A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is essential for any local business. However, many companies don’t claim, complete, or fully optimize their business profile.
“Near Me” search queries have surged by more than 200% in recent years. For any local businesses to get found on Google, it starts and finishes with your Google Business Profile (GBP).
We compiled a list of 23 powerful stats and facts demonstrating how vital your Google Business Profile is to local search success.
Google Business Profile: 23 Stats and Facts for Local Small Businesses
1. ‘Near Me’ Searches Are on the Rise
According to a report by Google’s Consumer Insights, “Where to buy” + “near me” mobile queries have grown by over 200% in the past two years.” SEMrush has found that there are more than 1 billion searches that contain the phrase “near me” in the United States every month.
2. 98% of Consumers Use the Internet to Find Information About Local Business
According to a Bright Local 2023 Local Consumer Review Survey, it was revealed that 98% of consumers used the Internet to find information about local businesses.
This is far fewer people than those searching for online businesses every day in 2020.
Initially, this might suggest a lessening need for their use. However, across the board, the frequency of use has increased overall as people from lower usage brackets move up into higher usage ones.
Overall, there’s been a 9% year-on-year increase of people using the Internet more than once a week to find information about local businesses.
3. Over 6 Out of 10, Consumers Use a Businesses Google Business Profile to Find Contact Information
It’s widely known that Google has replaced the Yellow Pages as the go-to source for business information. Over six out of ten consumers rely on the phone number listings found in GBP to contact a local small business. This number is expected to increase even further in the future.
4. An Optimized Google Business Profile Can Receive Somewhere Between 80 and 300 Clicks Per Month
For this post, I looked at 18 of the clients that we help manage a GBP for:
- Average interactions were 143 per month
- Average calls were 48 per month
- Average clicks to the website were 59 per month
While these numbers might not appear exceptionally high, it’s important to note that clicks originating from Google Business Profiles hold significant value. These clicks typically come from individuals who already have a specific product or service in mind and demonstrate a strong intention to make a purchase.
5. Over 7 out of 10 Local Searchers Visited a Business Within Five Miles
According to research by HubSpot, 72% of consumers that did a local search visited a store within five miles. Therefore having a strong SEO foundation for your website significantly increases the probability of connecting with potential consumers who are actively searching for the services and products you offer. This, in turn, can lead to a higher number of people visiting your physical stores, placing orders, and engaging with your business.
6. More Than 5% of GBP Views Result in a Conversion, and It’s Rising!
Simply appearing in a Google search can lead to significant conversions. Over 5% of people who encounter your business on Google, even without conducting a direct search or visiting your website, are inclined to submit a contact form or make a purchase. With an outstanding and optimized GBP, this conversion rate has the potential to be even higher.
7. Google Business Profiles with Photos are Twice as Likely to Appear Reputable
When conducting a local Google search, people often explore your small business photos to gather more information. For instance, when searching for a restaurant, they want to see images of the food and check if there is an outdoor patio. By adding photos to your GBP, you instill trust in potential consumers.
8. Local Business Average 11 Photos Per Google Business Profile Listing
Increasing the number of images on your GBP enhances credibility. If you have less than 11 photos, consider adding more as a clear way to achieve better results.
Google suggests including specific types of photos based on your industry.
- Exterior photos
- Interior photos
- Product photos
- Photos at work
- Food and drink photos (for restaurants)
- Common Rooms
- Team Photos
9. Google Maps Syncs with Your Google Business Profile to Display Your Business’s Location
Ensuring the accuracy of your company’s listed address is essential. People dislike getting lost while trying to locate your small business, and their frustration could result in a permanent loss of potential clients.
Thanks to Google Maps, you only need to provide your business address on your GBP, allowing prospects and clients alike to use GPS for easy navigation.
10. Service Area Businesses Don’t Need a Physical Address for a Google Business Profile
If you are a service area business, you have the advantage of not needing a physical address for your Google Business Profile. This is particularly beneficial for businesses that provide services directly to clients at their location (home or office) without the need for a brick-and-mortar storefront. Whether you operate as a plumber, electrician, delivery service, or any other type of service-based business, Google allows you to set a service area instead of displaying a physical address on your GBP listing.
You can specify the regions or cities where you offer your services by designating a service area. This ensures that your business is visible to potential clients within those targeted areas when they search for relevant services.
11. There Are 4,000+ Google Business Profile Categories to Choose From
GBP accounts aim to accurately represent all types of businesses. They offer a range of specific and general categories to choose from. Impressively, there are over 4,000 categories available for selection. From “Restaurant” to “Pinball Machine Supplier,” businesses can find a suitable category that aligns with their offerings.
If you want an updated list, check out Google Business Profile Category Changes by Month by Sterling Sky.
12. Complete Google Business Profiles are 7 Times More Likely to Get Clicks Than Incomplete Ones
Complete listings have a significantly higher likelihood of receiving clicks, up to 7 times more than unfinished ones. As Google Business Profiles play a crucial role in local SEO, it is essential to provide comprehensive information. Even small omissions can impact a searcher’s trust in your business. Details like ownership, payment methods, and accessibility should be addressed in your GBP.
13. Over 8 out of 10 Searches are ‘Discovery Searches’
Most Google searches include the “near me” term, indicating a discovery search where potential customers have no prior loyalty to a specific store or brand. With 84% of searches falling into this category, making your GBP appealing to new and returning customers is crucial.
14. At least 98% of Searchers Read Reviews Before Purchasing
BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2023 states, “98% of consumers used the internet to find information about local businesses in 2022, up from 90% in 2019.”
Additionally, Google has been dominating the local review market, up 24% in 2022 from 2020s 63%.
Other notables are:
- Consumer use of Yelp to evaluate local businesses has decreased from 53% in 2021 to 48% in 2022.
- Facebook reviews continue to decline, down 8% from the 2020s high of 54%.
- 13% of consumers used Apple Maps to evaluate local businesses in 2021 and 15% in 2022.
15. When Writing a Review, 20% of Consumers Expect a Timely Response
While many consumers simply want to share their experience and move on, approximately 2 out of 10 consumers expect a prompt response from business owners. It is considered a best practice to respond to all reviews, whether positive or negative.
Ignoring negative reviews might be tempting, but consumers appreciate seeing how businesses address criticism. By actively resolving issues, you instill a sense of trust and security in potential clients. Maintaining professionalism when dealing with unreasonable consumers and clearly communicating your business’s policies is important.
16. How Many Reviews Should Your Small Business Have? It Depends
In the world of digital marketing, the phrase “it depends” seems to be the go-to answer for every question. Unfortunately, it’s the same for the question of how many reviews does a small business need to have. On the one hand, you could say you just need more than your competitors, which is right. But there is a balance between quantity and quality.
Check out these statistics:
- Businesses with 200 or more reviews have twice as much revenue as others. (Source: Findstack)
- The average local business has 39 Google reviews. (Source: BrightLocal)
- Additionally, the reviews must be recent to be trustworthy, say 83% of customers. (Source: Findstack)
- Hotels have an average of 309 reviews. (Source: BrightLocal)
- 73% of consumers don’t even consider reviews if they were not written during the past month. (Source: Findstack)
The bottom line is that you must focus on getting quality reviews for your business’s GBP page to be up to snuff. While 39 might be average, if your competitors have 99, then you have a problem. Therefore you need to focus on getting good authentic, and quality reviews to start to outrank them.
17. Google Business Profile Q&A Section Allows You to ‘Pin’ Frequently Asked Questions
Providing prompt answers to questions leads to higher customer satisfaction. By addressing common inquiries in search results and pinning FAQs on your Google Business Profile, you can save time by avoiding repetitive phone calls and emails.
18. Google Business Profile is Free and Costs $0
Claiming and creating your Google Business Profile is simple, and the best part is that it’s completely free. Despite misconceptions, setting up a GBP doesn’t incur any costs. The ability to achieve high rankings on Google’s local pack and drive organic traffic underscores the importance of claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile.
Just remember that as good as it is, it’s still rented land, and Google can change or discontinue it at any point.
19. Over 4 out of 10 Businesses Have Never Posted on Their Google Business Profile
Google My Business, as it was known in 2016, introduced the ability to make posts to the profile. As of 2019, 40.4% of businesses had never utilized this feature. Now this might have changed in the light of COVID, but one could still see how It presents an easy opportunity for you and your company to capitalize on. When you make posts on your GBP, they become visible in search results when someone searches for your brand.
20. Nearly 6 out of 10 Companies Still Don’t Optimize for Local Search
A November 2021 Report by ReviewTrackers showed that 58% of businesses don’t do any work to optimize for local search.
Breaking it down:
- 32% would like to
- 29% have an actual plan to capitalize on high-converting local traffic
- 20% said they would DIY
- 10% said they didn’t know
- 9% said they hired someone to do it for them
Additionally, nearly three out of ten businesses have no plans to invest in improving local search rankings. This presents significant opportunities for those that do.
Additionally, nearly three out of ten businesses have no plans to invest in improving local search rankings. This presents significant opportunities for those that do.
21. The Average Price for Local SEO Services Is Nearly $500/Month
Backlinko conducted research into SEO pricing and concluded that the average monthly price for SEO services is $497/month.
This presents a few opportunities for local businesses.
First, if your competitors are spending only $500/month on SEO services, you can easily outspend them and get to the top of your local keywords much faster than if they were spending $1,200/month or more, for example. This is because SEO takes quality time, and more budget allows you to buy better people to do better work.
The reality with SEO is that more budget drives more results. This is why the same study concluded that larger budgets = happier clients.
$500/month might be enough for some businesses in uncompetitive industries. But sometimes, if you don’t spend enough on SEO, you won’t get any results because your competitors are doing more.
22. The Average ROI for a Local SEO Campaign Is Over 500% After 3 Years
Based on 12 years of data, First Page Sage discovered that the average local SEO campaign yielded a return of over 500% after three years. It’s important to highlight that the campaign typically took 6-12 months to break even, meaning the net revenue exceeded the campaign spend. This is why I advise clients to allocate a minimum of 9 months of budget to launch a successful SEO campaign.
23. Users Rely on Google’s Autocomplete Suggestions Over Two Out of Ten Times
According to a 2020 study by Backlinko, users depend on Google’s autocomplete suggestions 23% of the time. Notably, local and informational search users are more inclined to click on these suggestions than commercial searches. Regarding local SEO, the significance of a local business listing and Google Business Profile cannot be overlooked.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the top 23 statistics and facts for local small businesses about the Google Business Profile. Hopefully, you will walk away reading this realizing that it is one of the best things a small business can do to kick-start their local SEO.
If you need help claiming or optimizing or would like a second option on your Google Business Profile, contact me today. I will be glad to take a look and give you some feedback.
