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The Local Biz Show
Maps & Money: Measuring Your Google Business Profile
Every local business owner knows the struggle to get customers through their doors in today's competitive market. Google Maps has become the essential gateway for local customers, but simply being listed isn't enough anymore. Even businesses actively managing their Google Business Profile often wonder: are all these posts, photos, and review efforts actually moving the needle?
This comprehensive guide cuts through the confusion surrounding Google Maps visibility measurement. We tackle the critical difference between being busy and being effective with your local SEO efforts. The podcast reveals why the standard 90-day minimum timeframe matters when assessing your Google Maps performance – explaining how Google's algorithm processes information, establishes trust, and why short-term ranking fluctuations can be misleading. You'll learn specific strategies for those crucial first three months, including optimal posting frequency and the importance of consistent activity without over-optimization.
We expose the dangers of focusing on "vanity metrics" like website clicks and direction requests that feel good but often mask your true ranking performance. Instead, discover how heat map visibility tools provide the granular insights you need across your entire service area, showing exactly where you're visible to potential customers and where you're invisible. The conversation wraps up with a detailed breakdown of effective monthly reporting practices that transform guesswork into data-driven strategy. Stop hoping for Google Maps success and start measuring what truly matters to dominate your local market and bring customers through your door. Ready to take control of your local visibility with proven measurement tactics your competitors aren't using?
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If you're a local business, well, you know it's tough out there. You know trying to get those customers in the door.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's super competitive these days, isn't it?
Speaker 1:It really is, and you know everyone's looking for an edge. You know something to really boost their visibility.
Speaker 2:For sure. And when it comes to local visibility, you know what's the first thing that comes to mind.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, it's Google Maps, right.
Speaker 2:Google Maps Exactly.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, it's Google Maps, right, google Maps, exactly that's where everyone's going to find a plumber, a restaurant, a shop, whatever they need.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean think about it. When you need something local, where's the first place you turn to?
Speaker 1:Google Maps every time.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And for businesses, they know they need to be on there. But just being listed isn't enough.
Speaker 1:Right, you see so many businesses. They're putting in the work. You know they're updating their Google business profile, they're posting, they're uploading photos, they're chasing those reviews, but are they actually seeing results?
Speaker 2:That's the big question, right.
Speaker 1:That's the million dollar question, because you can be busy, you know you can be doing all these things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can be busy, but are you actually effective?
Speaker 1:Exactly?
Speaker 2:Are you actually moving the needle and that's what we're going to talk about today, right?
Speaker 1:That's what we're diving into, because it's like you know, working out without tracking your progress.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good analogy.
Speaker 1:You might feel like you're doing something, but you have no idea if you're actually getting stronger.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and your GPP. It deserves the same level of you know, measurement and attention.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so. Today we're going to provide some clarity. You know we're going to break down how to actually measure your GBP performance so you can stop guessing and start making you know real progress.
Speaker 2:Yeah, data driven decisions.
Speaker 1:Exactly Data driven decisions. So we're going to cover three key areas, ok.
Speaker 2:Sounds good.
Speaker 1:First we'll talk about you know what's a realistic time frame to see results on Google Maps. Then we'll look at why some of those common metrics in your GBP dashboard those can be kind of misleading.
Speaker 2:Yeah, vanity metrics, we'll dive into that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and what you should really be focusing on instead.
Speaker 2:The real deal.
Speaker 1:And finally, we'll talk about why monthly reporting is so important.
Speaker 2:You know keep yourself on track.
Speaker 1:Keep yourself on track. Make sure you're moving in the right direction.
Speaker 2:Love it, let's do it.
Speaker 1:All right, so let's jump right in. You know, the first thing we see a lot of businesses doing is they expect instant results. They make a change to their GBP and they're checking their ranking like the next day.
Speaker 2:Instant gratification.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And then they're disappointed when nothing's changed.
Speaker 2:But it's not like that, is it?
Speaker 1:It's not like that at all. Google's algorithm. You know it takes time to you know process information to figure out where you sit in it's a complex system right. It's a complex system. They're looking at all sorts of factors.
Speaker 2:Signals and all that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and so you know. That's why we always emphasize this 90 day minimum, you know, to really assess the impact of your efforts.
Speaker 2:OK, 90 days. Why is that so important?
Speaker 1:Well, for one thing, you know local rankings. They can fluctuate quite a bit in the short term.
Speaker 2:They can jump around, can't they?
Speaker 1:They jump around all the time. So you know, if you're only looking at a week or two of data, it's easy to get the wrong idea.
Speaker 2:You might see a little spike and think, oh, I've made it.
Speaker 1:Exactly, or a dip, and you think, oh no, everything's falling apart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, got to look at the bigger picture.
Speaker 1:The 90 days gives you that bigger picture. You know, you can see the trends, you can see the patterns.
Speaker 2:Okay, makes sense. So it's about seeing those long-term trends, not just the little blips.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and the other thing is Google. You know they like to see consistency.
Speaker 2:Trust.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they need to trust your information.
Speaker 2:Especially if you've, you know, had some issues in the past.
Speaker 1:Right If you've had a suspension or you've made, you know, some drastic changes.
Speaker 2:They want to make sure you're legit.
Speaker 1:They want to make sure you're legit, that you're here to stay, so that 90 days of consistent activity that builds trust.
Speaker 2:Signals to Google that you're serious about your business.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And of course, we can't forget about the competition.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, the other players in the game. They're not sitting. Still Always trying to one up each other.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. It takes time to you know, to outrank them to to get that visibility.
Speaker 2:The local search. Landscape is always shifting.
Speaker 1:Always shifting. So you know that 90 day period. It gives you a chance to see how things are moving see where the opportunities are. And adjust your strategy.
Speaker 2:Adapt.
Speaker 1:Adapt Exactly All right. So let's say you're a business owner, you're just starting out with your GBP.
Speaker 2:Okay, branding.
Speaker 1:Or you're making some big changes.
Speaker 2:What should they be doing in those first 90 days?
Speaker 1:What are the priorities?
Speaker 2:Priorities.
Speaker 1:First and foremost, consistency is key.
Speaker 2:Consistency.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know, you want to be making regular updates to your GBP.
Speaker 2:How often are we talking?
Speaker 1:Ideally weekly. You know, share some posts, upload some photos.
Speaker 2:Fresh content.
Speaker 1:Fresh content, you know, encourage those customer reviews.
Speaker 2:Keep things active.
Speaker 1:Keep things active. Show Google that you're alive and kicking. I like it. You're alive and kicking, I like it.
Speaker 2:What else?
Speaker 1:And the other thing is don't over-optimize.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I've seen people do that.
Speaker 1:It's tempting. You know you want to tweak every little thing.
Speaker 2:They're in there every day changing things.
Speaker 1:But that can actually backfire.
Speaker 2:Confuses Google.
Speaker 1:Confuses Google. They don't know what to make of it.
Speaker 2:So pick a strategy and stick with it.
Speaker 1:Exactly For that 90-day period. You know, give it time to breathe.
Speaker 2:Okay, makes sense. So consistency, no, over-optimizing anything else.
Speaker 1:Well, you mentioned tracking some data points early on.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, got to measure, got to measure.
Speaker 1:What should businesses be keeping an eye on?
Speaker 2:So even in those early stages, start taking what we call ranking snapshots. Ranking snapshots Okay, basically, you're checking where your business appears on Google Maps. For your main keywords, for your main keywords, for your main keywords Exactly, you know, in your service area.
Speaker 1:So I'm a plumber in a certain city, yeah. I'm going to check where I rank for plumber in that city.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and you can do this manually, you know, just search and see, or you can use a tool.
Speaker 1:There are tools for this.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Tons of tools out there.
Speaker 1:Okay, and how often should you be doing these snapshots?
Speaker 2:You know, weekly is a good starting point, weekly Okay. So I get my baseline, you get your baseline, and then you can see how things change over time.
Speaker 1:Okay, makes sense. And you also mentioned tracking map coverage data.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is important.
Speaker 1:What is that exactly?
Speaker 2:So map coverage data. It basically shows you how visible you are across your entire service area.
Speaker 1:Okay, so not just in one specific spot.
Speaker 2:Not just right around your business location.
Speaker 1:But like the whole city.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the whole city or wherever you serve customers.
Speaker 1:And why is that so important?
Speaker 2:Well, because you know you might rank really well right near your shop, uh-huh, but a few miles away you might be invisible.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see.
Speaker 2:So map coverage data, it gives you that complete picture.
Speaker 1:It helps you identify those gaps.
Speaker 2:Exactly the blind spots.
Speaker 1:Okay. So we've got consistent activity, no over-optimizing and tracking, those ranking snapshots and map coverage. That's a good plan for the first 90 days.
Speaker 2:Solid foundation.
Speaker 1:Now, what about expectations? You know, during this time, yeah, what's realistic.
Speaker 2:What's realistic? Well, don't expect miracles overnight.
Speaker 1:Right, you're not going to go from page two to the map pack in a week.
Speaker 2:No, it takes time Building that authority. It takes time. Seo is a long game. It's a long game.
Speaker 1:So be patient, focus on those consistent actions Trust the process.
Speaker 2:Trust the process.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've talked about the timeframe. Now let's talk about metrics.
Speaker 2:Okay, the numbers.
Speaker 1:The numbers, because everyone loves to see you know. Website clicks, phone calls, direction requests.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it feels good, doesn't it?
Speaker 1:It feels good, it feels like you're making progress.
Speaker 2:But are those numbers telling the whole story?
Speaker 1:That's the question Are they really giving us an accurate picture of our Google Maps performance?
Speaker 2:Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Speaker 1:Sometimes no. So what's the problem with these metrics?
Speaker 2:Well, we call them vanity metrics sometimes.
Speaker 1:Vanity metrics.
Speaker 2:Because they can make you feel good, but they might not reflect actual improvement in your ranking.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see.
Speaker 2:So you might see a jump in website clicks, but your visibility on the map might not have changed at all.
Speaker 1:So what are some things that can skew these numbers?
Speaker 2:Well, seasonality is a big one.
Speaker 1:Seasonality okay.
Speaker 2:Like if you're an ice cream shop, you're going to get more traffic in the summer. That doesn't mean your ranking suddenly got better.
Speaker 1:Right, it's just the time of year, exactly, or?
Speaker 2:if you're running Google Ads.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Those clicks and calls. They're coming from your ads.
Speaker 1:Not from your organic listing Exactly, so it can be hard to separate the two. You need to know what's coming from your paid efforts versus your organic efforts.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And then there are random spikes, you know.
Speaker 1:Like what.
Speaker 2:Maybe you got mentioned in a blog post or someone shared your business on social media. You might see a temporary boost, but it's not sustainable.
Speaker 1:So those vanity metrics, they can be deceptive.
Speaker 2:They can be a distraction.
Speaker 1:So what should we be focusing on instead?
Speaker 2:We need to look at what we call heat map visibility.
Speaker 1:Heat map visibility. Okay, that sounds interesting.
Speaker 2:It's basically a visual representation of how you rank for specific keywords across your entire service area.
Speaker 1:Okay, so it's like a map.
Speaker 2:It is a map with different colors showing your ranking in different locations.
Speaker 1:So I can see where I rank number one, where I rank number 10.
Speaker 2:Exactly. You get a much more detailed view than just an average ranking.
Speaker 1:So I might rank really well in my neighborhood, but a few miles away I might be nowhere to be found.
Speaker 2:Exactly that's what the heat map shows you.
Speaker 1:Those visibility gaps.
Speaker 2:The blind spots.
Speaker 1:And that's crucial information.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, because if you're not visible, you're not getting those customers.
Speaker 1:Right, so map coverage. It's directly tied to potential customers. Unlike those vanity metrics, Okay, so how do we track these heat maps?
Speaker 2:Well, there's some great tools out there.
Speaker 1:Like what.
Speaker 2:Like RankGenius Local Falcon.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, I've heard of those.
Speaker 2:They allow you to run these heat map audits for your keywords.
Speaker 1:So I can see my ranking for plumber across my entire city.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and they'll show you changes over time.
Speaker 1:So I can see if my visibility is improving or declining Month over month. So I can see if my visibility is improving or declining.
Speaker 2:Month over month.
Speaker 1:And they can help me identify specific areas where I need to improve.
Speaker 2:Zip codes neighborhoods.
Speaker 1:So it's all about getting that granular view.
Speaker 2:Yeah, forget those fluffy numbers. Focus on the map Focus on where you're actually showing up.
Speaker 1:That's where the real opportunities are.
Speaker 2:That's where the customers are.
Speaker 1:All right. So we've talked about the time frame, the metrics. Now let's talk about reporting.
Speaker 2:Okay, keeping track of it all.
Speaker 1:Keeping track of it all, because why is it so important to review this data regularly?
Speaker 2:Well, if you're not tracking your progress, you're basically flying blind.
Speaker 1:You don't know what's working.
Speaker 2:You don't know what's not working. You're just guessing, and you might be making changes that are actually hurting you.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's, scary.
Speaker 2:It is, and remember, google's algorithm is always changing.
Speaker 1:Always evolving.
Speaker 2:Your competitors are always making moves.
Speaker 1:So you need to stay on top of it.
Speaker 2:Monthly reporting is like your GPS it keeps you on course, exactly. So what are the benefits of monthly reporting?
Speaker 1:Well, for one thing, you can identify trends over time.
Speaker 2:See the big picture Right.
Speaker 1:Is my visibility improving overall or is it declining?
Speaker 2:Are those changes you made actually having an impact?
Speaker 1:Exactly, and then you can measure real progress. Not just random fluctuations, yeah, you know, are those ranking snapshots moving in the right direction?
Speaker 2:Is your map coverage expanding?
Speaker 1:And then you can make informed decisions.
Speaker 2:Data-driven decisions.
Speaker 1:Based on what the data is telling you.
Speaker 2:Not just your gut feeling.
Speaker 1:And of course you can stay ahead of the competition.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you're not tracking, they are.
Speaker 1:So monthly reporting it's essential.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Now what should be included in a good monthly report.
Speaker 2:Well, the core of it should be those heat map comparisons.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I'm comparing this month to last month.
Speaker 2:You want to see how many zones you're ranking in.
Speaker 1:Are those numbers going up?
Speaker 2:Are you seeing broad improvement or is it just for a few keywords?
Speaker 1:Okay, heat maps got it. What else?
Speaker 2:Review activity is important.
Speaker 1:Okay, those customer reviews.
Speaker 2:You want to track how many you're getting Mm-hmm, but also the keywords they're using.
Speaker 1:Oh, interesting.
Speaker 2:And where those reviewers are located.
Speaker 1:So are they local customers.
Speaker 2:Local and relevant.
Speaker 1:Because those reviews carry more weight.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Okay reviews.
Speaker 2:You want to track your profile, updates and content.
Speaker 1:Okay, so how often am I posting?
Speaker 2:Are you adding new photos, videos you can get fresh, keeping it fresh, and then you can see if those actions correlate with any changes in your ranking.
Speaker 1:So I can see what's moving the needle.
Speaker 2:Exactly Cause and effect.
Speaker 1:Okay and lastly, Competitor analysis. Keep an eye on the competition.
Speaker 2:See if anyone's jumped ahead of you.
Speaker 1:Or if there are any new players in the game.
Speaker 2:Exactly, stay informed.
Speaker 1:So monthly reporting, it's all about understanding what's working, what's not.
Speaker 2:And using that data to make better decisions.
Speaker 1:So that you can dominate your local market.
Speaker 2:That's the goal.
Speaker 1:All right. So to wrap things up, you know we've talked about the importance of that 90-day time frame. We've talked about those misleading metrics and the power of heat map visibility.
Speaker 2:And, of course, the absolute necessity of monthly reporting.
Speaker 1:Monthly reporting. It's your secret weapon it is, and the big takeaway here is that just being busy with your GBP it's not enough.
Speaker 2:No, you gotta be strategic.
Speaker 1:You gotta measure the right things.
Speaker 2:Data-driven.
Speaker 1:Data-driven exactly.
Speaker 2:So you can actually see those results, those customers coming in the door.
Speaker 1:Because Google Maps. It's the front door to your business these days.
Speaker 2:It is for local businesses.
Speaker 1:So don't just hope for the best. Take control, Take control. Track your progress.
Speaker 2:And dominate your local market.
Speaker 1:Exactly. All right, that's all we've got for today.
Speaker 2:Great stuff.
Speaker 1:We hope you found this helpful.
Speaker 2:Super helpful.
Speaker 1:Now go out there, start measuring and start winning.
Speaker 2:Good luck everyone.
Speaker 1:We'll see you next.