Similar Businesses

Shows if you're getting more or fewer profile views than competitors in your category and location.

Interpreting the Data:

"Higher than most" ✅ Your optimization is working ✅ Keep current strategies ✅ Focus on conversion optimization (turning views into calls/visits)

"About average" ⚠️ You're visible but not standing out ⚠️ Increase posting frequency ⚠️ Improve photo quality and quantity ⚠️ Gather more reviews

"Lower than most" ❌ Optimization needed urgently ❌ Audit your profile completeness ❌ Review your keywords and categories ❌ Benchmark against top competitors ❌ Consider professional SEO assistance

Search Appearance

Compares how often you appear in search results relative to similar businesses.

Low appearance may indicate:

• Incomplete profile information
• Poor keyword optimization
• Missing or outdated photos
• Few or low-quality reviews
• Inconsistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across the web

Advanced Analytics: Questions & Answers

• Customers and competitors can post questions publicly
• Unanswered questions look unprofessional
• Incorrect answers from others can mislead customers
• Well-answered questions improve trust and provide keyword-rich content

Q&A Strategy:

1. Proactively post common questions yourself (and answer them)
   • "Do you offer emergency services?"
   • "What forms of payment do you accept?"
   • "Do you provide free estimates?"
2. Monitor for new questions and respond within 24 hours
3. Flag inappropriate questions or spam immediately

Creating Your Analytics Dashboard

Metric
Target
Actual
Change
Action Needed?
Total Searches
1,000+
_____
+/- ___%
Discovery vs. Direct
60/40 split
/
Website Clicks
100+
_____
+/- ___%
Phone Calls
50+
_____
+/- ___%
Direction Requests
200+
_____
+/- ___%
Photo Views
5,000+
_____
+/- ___%
Average Rating
4.5+ stars
_____
Total Reviews
Growth
_____
+ _____

(Targets vary by industry—discuss specific goals with your DMM)

Red Flags: When to Take Immediate Action

🚨 Sudden Drop in Total Searches (30%+ decline)

• Possible Google algorithm update
• Competitor may have improved their profile
• Your profile may have been flagged or suspended
• Contact your DMM immediately for investigation

🚨 Zero or Very Few Calls/Direction Requests

• Verify phone number is correct and working
• Check that address is accurate
• Ensure business hours are current
• Test the "Call" and "Directions" buttons yourself

🚨 Negative Review Spike

• May indicate service quality issue
• Could be competitor sabotage (report suspicious reviews)
• Respond professionally and publicly to all reviews
• Implement internal process improvements

🚨 Declining Discovery Searches While Competitors Rise

• Keyword optimization falling behind
• Competitors may have updated their profiles
• Your categories or services may need updating
• Schedule strategy call with your DMM

Putting It All Together: Monthly Analytics Review Process

• Compare current month to previous month
  
• Note significant increases or decreases
• Celebrate wins, flag concerns
  

Week 2: Analyze customer behavior patterns

• Which actions are customers taking most?
• When are peak engagement times?
• What content performed best?

Week 3: Develop action plan based on data

• Double down on what's working
• Address underperforming areas
• Set specific, measurable goals for next month

Week 4: Implement changes and monitor

• Update profile based on insights
• Create new content addressing gaps
• Test different posting times/types

Ongoing: Meet monthly with your Digital Marketing Manager

• Review comprehensive analytics report
• Discuss strategy adjustments
• Plan next month's content calendar

How Apex Media Solutions Uses Your Analytics

You'll receive a comprehensive monthly analytics report showing:

• All key metrics with month-over-month comparisons
• Competitive benchmarking insights
• Specific recommendations for improvement
• Content calendar suggestions based on performance data

Leveling Up: Advanced Analytics Tools

• See how visitors from your Google Business Profile behave on your website
• Track conversions (form submissions, purchases, calls from website)
• Measure bounce rate and engagement

Call Tracking Software

• Record calls for quality assurance and training
• Track which marketing sources generate calls
• Measure call duration and outcomes

Reputation Management Platforms

• Automate review requests from happy customers
• Monitor all review platforms from one dashboard
• Respond faster and more consistently

Ask your Digital Marketing Manager which tools make sense for your business size and goals.

Common Analytics Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Comparing apples to oranges: Your metrics should improve relative to YOUR baseline, not necessarily match other industries

❌ Analysis paralysis: Don't get so caught up in data that you forget to take action

❌ Short-term thinking: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint—give strategies time to work

❌ Set-it-and-forget-it: Monthly reviews are essential; quarterly is too infrequent

Your Action Plan

1. Log into your Google Business Profile Insights
   
2. Review the last 90 days of data
3. Identify your top 3 performing metrics and bottom 3
4. Note any questions you have for your next DMM meeting
   

This Month:

1. Set baseline targets for each key metric
2. Implement one improvement based on your data (more photos, different post types, etc.)
3. Track whether that change impacts your metrics

Ongoing:

1. Check Insights weekly (takes 5 minutes)
2. Respond to all reviews within 48 hours
3. Post new content at least 1-2x per week
4. Meet monthly with your Digital Marketing Manager to review comprehensive analytics

Need Help Interpreting Your Data?