In this modern world, customer expectation have risen. In the 1980s people expected to find your basic information in the phonebook. Now they also want pictures, ratings, reviews all found on the world’s biggest search engine, Google.

At the same time, your business growth is now measured differently. Forty years ago you’d measure your success on walk-in sales, or by how many people watched your TV commercial or read your newspaper advertisement.

Today you have to consider digital data, clicks, views and likes, among others.

Then how can you measure your business growth?

It is an understatement that Google My Business has turned into the digital phone book of our era. However, together with it, Google Insights are now reliable statistics for local business owners. They can use this data to measure whether their marketing strategies are working and most important how much traffic their business is getting.

Understanding your Google Insights can be tricky. However, you don’t have to worry; here, we’ll tell you how to interpret each graphic and determine what that means for your business.

First, you need to understand Google Insights is showing you data focused on how customers find your company through Searches or Maps and what they do when they find it.

Once you click on the Insights tab of your Google My Business profile, you’ll find the following sections:

1. How Customers Search for Your Business

Here you’ll understand how people search for your business; they could either be Direct or Discovery searches.

Direct: It’s when people type the name of your company and click search. This number will reflect how many people already know your business or have heard of it. If this number is more significant than your Discovery searches, it probably means your company has been around for a long time. Consequently, you have built a relationship with several customers.

Discovery: This number will show you how many people are looking for your business category, product, or service. Discovery searches will equal how much traffic or how many customers you’ll potentially get. If you’re a new business owner, this is the number you have to look out for since a higher percentage of Discovery means more business opportunities.

2. Search Queries

This section will be one which will help you improve your Google My Business profile. You’ll see a list of terms people type to find your business. Having this data, you can create better posts and develop a closer relationship with your customers. This will also give you a clue of which keywords you have to add or eliminate from your profile.

These terms can be divided into periods such as last week, month, or quarter.

3. Where Customers View Your Business on Google

Here you’ll know whether people find you through Google Searches or Google Maps. It is important to remember that Google Map searches do not mean your customers clicked on “Request directions.” It means people directly open a Google Maps tab and find your company there.

If you have a high number of Google Maps searches, it probably means your customers are looking for your business through their phone.

This graphic can have different meanings depending on which industry you are focused on. If you have a business such as a restaurant or a retail store, you’ll obtain more business from Google Searches since those can turn into walk-in customers. While if you are the owner of a construction company, you might get more contact will Google Searches since people can find your website and contact information on your Google My Business profile.

4. Customer Actions

This graphic show what your customers did once they found your Google listing. These actions could be visiting your website, requesting for directions, or calling you.

These numbers can differ depending on your industry as well. A retail store or a restaurant should focus on the number of request directions and calls since the first one can turn into local customers. While the second one for retail could mean customer service and for a restaurant could mean reservations.

With a construction company, since there are probably different services they offer, the business owner should focus on website visits and calls. With these actions, people can check out your services online and call to request your services.

5. Phone Calls

On this Insights bar graphic, you’ll see how many users call you through your Google listing. It will show you the day and the time of the calls. With this data you’ll know when people are looking at your profile the most. You can use this information to determine the best time to schedule your social media posts and Google Ads.

6. Photo Views

Here you’ll know how many people click to see the pictures you have on your Google My Business profile. This section is crucial for your business success.

For instance, if you’re a restaurant owner, here you can get an edge over your competition. Imagine someone finds your restaurant in Google, and you have amazing pictures of your dishes which look delicious. Now, do you think people will go to your restaurant or to another one that has no pictures? Chances are they will choose your business.

Below this graphic, you might see another graphic named “Photo Quantity.” Here you’ll see how many photos you have uploaded compared to how many your customers have.

Google Insights is the free tool which will help you measure your business success. Depending on these statistics, you can also determine what is missing to get your business on the local 3-pack. Here at Your Listing Expert, we have a dedicated SEO team which will use this information to get your listing to the top 3 in 90 days. Our listing packages can make your company get to the top 3 in a two, five, ten and even twenty kilometers radius.

Contact us today and discover how we can turn your business into an industry leader.

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https://www.chatmeter.com/blog/google-my-business-insights-explained/

https://support.google.com/business/answer/7689763?hl=en