Imagine your local store is losing over half its potential customers simply because it's invisible online—that's the shocking reality, as 56% of local retailers haven't even claimed their free Google My Business listing, missing out on the 1,009 monthly searches and powerful consumer trust that comes with a complete profile.
Key Takeaways
- 56% of local retailers haven't even claimed their Google My Business listing
- The average business receives 59 actions from their Google Business Profile listing each month
- 49% of businesses receive more than 1,000 views on Search per month
- 84% of searches are discovery searches while 16% are direct searches
- 64% of consumers have used Google My Business to find the contact details of a local business
- The average business is discovered in 1,009 searches per month
- 5% of GBP listing views result in a website click, call, or direction request
- 16% of businesses receive more than 100 calls per month from GBP
- 56% of people who click on GMB listings visit the business's website
- Businesses with photos on their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions
- Listings with photos are 2x as likely to be considered reputable
- Hotels have the highest average number of photos on GBP with 150 images
- 68% of people say they would stop using a local business if they found incorrect information in online directories
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- Reviews account for 15.44% of how Google ranks local businesses
An effective and complete Google My Business listing is essential for local business success.
Business Adoption and Engagement
156% of local retailers haven't even claimed their Google My Business listing
Verified2The average business receives 59 actions from their Google Business Profile listing each month
Verified349% of businesses receive more than 1,000 views on Search per month
Verified470% of customers are more likely to visit a business with a complete GBP profile
Directional5Google My Business posts expire every 7 days
Single source650% of GMB listings receive more than 1,000 views per month on Search but only 33% on Maps
Verified7Only 20% of businesses in the hospitality industry haven't claimed their profile
Verified884% of GMB views come from discovery searches (brand+category)
Verified9Listings that are verified are 19% more likely to be trusted by consumers
Directional10Only 44% of businesses have claimed their GMB listing overall
Single source1119% of GMB listings have no specific category assigned beyond the primary one
Verified12Average business receives 1,260 views on Maps per month
Verified1362% of business owners use the GMB app to manage their profiles
Verified14Local listings with descriptions receive 10 times more engagement
Directional1540% of small businesses in the US are still not on Google Maps
Single source16Local businesses with verified listings are 29% more likely to be chosen by consumers
Verified1737% of businesses don't have a website link on their GMB listing
Verified18Profile completeness accounts for 7% of GMB ranking power
Verified197% of GMB views occur through searching for the specific brand name
Directional20Only 22% of local businesses are using Google My Business attributes (e.g. "free wifi")
Single source2130% of businesses on GMB respond to questions in the Q&A section
Verified22Small businesses with GMB profiles are 3x as likely to attract new customers
Verified23The average business description length on GMB is 214 characters
Verified24Adding a phone number to GMB improves listing trust score by 8%
Directional25Verified businesses are 94% more likely to be considered reputable
Single source264% of GMB profiles have no primary phone number listed
Verified27Only 17% of businesses currently use the "Posts" feature on GMB
Verified2820% of GMB profiles have no website link
VerifiedBusiness Adoption and Engagement Interpretation
It's both hilarious and tragic that so many local businesses are still blindly fumbling in the digital dark, leaving an astonishing amount of free money and customer trust on the table for their more savvy, complete, and active competitors.
Conversion and Performance
15% of GBP listing views result in a website click, call, or direction request
Verified216% of businesses receive more than 100 calls per month from GBP
Verified356% of people who click on GMB listings visit the business's website
Verified418% of local smartphone searches lead to a purchase within a day
Directional520% of businesses receive fewer than 5 calls per month from their listing
Single source660% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using search results (e.g. "click to call" option)
Verified796% of businesses receive fewer than 25 calls per month from GBP
Verified8Average conversion rate for a GMB listing is 4.8%
Verified953% of people click on the first organic result in local search
Directional10On average, 16% of businesses receive calls that last more than 30 seconds from GBP
Single source11Messaging through GMB increases conversion by 11%
Verified1225% of all clicks on the SERP go to the first local result
Verified13Average monthly direction requests per business are 35
Verified141 in 5 local searches results in a purchase
Directional1560% of people claim that they prefer to call a local business via "click-to-call" button
Single source16Only 5% of GMB profile views result in a phone call
Verified1718% of people who search for a local business on mobile end up buying something that day
Verified18The average business receives 26 direction requests per month via GBP
Verified19Google My Business posts can increase search views by up to 20%
Directional20Businesses that post every week on GMB see a 10% increase in clicks
Single source21More than 50% of GMB calls occur on weekdays between 10am and 4pm
Verified225% of GBP interactions result in a booking
Verified23Average number of Monthly Calls for professional services is 12
Verified2461% of users say they prefer businesses that allow messaging through GMB
Directional25The average business receives 31 website clicks per month from GMB
Single source2670% of local searches on mobile result in a phone call
Verified2714% of people click on a local result because of its map listing
Verified2812% of consumers use GMB to book appointments directly
Verified29Local packs generate 44% of total clicks on Google results pages
Directional30Average business receives 0.8 calls per day from their listing
Single source31A profile that is 100% complete gets 7x more clicks than an empty profile
VerifiedConversion and Performance Interpretation
Think of your Google Business Profile as a high-performance sports car that most owners leave idling in the garage, because while a fully-tuned one attracts a crowd, the average business settles for the occasional, hopeful backfire.
Reviews and Trust
168% of people say they would stop using a local business if they found incorrect information in online directories
Verified288% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
Verified3Reviews account for 15.44% of how Google ranks local businesses
Verified4A business with 5 stars receives 126% more traffic than a business with 1-2 stars
Directional5Businesses respond to only 25% of the reviews they receive on average
Single source691% of 18-34 year olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
Verified789% of people read business responses to reviews
Verified8A business can lose 15% of its customers if it doesn't respond to reviews
Verified9Listings with 4-star ratings or higher are selected 94% of the time
Directional10Businesses with a 4.0 to 4.5 rating have the highest conversion rates
Single source1173% of consumers say they trust a business more if it has positive reviews
Verified1277% of consumers "always" or "regularly" read reviews for local businesses
Verified1393% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions
Verified14Businesses that reply to reviews are 1.7x more likely to be trusted
Directional1545% of people will visit a business after finding it on GMB if it has a high rating
Single source16Negative reviews have stopped 94% of consumers from using a business
Verified17Businesses with a star rating of 4.5+ have 40% more engagement on their profile
Verified183% of businesses have a 1-star rating on Google
Verified19On average, a Google Business Profile listing has 11 reviews
Directional2020% of users will leave a review if asked to do so by a local business
Single source2185% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
Verified2240% of users do not trust businesses with no reviews at all
Verified2395% of consumers find at least one review helpful when selecting a local business
Verified24Local listings with ratings above 4.0 get 92% of all traffic
Directional259% of consumers say they never read reviews for local businesses
Single source2674% of consumers would visit a business based on online reviews
Verified27Listings with 4.5 stars receive 15% more calls than those with 4.0 stars
Verified2890% of customers say that their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews
Verified2960% of consumers avoid a business after seeing negative reviews
DirectionalReviews and Trust Interpretation
A business's online reputation is a fragile but wildly profitable ecosystem where 88% of consumers trust reviews like a friend's advice, yet a single negative review can scare off 94% of them, proving that while you might not be able to please everyone, you absolutely must respond to them unless you fancy losing 15% of your customers to digital neglect.
Search Behavior
184% of searches are discovery searches while 16% are direct searches
Verified264% of consumers have used Google My Business to find the contact details of a local business
Verified3The average business is discovered in 1,009 searches per month
Verified497% of users learn more about a local company online than anywhere else
Directional5Local results occupy the top position in 93% of searches with local intent
Single source686% of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps
Verified792% of searchers will pick businesses on the first page of local search results
Verified876% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within a day
Verified942% of local searches involve clicking on the Google Map Pack
Directional10Direct searches have grown by 38% for the average business year-over-year
Single source1172% of consumers say that search is their first choice to find information on local merchants
Verified1227% of consumers search for a local business daily online
Verified1334% of local searches are "near me" searches
Verified14A typical business is found in 157 direct searches each month
Directional15Google My Business signals are the most important ranking factor for local pack rankings at 36%
Single source16"Near me" searches have grown by 500% over the last two years
Verified1754% of local smartphone searchers looking for business hours
Verified18Discovery searches account for 8,176 views per month for the average business listing
Verified1950% of consumers visit a store within one day of a local search
Directional20Local packs appear in the top spot for 93% of all local queries
Single source21On average, a GMB listing is found 1,260 times on Google Maps per month
Verified2271% of shoppers say they search for a business to confirm it exists before visiting
Verified232.7 billion searches per month are for local businesses
Verified2482% of shoppers say they consult their phones while in a store
Directional2565% of people use Google Maps to find local stores and businesses
Single source2610% of local searches are branded searches for a specific business name
Verified2746% of all Google searches are seeking local information
Verified2881% of shoppers research their purchase online before going to the store
Verified2932% of consumers use Google Maps to search for "things to do"
Directional30A business gets 1,009 searches per month on average but 1,260 views on Maps
Single source31Over 1 billion people use Google Maps every month
Verified32Business hours are the most sought-after information on a GMB listing
Verified33Google My Business signals have increased in importance by 12% in the last 3 years
Verified34Average restaurant gets 2,347 discovery views per month
Directional3552% of local searches on mobile are done while on the move
Single source3635% of people click on a business profile based on the location shown on a map
Verified37Google My Business accounts for 25% of all local SEO ranking signals
Verified38Maps views for the average listing increased by 15% year on year
VerifiedSearch Behavior Interpretation
Your Google My Business listing is essentially a digital storefront that, when optimized, acts as a relentless 24/7 billboard, quietly intercepting the vast majority of customers who are already on the hunt for exactly what you offer, often while they're standing right outside your door.
Visual Content Impact
1Businesses with photos on their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions
Verified2Listings with photos are 2x as likely to be considered reputable
Verified3Hotels have the highest average number of photos on GBP with 150 images
Verified4Businesses with more than 100 images get 520% more calls than the average business
Directional5The average business has 11 photos on their Google Business Profile
Single source6Companies with photos get 35% more clicks through to their websites than those without
Verified7Listings with a virtual tour generate double the interest compared to those without
Verified8Businesses with more than 80 photos receive 1,038% more direction requests than the average
Verified9Businesses with more than 100 photos get 2713% more website clicks
Directional1040% of local SEOs believe GMB photos are a ranking factor
Single source1113% of businesses have 0 photos on their GMB listing
Verified12Adding a logo to a profile increases search visibility by 10%
Verified13Small businesses with more photos on their profile are 2.5x more likely to be considered reputable
Verified14Businesses with photos see 35% more clicks to their website
Directional15Photos are the third most important factor for ranking in the Map Pack
Single source1625% of users look at GMB photos before deciding to visit
Verified17A business with over 100 photos gets 9x more phone calls than an average profile
Verified18Images of the interior of a business increase direction requests by 15%
Verified19Only 2% of businesses have more than 1,000 photos
Directional20Listings with a 360-view get 43% more attention from users
Single source21GMB listings for bars and clubs have the highest number of photos after hotels
Verified22Businesses with at least one photo see 20% more engagement
Verified23Conversion rates for GMB increase by 5% when videos are added to the profile
Verified24Profiles with more than 10 photos receive 5x more clicks
Directional25Photos of products increase conversion by 12% for retail businesses
Single source26A business with 100+ images gets 10x more website clicks than the baseline
Verified2767% of consumers say that high-quality photos are very important to their purchase decision
VerifiedVisual Content Impact Interpretation
If your Google Business Profile is a ghost town without photos, you're essentially handing 42% more driving customers, double the credibility, and a mountain of phone calls directly to your competitor who remembered to post pictures.
Sources & References
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