Read your Business Profile performance report
Open your Business Profile, select Performance, choose a time period and select Apply. Focus on calls, direction requests and website clicks, and compare month to month rather than week to week. Views count unique people at most once a day, so they run lower than you might expect. You can also link the report to Google Analytics.
The short version
- Open it with Performance, pick a time period, then Apply.
- Watch calls, direction requests and website clicks. Those are real customer actions.
- Compare months, not days.
- Search terms update at the start of each month.
- You see call-button taps, not who called. Call history ended July 31, 2024.
How do I open and read the report?
These steps come from Google’s performance page.
On a computer:
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Click Performance.
- At the top, choose a time period.
- Click Apply.
In the Google Maps app, tap Business at the bottom right, then See more next to “Performance.” Choose a time period and tap Apply. You need to be signed in to an account that manages the profile, and the profile must be verified.
What each number means
Only the metrics that apply to your business appear.
| Metric | What it counts |
|---|---|
| Interactions | The total of the actions below |
| Calls | Taps on your call button. Needs a phone number on the profile |
| Directions | Direction requests, with repeat taps, cancels and spam filtered out |
| Website clicks | Clicks on your website link |
| Messages | Separate message conversations, if you’ve set up a chat option |
| Bookings | Completed bookings through a booking provider |
| Views | People who viewed your profile on Search and Maps |
| Searches | The search terms people used to find you |
| Products, Menus, Offers | Views or clicks on those parts of the profile, where they apply |
Connect it to Google Analytics
Google’s connection page says linking shows profile interactions, such as calls, directions and website clicks, next to your website data. You need an Administrator or Editor role in Analytics, and owner or manager access to the profile.
- In Google Analytics, open Admin.
- Under Product links, click Google Business Profile links.
- Click Link.
- Select the profiles you manage.
- Review the data sharing details and confirm.
One Analytics property can link to several profiles. Our answer on what to check in GA4 helps you read the website side.
Why should I check it?
The report answers one question: is this listing bringing in work? It won’t tell you everything, but it shows the trend. For many service businesses, calls are the number to watch; for places people visit, it’s direction requests. Views and searches are useful context, not customers.
The Searches list is a free look at how customers describe you. If people search for a service you offer but don’t list, add it to your services. If they search your name with a town, make sure that town is on your website.
What are the common mistakes and edge cases?
- Reacting to one week. Small numbers jump around. Compare with last month, and the same month last year if you have it.
- Expecting views to match Google’s emails. Views count unique people, at most once a day, so the report often shows fewer than notification emails do.
- Panicking over a drop in directions. Google changed how it counts them to filter out repeat taps, cancels and spam. A drop may be the counting, not your business.
- Chasing odd search terms. Google decides the matching, and you can’t edit this list.
- Treating it as a sales report. It counts taps, not sales. Ask new customers how they found you, and note it.
What if the numbers look wrong or missing?
- No report at all. The profile must be verified, and you must be signed in to an account that manages it.
- No search terms yet. Google says they update at the start of each month and can take up to 5 days to appear.
- No calls counted. Calls only register if your profile has a phone number.
- A sudden drop. Check the profile for Google updates, a closed label or wrong hours.
- You want to know who called. The report can’t show that. Google ended Business Profile call history on July 31, 2024, per its chat and call history page. For website leads, our answer on tracking calls and form leads covers the basics.
What is Business Home?
Google is testing a separate dashboard called Business Home. Its help page calls it a “closed beta experience” for select business categories in the US and UK. It pulls Business Profile numbers together with Merchant Center, Google Ads and YouTube data, and it isn’t a replacement for your Business Profile. If you haven’t been invited, the performance report above is still the place to look.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
The performance report and the Analytics link are both free. A monthly check takes about five minutes: set last month as the range, write down calls, directions and website clicks, scan the search terms, and compare with the month before.
How does E-3 handle this?
Reading these numbers is part of the Google profile care in our SEO and AI search service. People at E-3 read the numbers and suggest changes worth making.
Related questions
Sources
- Understand your Business Profile performance & insights (Google Business Profile Help)
- Connect your Business Profile to Google Analytics (Google Business Profile Help)
- Understand your business performance & insights (Business Home Help)
- Changes to Google Business Profile chat and call history (Google Business Profile Help)
Next step
- Next: How your profile, website and local ranking connectThe next guide in Google Business Profile.
- Google Business Profile checklistA free printable checklist (PDF).
Still stuck? Ask E-3 for an answer from our help guides.
Rather we handled google business profile for you?
It’s part of what we do every week for small businesses, as part of seo and ai search. Start with a free check of your site and profile, or call and ask.