What's Working? How to Read Your Google Business Profile Insights
You've optimized your Google Business Profile, you're generating reviews, and posting regularly. But how do you know if any of it is actually working? Are you just throwing strategies at the wall and hoping something sticks?
The answer lies within your Google Business Profile Insights—a free, powerful analytics dashboard that most practice owners never fully explore. This isn't just vague data; it's a direct window into the minds of your potential patients. It tells you exactly how they found you, what they were searching for, and what they did after they found you.
Learning to read these insights transforms your local SEO strategy from guesswork to a data-driven science. This article will serve as your translator, breaking down each metric and, more importantly, explaining what the numbers mean for your dental, chiropractic, or MedSpa practice and what actions you should take next.
Why GBP Insights Are Your Most Important Reporting Tool
Before we dive into the numbers, it's crucial to understand why this data is so valuable:
It Measures Real Patient Behavior: Unlike website analytics that track anonymous visitors, GBP Insights primarily tracks people who are actively looking for a local service. These are high-intent potential patients.
It's Actionable: The data directly informs your marketing strategy. If you see that most patients find you by searching for your brand name, you need to work on discovery. If you see a lot of searches for a specific service, you should highlight it more.
It's Free and Built-In: There's no extra cost or complex setup. The insights are waiting for you in your GBP dashboard.
How to Access Your Google Business Profile Insights
Log into your Google Business Profile manager (either via the dashboard on a computer or the "Google Business Profile" app on your phone).
Select the location you want to analyze.
In the left-hand menu on desktop, or the main menu on mobile, click on "Insights".
Decoding the Key Metrics: What They Mean and What to Do
The Insights dashboard is divided into several sections. Let's break them down.
1. How Customers Search for Your Business
This section is arguably the most important. It tells you the volume of discovery vs. direct searches.
Discovery Searches: These are people who found your business when searching for a category, service, or product you offer (e.g., "chiropractor near me," "teeth whitening," "Botox").
Direct Searches: These are people who searched for your business name or address specifically (e.g., "Smith Family Dentistry," "City MedSpa").
What It Means for Your Practice:
High Direct Search Volume: This indicates strong brand awareness. People already know about you and are seeking you out. This is great, but it also means your marketing is primarily reaching existing patients.
High Discovery Search Volume: This is the goal for growth. It means your SEO efforts are working, and you're being found by new patients who didn't know you existed.
Action Steps:
If Direct Searches are High: Celebrate your strong brand, but double down on strategies to attract new patients. Focus on service-specific keywords and generating reviews to boost prominence.
If Discovery Searches are High (or you want to increase them): Your SEO is working! To amplify this, ensure your profile is optimized for the services people are searching for. Check your categories and description.
To increase discovery searches, you need to target the right terms. Learn how: Beyond "[Practice Type] Near Me": A Guide to Keyword Optimization for Google Maps.
2. Where Customers View Your Business on Google
This metric shows where your GBP listing was seen.
Google Search: Views from the standard search results page.
Google Maps: Views from the Maps application or website.
What It Means for Your Practice:
A high percentage of Maps views suggests people are often looking for services "on the go" or are very focused on proximity.
A high percentage of Search views is more common and indicates general research.
Action Steps:
This metric is more diagnostic than actionable, but it reinforces the need for a mobile-friendly presence, as Maps is heavily used on mobile devices.
3. Customer Actions: The Conversion Tracking
This section tells you what people did after they found your listing. These are your conversion metrics.
Visit your website: The number of clicks to your website.
Request directions: The number of times users asked for directions to your practice. This is a strong intent signal for local businesses.
Call you: The number of clicks to call your business directly from the profile.
What It Means for Your Practice:
This tells you what your patients' preferred next step is. A high number of direction requests might mean your practice is a convenience-based choice. A high number of website clicks might mean patients need more information before booking (common for elective procedures).
Action Steps:
To Increase Website Clicks: Make sure your website link is prominent. Use Google Posts with "Learn More" buttons that link to specific service pages.
To Increase Calls: Ensure your phone number is correct and clickable. Use Posts with strong "Call Now" CTAs, especially for urgent needs like emergency dental care.
To Increase Direction Requests: This is harder to influence directly, but having an accurate address and clear signage helps.
Google Posts are a powerful tool for driving these actions. See examples: Drive Appointments with Google Business Profile Posts: Examples for Dentists & MedSpas.
4. Phone Calls: Timing is Everything
This graph shows what days and times you're receiving the most calls from your GBP.
What It Means for Your Practice:
You can see clear patterns. You might get a spike of calls on Monday mornings or lunchtimes.
Action Steps:
Staffing: Ensure you have adequate front desk coverage during peak call times.
Messaging: If you get calls outside of business hours, use your voicemail to direct them to your website for more information or to book online.
5. Photo Insights
This shows how many views your photos have received compared to other similar businesses.
What It Means for Your Practice:
It's a benchmark of your visual appeal. If your photo views are low, your photos might not be engaging enough.
Action Steps:
If Photo Views are Low: Upload new, high-quality photos regularly. Your cover photo and first few images in the gallery are the most important. Add descriptive file names before uploading.
A powerful visual strategy is essential. Master it here: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Clicks: Optimizing GBP Photos for Medical Practices.
Putting It All Together: A Monthly Review Routine
Don't just look at your insights once. Make it a habit.
Schedule a Monthly Review: Set a calendar reminder for the first Monday of every month to review the previous month's insights.
Ask These Strategic Questions:
- Are discovery searches increasing? If not, I need to focus on my SEO and review generation.
- What is the most common customer action? Does this align with my goals? (e.g., if I want more website bookings but get mostly calls, I need to promote my online booking more).
- Are there any noticeable trends in call times? Do I need to adjust staffing?
- How do my photo views compare to competitors? Should I schedule a new photo shoot?
Take One Action: Based on your review, commit to one specific improvement for the coming month.
Benchmarking and Setting Goals
Don't Compare Absolutely, Compare Relatively: The numbers themselves (e.g., 1,000 views) are less important than the trend. Is the number going up month-over-month?
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals: Instead of "get more views," set a goal like "Increase discovery searches by 10% over the next quarter by adding 5 new service-specific posts and generating 10 new reviews."
Conclusion: From Data to Decisions
Your Google Business Profile Insights dashboard is more than just a report card—it's a strategic planning tool. By moving beyond a superficial glance and learning to interpret what the data is telling you, you can make informed decisions that directly impact your practice's growth.
Stop guessing and start knowing. Your next marketing breakthrough is hidden in your data, waiting for you to discover it.
The insights from your GBP dashboard help you measure the "Prominence" and "Relevance" factors of local SEO. To deepen your understanding of how these factors work together, read our guide on the core algorithm: The Local SEO Trifecta: How Proximity, Prominence, and Relevance Rule Google Maps.
