How to measure GMB performance?

It’s a well-known fact that Google My Business (GMB) carries a plethora of benefits for businesses looking to boost their online presence. In the past, we discussed the application of GMB and how it can help local businesses. Of course, its importance doesn’t stop there, as it has become an essential part of online optimization. However, there are still companies that remain skeptical in terms of the results it brings. There are also those that practice it but have no idea how to analyze it properly. With this article on how to measure GMB, Digital Dot is looking to help all types of businesses to get a clear image of how their brand performs. Additionally, you might learn where there is room for improvement. Keep reading to learn more.

Start by finding the right tools for monitoring your GMB account

Boosting traffic on your website and visits to your store, strengthening your brand name, engaging customers – all goals that a business wants to accomplish with the implementation of GMB. But how can a company truly know whether or not their listing on Google is performing in the best manner it can? For starters, Google itself offers plenty of tools that professional SEO companies use to monitor and analyze GMB listings:

• Google Search Console. It offers you the chance to explore the frequently used search queries that lead users to your website. You can then filter your searches with local modifiers in Google Search Console to identify where your consumers are coming from.
• Google Analytics. It can provide users with the ability to get broad to in-depth overviews of your digital marketing efforts.
• GMB Insights. It focuses on metrics related to maps, images, posts, and user interactions of those who have viewed your GMB listing.

All these tools were designed to assist companies in tracking their listings and measuring performance. Based on the KPIs from these tools, you can take that data and establish whether or not your GMB is performing well enough.

Eight KPIs to help you measure GMB performance for your business

Given its proximity to Google and SEO strategizing, Google My Business shares a lot of its KPIs with other advertising channels. And so, here are 8 essential metrics to consider when looking at GMB performance:

• Phone call volume
• Click-to-call rates
• Search rankings
• Website traffic
• Online customer reviews
• Requests for driving directions
• Photo views
• Discovery vs. direct searches

By taking the data from all these metrics and combining it with your conversion rate success, you can start getting a sense of what it takes for your listings and advertisements to be more effective. By taking this albeit challenging step, you can bring a greater number of visitors to your physical location and website. It all comes down to how well you manage to optimize your GMB listing for local searches.

What’s the goal?

Simply put – a high level of engagement with customers. This is what you want from your GMB account and any other advertising channel that you are using for your business. Photo submissions, phone calls, reviews, social media shares…these are all good signs of people not only noticing your brand on Google but also exploring it. And the good thing with measuring GMB performance is that Google offers you all the feedback you need to keep track of it. Of course, the more time and energy you invest in the overall layout of your listing, the higher chances are that their interaction with your brand will be a positive one.

How to optimize your GMB listing

Your Google My Business listing should include the following (some sections are dependent on your type of business):

• Business Name. Make sure that your brand name is properly spelled.
• Primary category. Choose from existing categories and be specific when describing your business as a whole.
• Additional categories. Make sure to include as many categories as you are able to, to give your business a wider range.
• Address. Make sure to format the address as you do on your website and other listings. Consistency is key here.
• Service areas. Again, the more there are and the more details you offer (city, zip code, etc.), the better off you are.
• Hours and Special Hours ( Holidays & etc.). Sunday – Saturday regular hours that are customizable by day.
• Primary phone. You can use a call tracking number for GMB here or your main phone line.
• Additional phone. Place your main line number here (for NAP consistency) if you are using a call tracking number as your primary (and vice versa).
• Profile short name. Create this for quick access to your GMB profile with a short url: g.page/.
• Website. Link to the homepage of your official website.
• Products. Show people product offerings in your GMB listing. All fields must be complete per product.
• Services. A fairly new field where you can list services. Google may populate suggestions based on the primary category.
• Highlights. These attributes are dependent on the business type. (Ex: Veteran-led, Women-led)
• Business description. A very brief and accurate summary of the services your business offers (up to 750 characters).
• Opening date. Year and month of your opening date.
• Photos. Cover, Logo, 360, Video, Interior, Exterior, At work, Team.
• Reviews. Invite customers to leave reviews and be responsive to those reviews, good or bad.
• Settings. You can set email and app notifications from here.

Make your GMB listing a living online record of the most essential aspects of your business. Only by doing so will you be able to provide customers with the information they need to discover your business and engage with it in the way you want them to.

Let Digital Dot help you measure GMB performance and improve it

Google My Business is definitely an essential step in establishing a strong online presence for your business. However, simply creating a listing for your company in 15 minutes is not enough. Google is constantly introducing updates and so, keeping up with those changes is necessary for your business to keep up. With those updates, there is so much information that you can now add to your GMB listing. Just measure GMB performance with your initial listing and after you update it. The results will be instantly noticeable.

• Give our team a call today and start working on your GMB listing to see more engagement with customers and more leads.