Update: Google My Business Insights

The Google Knowledge Graph is one of the first places most users go during the search process. Data on how users interact with the Knowledge Graph is available through the Google My Business (GMB) dashboard. But these user insights are limited to just a 90 day period, and they are not available via the GMB API. NAPtune, Milestone’s local listings management platform, is recording these user insights monthly and allows users to analyze data for longer than 90 days. Our recent analysis of user insights, for 150 days across 34 sample businesses, shows that, on average, a business drives approximately 1,389,362 views with 63% from search and 37% from photos.

The analysis also showed that both accurate listings and quantity of photos on Google My Business are positively correlated with clicks. On a typical GMB profile, clicks are split as follows:

On August 9^th 2016, Google began rolling out updated versions of the user insights. Here is a quick update on the changes:

What’s New?

Google added two new charts, which display how and where customers are searching for and viewing your business on Google.

The first chart shows you how users are searching for your business. Data is split into two groups:

• Direct: includes searches with business name or street address.
• Discovery: includes non-branded searches, like the category, product or service.

The second chart breaks out where, on Google, customers are viewing your business. The data is split into two groups again:

• Search: Include users who used Google Search to find your business,
• Maps: Includes users who used Google Maps.

This chart shows that having a correct listing on Maps is just as important as visibility on Google Search, if not more so:

What Else Has Changed?

The previous ‘Clicks’ graph has been replaced by a ‘Customer actions’ graph, with stats on photo views displayed alongside website visits, direction requests, and phone calls. This change indicates that Google is considering a photo view an action of equal importance to a phone call, driving direction request, or click on the website:

What Has Been Removed?

Google has removed metrics on Google+ page views and Google+ post views. Those two figures, combined, typically account for less than a tenth of one percent of a business’s views.

In sum, the change in metrics displayed will lead to more relevant insights into the ways customers interact with businesses across Google’s different core products. They will give deeper knowledge about where businesses are deriving the most success through Google, and where additional opportunities for improvement can be found.  The more relevant data you have regarding your business the better your marketing strategies and results, take your time to review Google My Business today.

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Contributed by:
Aaron Horowitz, Digital Marketing Strategist, Milestone Internet Marketing
Kanika Thakran, Senior SEO Manager, Milestone Internet Marketing