Local SEO & Geotargeting

How To Use Google My Business Insights for SEO?

Google My Business (GMB) Insights is a provocative treasure trove of data for SEO professionals and business owners alike. It provides actionable insights into how customers interact with your business listing on Google. By harnessing this data correctly, you can optimize your online presence, pinpoint areas of improvement, and ultimately boost your search engine rankings.

Understanding Google My Business Insights

Google My Business is much more than a simple business listing. It’s a dynamic snapshot of your business that features interactive elements such as reviews, questions and answers, and of course, Insights – the analytics section of GMB. Insights give you a look at how visitors are finding your listing on Search and Maps, and what they do after they find it.

Where to Start with GMB Insights

First things first, to use GMB Insights, you need to have a Google My Business account. Once logged in, navigate to the Insights tab. Here, you’ll find an array of metrics that show how customers find your listing and what actions they take after their discovery.

Key Metrics in Google My Business Insights

How customers find your listing: This shows you the number of views your listing gets from Google Search vs. Google Maps.
Customer actions: This tells you what customers did once they found your listing, for example, visiting your website, requesting directions, or calling your business.
Where customers find you on Google: A breakdown of whether visitors found you via a direct search for your business name or address, or through a discovery search for a category, product, or service.
Queries used to find your business: The actual terms that customers typed into Google to find your listing.

Deep Dive into Metrics

To really boost your SEO, it’s crucial to understand and act on these metrics. Each set of data provides a piece of the puzzle that can help you refine your online strategy.

Optimizing Your Presence with GMB Insights

SEO is not just about manipulating keywords; it’s about understanding and serving your audience. GMB Insights gives you the data to do just that.

Use Customer Search Queries for Content Optimization

Check the “Queries used to find your business” section to understand how users are finding you. Are there certain questions or keywords that come up frequently? Craft content on your website that answers these queries directly. Not only does this improve your chances of ranking for these terms, but it also helps you address the needs and interests of your audience.

Monitor Customer Actions for Conversion Optimization

Knowing what actions customers take after finding your GMB listing—like visiting your website or requesting directions—can signal what’s working in your business’s online presence and what’s not. If you see many people asking for directions, ensure your physical location’s details are correct. If calls are your goal, consider highlighting your phone number more prominently.

Improve Local SEO with Geographic Insights

If GMB Insights reveal that customers often request directions to your business, use this as an opportunity to enhance local SEO by creating content tailored to your local area or community, and ensure your Address and Local keywords are updated in your listing.

Competitive Analysis Through GMB Insights

While GMB Insights focuses on your business, it can also indirectly help you understand your competition. Monitor how your listing performs over time, and note any fluctuations in visibility or customer engagement. If you see changes, analyze what competitors are doing differently. Have they updated their keywords, or do they have more reviews lately? Adjust your strategy accordingly.

Analyzing Your Audience and Adjustments

Pay attention to the demographic data available in GMB Insights. Tailor your offerings and communication to the audience that’s engaging with your business. If necessary, adjust your business hours on GMB to times when you’re more likely to get visits or inquiries.

Tracking Performance Over Time

SEO is not a set-and-forget practice; it needs constant monitoring and adjustment. Regularly check your GMB Insights to track trends over time. Understand seasonal patterns of your business and be prepared to adjust your SEO strategy to these trends. Are you a tax preparation service seeing a surge during tax season? Capitalize on this by tweaking your listing for even better visibility during these peak times.

Making GMB Insights a Part of Your SEO Dashboard

Consider integrating GMB Insights data into your broader SEO dashboard. Whether you collate data manually or use a digital dashboard, having a holistic view of your organic search performance alongside GMB data can offer fresh insights for decision making.

Engaging with Your Audience

Engagement is key in maintaining a successful GMB listing. Regularly monitoring and responding to reviews, answering questions, and updating your listing’s information ensures that your business remains an active participant in its own online narrative.

Encourage and Respond to Reviews

Reviews are a major factor in local SEO and purchasing decisions. Encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews, and always respond professionally to both positive and negative feedback. This shows that you value customer input and are proactive in customer service.

Finishing Thoughts

Utilizing Google My Business Insights strategically can give your SEO efforts that much-needed boost. By comprehensively analyzing customer interactions, refining your presence based on user behavior, and staying on top of performance trends, you can ensure that your local SEO strategy is as robust as it can be. Remember, GMB Insights is a dynamic tool—your insights are only as good as the actions you take in response to them. Use this data to understand your audience deeply, cater to their needs, and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Google My Business Insights?

Google My Business Insights is a feature within the Google My Business platform that provides data about how customers find and interact with your business listing on Google. It offers various metrics such as how customers are searching for your business, where they’re viewing your business on Google, the actions they’re taking, and other engagement data.

How can Google My Business Insights improve my SEO?

Google My Business Insights can help improve your SEO by providing insights into customer behaviors and interactions with your listing. By understanding these metrics, you can optimize your listing to increase visibility and appeal to your target audience. For example, knowing which keywords bring up your listing can help you focus on those keywords within your website content and meta tags, thereby potentially improving your ranking for those search terms.

Which metrics in Google My Business Insights are most important for SEO?

The most critical metrics for SEO within Google My Business Insights include:

  • Search Queries: Shows the most common terms that lead users to your business listing. This informs you about relevant keywords to incorporate into your SEO strategy.
  • Customer Actions: Tells you what actions customers are taking on your listing, like visiting your website, requesting directions, or calling your business. This information can help you measure the conversion rate from your listing.
  • Views: Breaks down where your customers see your listing, either on Google Search or Maps. If you notice more visibility in one over the other, you might adjust your strategy accordingly.
  • Engagement: Details interactions such as photo views and photo quantity compared to businesses like yours. Engaging photos can improve click-through rates from your listing.

How do I access Google My Business Insights?

To access Google My Business Insights, you must have a Google My Business account and a verified business listing. Once you’ve logged into your account, you can find the ‘Insights’ option on the left-hand menu within your dashboard.

Can I see historical data in Google My Business Insights?

Yes, Google My Business Insights provides historical data. You can view insights from the last week, month, or quarter. However, keep in mind that Google may only store certain types of data for up to 18 months and the interface may change over time, affecting data availability and granularity.

How often should I check Google My Business Insights?

Regular monitoring of Google My Business Insights can be beneficial for maintaining an effective SEO strategy. It’s advisable to check your insights at least once a month to stay updated on trends and patterns, and more frequently if you are actively making changes to your listing or conducting specific campaigns.

How can I use the information from Google My Business Insights to optimize my listing?

You can use the data from Google My Business Insights to optimize your listing in several ways:

  • Update your business information to ensure it’s accurate and complete.
  • Include keywords from the ‘Search Queries’ data in your business description and posts.
  • Post more photos if you find they are driving higher engagement.
  • Respond to reviews to improve customer interaction and appeal to potential customers.
  • Use ‘Customer Actions’ data to understand what customers are most interested in and adjust your call-to-action accordingly.

Can Google My Business Insights help me understand my local competition?

While Google My Business Insights doesn’t give direct data about your competitors, it can give you indirect insights. By benchmarking your metrics against industry averages provided in Insights, you can get a sense of how your business compares to others. For example, if your photo views are lower than similar businesses, you may need to upload more or better-quality images to compete effectively.

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Author

Joe Fares

Founder of UltraSEOSolutions and a Digital Marketing Consultant, a great advocate of educating beginners on the competency of SEO, and helping small businesses dominate their niche. Joe is known for public speaking on SEO and online entrepreneurship, and has been awarded by Payoneer in 2017/2018, for being the most successful entrepreneur in the MENA region.