GMB Report: 5 Major Take-Aways from GMB Report Studies

GMB News 07 Aug 2019

Google My Business, also known as GMB, can be a powerful tool for SEOs and bloggers and puts a vast amount of data at your fingertips but it can also be very challenging, as well.

A large report by Bright Local came out recently looking at GMB and data from thousands of locations and businesses to really pull together an in-depth report that leads to some really interesting data. From looking at that data, we can find some important insights.

#1: Discovery vs. Direct

84% of clicks that businesses receive starts with a Google search other than their business name. That means only 16% of traffic comes from looking directly for the business and shows just how important ranking high in local results is because only a handful of searches are coming from knowing the brand and looking for it.

Direct searches are most common in the United Kingdom while that is less common across the pond in the States, and only 1/3 of all businesses receive over 1,000 searches via discovery per month. That leaves a lot of room for improvement.

#2: Rankings + Positive Reviews

The key for most businesses to grow is a one-two combo. While local rankings definitely matter, having a larger number of positive reviews than the surrounding competition can partially make up for being slightly lower on the list. The websites with the most engagement seem to be those that actually have both. There’s a decent reason to believe that having more high ratings than the competition does have an effect on being able to outrank them and keep those local rankings.

#3: Industry Matters a Lot

The numbers can vary in some pretty incredible ways based on whatever industry the business is in. Hotels, car dealerships, and restaurants, in that order, were the three industries where a business was most likely to be searched directly by name. However, those were also the three with the most discovery searches, though in a different order.

When looking at percentages the five highest by discovery rate were:

  • Locksmiths at 97%
  • Repairs at 96%
  • Legal at 92%
  • Storage & removal services at 92%
  • Tradesman at 92%

For businesses that aren’t day to day but are needed heavily when they are needed, ranking high locally is crucial to business success!

#4: Local Search Still Greater Than Maps

No question getting one of those coveted top spots on Google Maps is important, but it’s worth noting that 75% of traffic still comes from search while only 25% comes from Google Maps.

#5: Local Results Create Action

Based on the data available, it’s worth noting that customers take many different actions based on finding a business on search. In fact, this study showed that:

– 56% went on to visit the website directly from the listing
– 24% made a phone call
– 20% asked for directions

This shows the power that local search still has.

These numbers paint an interesting picture, but also show that the strategy for certain industries may need to shift and help business owners decide to go from branding to SEO or double down on doing both. The data here leaves no doubt: Google Local can be powerfully effective and the data from GMB, when used correctly, can definitely help.

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