Google Business Profile insights are the numbers Google keeps about your listing: how many people saw it, called you, tapped through to your website or asked for directions. Google calls this your Performance report. It's free, it's already there, and most tradies never look at it. Here's what each number means in plain words, and how to use the most useful part: the actual words people searched to find you.
- Your Google Business Profile performance report shows views, calls, website clicks, directions and the searches that found you.
- The numbers run a few days behind, and small numbers show as "under 15" (written as <15) to protect privacy.
- The search words are the gold. Use them in your description, posts and replies, and check where you show up for them.
- Watch the trend month to month, not day to day.
Where to find your Google Business Profile insights
Sign in to Google with the account that manages your profile, search your business name and tap Performance. You can also find it in the Google Maps app under your business profile. Choose a date range to see a month or longer.
What each number means
Views on Maps vs Search
Google splits your views by where people saw you: Google Search (the normal results page) and Google Maps (the Maps app or the map on a search). It also splits them by phone and computer.
For most tradies, Maps on a phone is the big one. That's someone standing in their kitchen with a leaking tap, looking for a plumber nearby.
A view doesn't mean someone read your whole profile. It means your profile showed up for them. That's still useful: more views means you're appearing for more searches.
Calls
The number of times someone tapped the Call button on your profile. It doesn't count people who wrote your number down or called from your website.
Website clicks
Taps on your website link. If this is high but enquiries from your site are low, the website may be the weak link, not your Google profile.
Directions
Requests for directions to your address. For a tradie who goes to customers, this is often small or zero, and that's normal.
Messages and bookings
You'll only see these if you had them set up. Bookings appear if you use a booking partner linked to Google. Google has changed how messaging works on profiles over the years, so many profiles won't show messages at all.
Searches used to find you
This is a list of the actual words people typed before your profile showed up, like "hot water repairs" or "electrician norwood", with a number next to each. It's the most useful part of the whole report.
Why the numbers look odd sometimes
They lag a few days. Google's numbers usually run several days behind. If you posted yesterday, don't expect to see it yet.
Small numbers show as "<15". For privacy, any search term used by fewer than 15 people in the period shows as "<15" rather than a real number. For a small local business, most terms will look like this. It doesn't mean nobody searched, just that it was a small number.
Numbers jump around. School holidays, the weather and public holidays all change how people search. A plumber may see a jump after a cold snap. Compare this month with last month, and with the same month last year if you can.
How to use the search words
The search words tell you, in your customers' own language, what they look for. Here's how to put them to work.
If you do a lot of switchboard upgrades but "switchboard upgrade" never shows in your searches, Google may not connect you with that work yet. That's a gap to fix in your description, services and posts.
See how customers find you, in plain English
ReviewRank shows your Google numbers, the words people searched, and where you show up on the map. $29 a month with a 14-day free trial.
How ReviewRank shows your numbers
Google's Performance report is useful, but it's not built for a quick look between jobs. ReviewRank, an app made in Adelaide for Australian tradies, puts the same numbers in plain view.
"How customers find you"
This screen shows Google's own numbers for your profile: views on Maps and Search, calls, website visits and directions, each compared with the month before. Below them is the list of actual words people searched to find you.
Next to each search word is a Track on map button. Tap it and ReviewRank adds that search to your ranking map, which checks Google Maps from a grid of up to 49 spots across your service area every week. You'll see where you're in the top 3, where you're 4th to 10th and where you're further down, with the suburbs named.
The Home dashboard
The main numbers also show as tiles on ReviewRank's Home screen, so you can see at a glance whether calls and views are up or down this month.
A monthly report in plain English
Each month ReviewRank gives you a short report in plain English, so you don't need to read charts to know how things are going. Your first report comes straight after setup, with your profile score, where you show up, who's beating you and what people searched.
ReviewRank can't promise more calls or a higher spot on Google. No one can. But it shows you clearly what's happening, so you know where to put your effort.
Frequently asked questions
The numbers Google keeps about your listing: views, calls, website clicks, directions and the searches people used to find you. Google now calls this the Performance report.
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Rhys builds and looks after every Reactive Web website himself, from Redwood Park in Adelaide, for local service businesses that want more calls, bookings and enquiries.
