Changes in Google Business Profile Insights
If you've noticed a decline in some of your Google Business Profile (GBP) metrics (formerly known as Google My Business), you might be curious about the reasons behind it. You might be asking yourself, "Why have my Google profile views dropped?"
Don't worry, there's no need to panic. The cause of this decline is a recent update to the Google API, which was implemented to enhance data accuracy and provide more precise search term information for local businesses. To better understand the changes in Google Business Profile performance metrics, continue reading.
What Are Google Business Profile Insight
GBP Insights offers data regarding a business's performance in local search, including metrics like profile views, how customers discover the business, and their interactions with the profile. Unlike other free Google tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics, Google Business Profile Insights is specifically tailored to local search presence and performance.
By consistently tracking local performance, businesses can gain valuable insights into their performance in local searches on both mobile and desktop platforms. This includes understanding how frequently specific search terms lead customers to their Business Profile.
This feature also provides a range of search-related metrics for measuring customer engagement and performance, suitable for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large multi-location brands.
Changes in Google Business Profile Insights and Their Implications
Google has made some modifications to its APIs that affect the definition of certain metrics for GBP, including profile views, searches, and direction requests. These updates were implemented to improve the quality of data available through GBP.
As a result of these changes, Google has removed certain data points from its Business Profile performance insights dashboard.
These exclusions comprise:
- Post views and clicks
- Query volumes categorized by direct, brand, and discovery
- Views across photos uploaded by users
- This means that businesses will no longer have the same level of visibility into the performance of their Posts and photos as they did before.
However, businesses will still have access to the following metrics:
- Map views (desktop and mobile)
- Search views (desktop and mobile)
- Website clicks
- Call clicks
- Driving direction clicks
- Keyword queries
The most significant change is that previously, each interaction with a business profile on Search or Maps would count as a view. For instance, if a customer clicked on a GBP to view reviews and then requested directions, it would register as three separate views. With the recent update, all these interactions are now consolidated into a single unique user interaction within a 24-hour timeframe. Consequently, you might observe a decrease in profile views compared to previous periods. However, this change results in more accurate data that reflects the true nature of customer interactions.
What to Expect
Thanks to Google's API update, your Google Insights page will now include a detailed breakdown of searches, enabling you to see the specific search terms that led customers to your GBP. This new data provides a valuable opportunity to gain insights into your search engine optimization (SEO) and the keywords driving traffic to your business.
Additionally, you can anticipate the introduction of new, insightful customer interactions, including:
Business Bookings: The number of bookings received through the business profile.
Food Orders: The number of food orders placed through the business profile.
Business Conversations: The count of unique conversations initiated via the business profile.
