Google Business Profile Insights: The Metrics That Matter in Client Reports

Ask a local business owner what they want from their agency's report and many will say "the insights from Google". They mean the numbers they once found under the Insights tab: how many people saw the listing, called, or asked for directions. Google Business Profile insights still exist as data, but the screen and the vocabulary have moved, and clients who go looking often find a different page from the one they remember.

That gap causes real friction. An owner compares the agency's figure with a number in a Google email, they do not match, and trust drops. This guide maps the current Performance report metric by metric using Google's own definitions, shows which metrics matter for which kinds of business, and explains the quirks to flag before the client notices them.

Where did Google Business Profile insights go?

Google Business Profile insights are now shown in the Performance report. Google's help page explains the path: on Google Search, open the Google Business Profile, click Performance, choose a time period and click Apply. In the Google Maps app, tap Business, then See more next to Performance. The data covers how people find the profile on Search and Maps and what they do once they get there.

The word Insights has not disappeared, which adds to the confusion. Google now uses it for a separate panel of data-driven recommendations built from public, location-based information such as reviews, photos and local search trends, and Google notes it may not be available for all profiles. The bulk download in Google Business Profile Manager is also still labelled Actions, then Insights. When you write the report, call the numbers "Performance" and explain the old name once, so the client can find the same screen.

Performance data is available only for verified profiles, and you must be signed in to an account with access to the profile. If a new client cannot see any numbers, check verification and access before assuming the data is broken.

What does each metric in the Performance report mean?

Each metric in the Performance report counts a specific customer action or exposure, and Google defines them precisely on its Google Business Profile performance help page. The short versions below are the ones worth pasting into a report glossary.

The same data is available through Google's Google Business Profile Performance API, which marketing reporting software can connect to. The API splits profile impressions into four views: Google Search on mobile, Google Search on desktop, Google Maps on mobile and Google Maps on desktop. That split is worth showing to clients whose customers mostly search on phones, because it explains why Maps matters as much as the search results page.

Which metrics matter for which business types?

The metrics that matter are the ones closest to how the business makes money, and Google already narrows the list: only metrics that apply to a business appear in its Performance report. Use that as a starting point, then pick one or two headline actions per client.

For a plumber, a jump in website clicks with flat calls may mean visitors want prices before they phone, which is a website task rather than a profile task. For a restaurant, direction requests on a Friday matter more than total views. A focused Google Business Profile client report should put the headline actions at the top and keep reach metrics below them.

Which data quirks confuse clients most?

The quirks that confuse clients most are counting rules, timing delays and paid activity mixed into the totals. Explain each one once, in a short note on the relevant chart, and the questions stop.

1. Views run low. Google says views count unique visitors, a person counts once a day, and only views of the profile count. The figure can be lower than what owners see in notification emails.
2. Searches arrive late. The searches metric updates at the start of each month and can take up to 5 days to show up, so an early-month report may lack last month's terms.
3. Low-volume terms show no exact count. In the Performance API, a search term's value is either a monthly count of unique users or a threshold meaning the real value is below it. Long-tail terms often fall under that line.
4. Ads are included. Google says performance data includes views, searches and actions from both organic results and Google Ads, so a new local campaign can lift profile numbers.
5. Directions were recounted. Google changed how it counts direction requests to account for repeat taps, cancellations and spam, so be careful comparing against much older exports.

One more practical quirk: if you download data for several profiles from Google Business Profile Manager and see "***" in the columns, Google says the profile has not been enabled for downloads. Fix the profile status rather than reporting zeros.

How do you read Google Business Profile insights over time?

Read Google Business Profile insights as trends and ratios, not single months. A month of data on its own says little; the same month against the previous period and against last year says a lot.

Start with actions per 100 views, a ratio you calculate yourself. If views rise but the ratio falls, the profile is being shown more often but persuading fewer people, which points to photos, hours, categories or reviews. If views fall but actions hold, the profile is reaching fewer but better-matched searchers. Then check the mix of actions: a shift from calls to website clicks can mean customers want more information first, which is a conversation worth having with the client.

Always pair month-on-month with year-on-year for seasonal businesses. A garden centre in winter or a tax adviser in summer will look like it is failing on a monthly view. Rankings help explain movement too, and rankings tracked by city show whether a drop in views came from losing position in a key area.

Finally, separate what the agency controls from what it does not. Profile edits, photos, review replies and posts are agency work. A new competitor opening nearby, or a road closure, is not. Saying so plainly keeps the report honest.

How should you present these metrics in a monthly report?

Present the metrics as a one-page section that answers "did more customers contact or visit us, and why", with detail underneath for anyone who wants it. A layout that works for most local clients:

1. Headline row. The two or three actions that matter for this business type, each with the change against last month and last year.
2. Reach. Views, ideally split between Search and Maps, plus the top five search terms.
3. Reviews. Total, average rating, new reviews and how many got a reply.
4. Notes. One line each for any quirk that affects this month: a late searches update, an ads campaign, a recount.
5. What we did and what is next. Two or three actions tied to the numbers above.

Keep the order and the metric names identical every month so the owner learns where to look. Sent as reports with your agency branding, on your own domain, the section reads as your analysis rather than a Google export. And if the report goes out by email, weekly or monthly PDF delivery means it arrives on schedule, opening with an AI-written summary of the period so a busy owner gets the story in a few lines. If you also report other channels for the same client, the full list of integrations shows which ones can sit next to it.

Google Business Profile Insights FAQ

Where are Google Business Profile insights now?

The numbers sit in the Performance report of the Google Business Profile. On Google Search, open the profile and click Performance; in the Google Maps app, tap Business and then See more next to Performance. Google now uses the Insights label for a separate panel of recommendations, which is not available for every profile.

Why do Google Business Profile views look lower than expected?

Google counts unique visitors, counts each person once a day, and only counts views of the profile itself rather than every appearance of the business on Google. So the views figure can be lower than numbers in email notifications.

Why is the searches data missing for last month?

Google updates the searches metric at the start of each month and says it can take up to 5 days to show up. A report generated in the first days of a month may not include the previous month's search terms yet.

Do Google Business Profile metrics include Google Ads?

Yes. Google says performance data includes views, searches and actions from both organic search results and Google Ads. If a client runs local ads, note it in the report so a rise is not credited only to SEO work.

Which metrics should a monthly report show?

Lead with the actions that match how the business sells: calls for service businesses, direction requests for shops and clinics, bookings or menus for restaurants. Add views and top search terms for reach, compare with the previous period and the same month last year, and add one sentence on what changed and why.