Cheat Sheet: How to read your GBP Insights without fooling yourself
https://www.localboostlab.com/03_GBP_Profile.webp
The Trade Owner's Cheat Sheet: Reading Your Google Profile Insights Without Fooling Yourself
Most business owners look at their Google profile numbers and feel great about the wrong things
https://www.localboostlab.com/Cheat_Sheet_1
1. "Views" don't pay your mortgage — calls do.
Find the "Calls" metric in your insights. That number — people who tapped to call you directly from Google — is the one that matters. If views are high and calls are low, your profile is a billboard nobody's stopping at.
2. Separate Search views from Maps views.
Search views mean someone Googled your service category. Maps views mean someone was already looking for a business near them. Maps views with low direction requests means your profile showed up but didn't convince anyone to come.
3. Direction requests tell you your real service radius.
If 80% of your direction requests come from one zip code, that's your actual market — not the 15-mile radius you think you cover. Adjust your service area on your profile to match where people are actually finding you.
4. Watch the 28-day trend, not the weekly spike.
One good week after you asked five customers for reviews is noise. A consistent 3-month climb in call clicks after consistent posting — that's a signal worth trusting.
5. Photo views are a ranking signal hiding in plain sight.
If your competitor has 300 photos and you have 12, Google has already made a decision about who looks more active. Add 5 real job photos this week — no stock images.
https://www.localboostlab.com/Cheat_Sheet_2
6. "Searches used to find you" exposes what Google thinks you do.
If you're an HVAC company and you're showing up for "furnace repair" but not "AC installation," Google doesn't fully know your service range yet. Your profile categories and posts need to say it more clearly.
7. A flat insights graph after 30+ days of inactivity isn't bad luck.
It's cause and effect. Google rewards active profiles. One post every two weeks isn't active — it's forgettable.
What LBL handles automatically:
Your Google profile is showing you exactly what's working. The question is whether you're reading it or just feeling good about the big number at the top.
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