How to Use GMB Insights: Improve Marketing with Google My Business Analytics

Introduction

GMB Insights is a game-changing tool for businesses looking to refine their marketing strategies. By using Google My Business analytics, you can gain valuable insights into how customers find and interact with your profile. From tracking search queries to analyzing customer actions, GMB Insights helps you make data-driven decisions to improve visibility, engagement, and conversions. In this guide, we’ll explore how to use GMB Insights effectively and show you how to improve marketing with GMB for better results.

What Are GMB Insights?

GMB Insights is an analytics tool integrated into your Google My Business dashboard. It offers actionable metrics about customer behavior, such as how users find your business, what actions they take after discovering your profile, and the performance of your visual content. Businesses can use these metrics to fine-tune their marketing strategies and achieve greater impact.

Why GMB Insights Matter

Understanding customer behavior is crucial for improving engagement, boosting SEO rankings, and driving conversions. GMB Insights bridges the gap between raw data and actionable strategies, helping you refine your approach to meet customer needs and outperform competitors.

How to Access GMB Insights

Accessing GMB Insights is simple:

1. Log in to your Google My Business account.
2. Select the business profile you want to review.
3. Go to the ‘Insights’ section located in the left-hand menu to access valuable data.

Once there, you’ll find an intuitive dashboard displaying various metrics about your business’s performance on Google Search and Maps.

Key Metrics in GMB Insights

1. How Customers Find Your Business

GMB categorizes search types into three groups:

• Direct Searches: Individuals who specifically looked up your business name or physical address.
• Discovery Searches: Customers who found your business while searching for a product or service.
• Branded Searches: Customers who search for a brand related to your business.

2. Customer Actions

This metric tracks what customers do after finding your profile, including:

• Website visits.
• Requesting directions.
• Calling your business.

3. Search Queries

Understand the exact keywords customers use to find your business. This data is invaluable for optimizing your SEO strategy.

4. Photo Views and Engagement

Track how often your photos and videos are viewed, helping you identify the type of visual content that resonates most with your audience.

5. Popular Times and Locations

This metric shows when and where customers are most likely to interact with your business, aiding in operational planning.

Using GMB Insights to Improve Your Marketing Strategy

1. Refining Your SEO Strategy

Analyze the search query data to identify keywords and trends. Incorporate these terms into your GMB profile, website, and content to improve local SEO rankings.

2. Enhancing Customer Engagement

If Insights shows a high volume of phone calls, emphasize your contact information in marketing materials. Similarly, use website visit data to refine landing pages and CTAs.

3. Optimizing Visual Content

High-performing photos can guide future uploads. For example, if photos of your storefront attract more engagement, consider adding seasonal or event-related storefront images.

4. Improving Operational Efficiency

Use popular times data to staff your business appropriately during peak hours. Adjust your business hours to match customer activity patterns for better service.

5. Creating Targeted Campaigns

Combine Insights with customer behavior trends to develop personalized promotions, such as discounts during high-traffic hours or location-based offers.

Case Studies: Successful Use of GMB Insights

Case Study 1: Local Cafe

Challenge: The cafe struggled to attract weekday customers.
Solution: GMB Insights revealed higher search activity on Fridays. The cafe launched Friday-only promotions.
Result: A 20% increase in foot traffic on Fridays.

Case Study 2: Boutique Store

Challenge: Low website clicks from GMB.
Solution: Optimized CTAs and improved website landing pages based on customer action data.
Result: A 30% boost in website visits.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using GMB Insights

1. Ignoring Data Trends: Regularly review your metrics to identify actionable insights.
2. Misinterpreting Metrics: Always consider the context of the data. For example, a drop in website visits might coincide with higher in-store traffic.
3. Failing to Act: Insights are only useful when applied to your strategy.

Advanced Tips for Leveraging GMB Insights

• Integrate with Google Analytics: Combine data for a comprehensive view of customer behavior.
• Automate Reports: Use tools to generate regular performance reports for easier tracking.
• Set Goals: Align GMB Insights metrics with your marketing objectives to measure success effectively.

How GMB Insights Can Help You Understand Customer Behavior

GMB Insights provides valuable data to help you understand how customers interact with your business online. This Google My Business feature breaks down key metrics, such as how customers find your profile (direct, discovery, or branded searches) and what actions they take, like visiting your website, requesting directions, or making a phone call.

By analyzing these metrics, you can identify trends, optimize your business profile, and tailor your marketing strategies to better meet customer needs. For example, if GMB Insights shows a high number of direction requests, it could be an opportunity to highlight parking options or offer in-store promotions to increase foot traffic.

Conclusion

GMB Insights is a powerful tool that empowers businesses to make informed decisions and refine their marketing strategies. By analyzing customer behavior data, such as search queries, actions, and engagement metrics, you can optimize your Google My Business profile for greater visibility and impact. Leveraging GMB Insights allows you to identify trends, improve local SEO, and create tailored campaigns that resonate with your audience. Google My Business Insights is a powerful tool for understanding customer behavior and improving your marketing strategy. By analyzing metrics like search queries, customer actions, and photo engagement, you can make data-driven decisions that boost visibility, engagement, and conversions. 

 Questions 

What do “direct” and “discovery” searches mean?

Direct searches occur when customers look specifically for your business. Discovery searches happen when they search for a product or service you offer.

How often should I review my GMB Insights?

Review your Insights monthly to identify trends and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Can I track competitor data using GMB Insights?

No, GMB Insights only provides data related to your business profile.