How to Leverage Google My Business Insights

Google My Business

In today’s competitive digital landscape, businesses need more than just a presence on Google. They need data-driven insights to understand customer behavior, track performance, and optimize strategies. Google My Business (GMB) is not just a listing platform—it’s a powerful tool that provides detailed analytics known as Google My Business Insights. These insights reveal how customers find your business, interact with it, and what actions they take after visiting your profile.

For companies aiming to dominate local searches, leveraging GMB Insights can make all the difference. Whether you are a small business, a growing startup, or an established brand, using GMB data effectively can help you attract more customers and boost ROI. This blog dives deep into how businesses can use Google My Business Insights to their advantage, highlighting its importance, applications, and actionable strategies.

What Are Google My Business Insights?

Google My Business Insights are the analytics data provided within your GMB dashboard. Unlike traditional website analytics, these insights are focused on local search performance. They show how potential customers discover your business, what they do once they find you, and which elements of your listing drive the most engagement.

Some of the key metrics include:

• How customers search for your business (direct, discovery, or branded searches)

• Where customers view your business on Google (search results vs. Google Maps)

• Customer actions such as website visits, calls, and direction requests

• Photo and post performance metrics

• Popular times when customers interact with your profile

By analyzing this data, businesses can understand their audience better and optimize their local marketing strategies.

Why GMB Insights Matter for Local Businesses

For local businesses, visibility is everything. Appearing in Google’s “local pack” or Maps results can directly drive foot traffic, calls, and inquiries. However, simply being listed is not enough. Understanding how customers interact with your GMB profile is crucial.

GMB Insights provide a behind-the-scenes look at customer journeys. For example, you may notice that most people find your business through discovery searches rather than branded ones. This indicates that your business is visible to people who have never heard of you before—a sign of strong local SEO performance. Similarly, if you see high call clicks but low website visits, it might suggest that customers prefer direct engagement over browsing your site.

By analyzing such patterns, businesses can tailor their strategies to focus on what truly works.

Breaking Down Key GMB Insights Metrics

1. Search Queries

This section shows the keywords customers used to find your business. Tracking these queries helps you understand what your audience is searching for and whether your listing is optimized for the right terms.

2. How Customers Search for Your Business

GMB divides searches into three categories:

• Direct searches: When people look for your business name or address.

• Discovery searches: When people search for a product, service, or category related to your business.

• Branded searches: When customers search for a brand related to your business.

A balance of all three indicates strong brand visibility and effective local SEO.

3. Where Customers View Your Business on Google

You can see whether people find you through Google Search or Google Maps. Businesses focused on foot traffic should pay close attention to Maps views, as they often translate into visits.

4. Customer Actions

This section highlights what customers do after finding your listing. Actions include:

• Visiting your website

• Requesting directions

• Calling your business

• Viewing your photos

Tracking these actions helps identify which aspects of your profile drive the most engagement.

5. Direction Requests

Insights show where customers are requesting directions from, often visualized on a map. This data can highlight your strongest service areas and help refine targeting.

6. Phone Calls

You can track when and how often customers call your business. Knowing peak call times helps you staff appropriately and improve customer service.

7. Photo Views and Quantity

Photos are crucial for engaging potential customers. Insights compare how often your photos are viewed compared to competitors, giving you a sense of your visual impact.

8. Post Views and Engagement

If you publish posts through GMB, you can track how many people viewed and interacted with them. This provides direct feedback on your content strategy.

How to Use GMB Insights to Improve Marketing Strategies

Optimize Your Listing for Search Queries

If most searches are discovery-based, ensure your business description, services, and categories include the right keywords. For instance, if “best coffee shop near me” drives traffic, highlight that in your business description.

Enhance Visual Content

If your photo views are low, update your gallery with high-quality images of products, interiors, and team members. Businesses with strong visuals often attract more clicks and visits.

Align Business Hours with Customer Behavior

If insights show high engagement during certain times, consider adjusting your working hours to capture more business.

Improve Call Management

Analyze call trends to ensure availability during peak times. If most calls are missed, it’s a lost opportunity to convert leads.

Focus on Local Service Areas

Direction request insights help you identify where most customers come from. You can then target those areas with hyperlocal advertising campaigns.

Use Posts Strategically

If engagement on GMB posts is low, experiment with new formats such as limited-time offers, event announcements, or seasonal promotions.

Benefits of Leveraging GMB Insights

Better Customer Understanding

Insights provide a clear picture of customer behavior, enabling businesses to make informed decisions.

Improved Local SEO

Optimizing your listing based on insights enhances your visibility in local search results.

Higher Engagement

By refining content, photos, and posts, businesses can increase interactions with potential customers.

Smarter Resource Allocation

From staffing during peak call times to targeting specific neighborhoods, insights help allocate resources efficiently.

Competitive Advantage

Analyzing photo views, post performance, and search queries in comparison to competitors gives you a competitive edge.

Real-World Example of GMB Insights in Action

Consider a local restaurant that noticed most direction requests came from nearby offices. By analyzing this data, they introduced a weekday lunch special targeted at working professionals. The result was a surge in mid-day foot traffic and increased revenue.

Similarly, a retail store that saw most customer actions as phone calls improved their call handling and trained staff to upsell during calls. This turned routine inquiries into revenue-generating opportunities.

Challenges in Using GMB Insights

Limited Historical Data

GMB Insights often show data for short time frames (like 28 or 90 days), which can limit long-term trend analysis.

Data Accuracy

There may be discrepancies between GMB data and other analytics tools, which can confuse businesses.

Interpretation Gaps

Not all businesses know how to interpret the insights effectively, which leads to underutilization.

Despite these challenges, GMB Insights remain an indispensable tool for local marketing.

Future of Google My Business Insights

With Google increasingly prioritizing local results, GMB Insights are expected to become even more detailed. Future updates may include predictive analytics, customer sentiment analysis, and integration with AI-powered marketing tools. Businesses that adapt early will have a stronger foothold in local markets.

Why Businesses in Vizag Should Pay Attention to GMB Insights

For businesses in Vizag, a growing commercial hub, appearing prominently in local search results is vital. Customers often rely on Google Maps and local searches to make decisions—from choosing a hospital to finding a restaurant. GMB Insights empower businesses to understand this local audience better and position themselves strategically.

Partnering with the best digital marketing company in Vizag ensures businesses get the maximum out of GMB Insights. A skilled digital marketing agency in Vizag can not only interpret this data but also implement strategies that drive growth. For instance, agencies like Leadraft help businesses analyze customer journeys, optimize profiles, and design campaigns tailored to insights.

Google My Business is no longer just an online listing—it’s a critical marketing tool. GMB Insights provide invaluable data that businesses can use to understand customer behavior, optimize listings, and refine local strategies.

From search queries and customer actions to photo engagement and call trends, these insights guide smarter decisions that directly impact growth.

For businesses in Vizag and beyond, leveraging GMB Insights is essential to stay competitive. By working with the best digital marketing company in Vizag, brands can unlock the true potential of GMB and build lasting connections with their local audience.