Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Google accounts for over 92% of the global search engine market share, making it the primary driver for local business discovery
46% of all Google searches have local intent, meaning nearly half of users are looking for something in their vicinity
84% of Google Business Profile views usually come from discovery searches (finding a business category) rather than direct searches (typing the business name)
98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
A 4.0 rating is the average minimum star rating consumers expect before they will consider a business
Businesses with more than 82 total reviews earn 54% in annual revenue
Businesses with photos on their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps
Listings with photos get 35% more clicks through to their websites than businesses without photos
Businesses with more than 100 images on GMB get 520% more calls than average
The #1 ranking factor for the Google Local Pack is the primary category chosen in GMB
"Near me" or "close to me" type searches grew by more than 900% over two years
Proximity of the searcher to the business is the second most important local pack ranking factor
76% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day
28% of those searches for something nearby result in a purchase
The average business receives 59 actions (clicks, calls, directions) from their GMB listing per month
Conversion & ROI
- 176% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day
- 228% of those searches for something nearby result in a purchase
- 3The average business receives 59 actions (clicks, calls, directions) from their GMB listing per month
- 45% of Google Business Profile views result in a website click, call, or direction request
- 5Calls to businesses from Google Business Profiles grew over 60% in a single year during the pandemic
- 618% of local smartphone searches lead to a purchase within one day
- 7Approximately 56% of actions on GMB listings are website visits
- 8Roughly 20% of actions on GMB listings are requests for directions
- 9About 24% of actions on GMB listings are direct phone calls to the business
- 1078% of local mobile searches result in an offline purchase
- 11Businesses in the "Service" industry get the highest percentage of website clicks from GMB
- 12Restaurants receive the highest volume of direction requests from GMB listings compared to other industries
- 1368% of people use the 'Get Directions' button on a GMB profile to visit a store immediately
- 14Conversion rates for local search are 80% higher than for non-local organic search
- 15A Verified GMB listing is 2x as likely to be considered "reputable" by consumers, leading to higher conversion
- 16Local searches lead to purchases 50% of the time within 24 hours for mobile users
- 17Mobile searches for "store hours" peaked on Christmas Day, indicating high immediate purchase intent
- 1861% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site linked to their GMB
- 19Adding a booking button to a GMB profile allows businesses to capture up to 20% more customer appointments
- 201 in 3 smartphone searches were made right before a store visit
Interpretation
Think of your Google Business Profile as a digital front door that actually pulls people in; when verified, mobile-friendly and equipped with booking it doubles perceived trust and converts nearby smartphone searches into immediate visits, calls and purchases at far higher rates than non-local search, producing most same-day foot traffic and a steady stream of website clicks, direction requests and phone leads you can monetize.
General Usage & Market Presence
- 1Google accounts for over 92% of the global search engine market share, making it the primary driver for local business discovery
- 246% of all Google searches have local intent, meaning nearly half of users are looking for something in their vicinity
- 384% of Google Business Profile views usually come from discovery searches (finding a business category) rather than direct searches (typing the business name)
- 4The average Google Business Profile is viewed 1,260 times per month
- 564% of consumers have used Google Business Profiles to find contact details for a local business
- 6Over 50% of interactions on Google Business Profiles happen on mobile devices
- 792% of searchers will pick a business on the first page of local search results
- 8Zero-click searches (where the user gets the answer on the results page without clicking a website) account for over 50% of Google searches
- 970% of business listings on Google Maps are not claimed by the business owner
- 10Google Maps has over 1 billion active monthly users
- 1162% of consumers will disregard a business if they can’t find it online
- 1216% of businesses receive more than 100 calls per month directly from their Google Business Profile
- 13Car dealerships receive the highest number of calls from GMB listings compared to other industries
- 14Hotels tend to have the highest number of views on Google Maps compared to other industries
- 1597% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else
- 1686% of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps
- 1734% of local businesses see more than 1,000 discovery searches per month
- 18Only 44% of businesses have claimed their Google Business Profile despite its importance
- 1949% of businesses receive more than 1,000 views on Search per month
- 20On average, a business appears in discovery searches 7 times more often than direct searches
Interpretation
With Google commanding over 92% of search and nearly half of queries having local intent, neglecting to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile hands discovery-driven, mobile-first customers—including thousands of monthly viewers, calls and zero-click conversions—straight to competitors, making visibility on the first page the difference between new business and digital obscurity.
Local SEO & Ranking factors
- 1The #1 ranking factor for the Google Local Pack is the primary category chosen in GMB
- 2"Near me" or "close to me" type searches grew by more than 900% over two years
- 3Proximity of the searcher to the business is the second most important local pack ranking factor
- 4Keywords in the business title are a massive ranking factor, although stuffing them violates Google's guidelines
- 5Google Business Profile signals account for 36% of the local pack ranking factors
- 6Review signals (quantity, velocity, diversity) make up 17% of local pack ranking criteria
- 7Searches for "open now" have tripled in the past two years
- 828% of local searches result in a purchase
- 9Voice search queries for local businesses are 3x more likely to be intent-based than text searches
- 1033% of clicks go to the local "Snack Pack" (the top 3 map results) rather than organic results below
- 11Organic listings below the map pack only receive about 40% of clicks
- 1251% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their smartphone
- 13Long-tail keywords (3+ words) account for 70% of all search traffic, vital for local SEO descriptions
- 14Being listed in the top 3 spots of the map pack drives 500% more views than spots 4-10
- 15Consistency of NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across the web is a top 5 ranking factor
- 16"Best" + "Near me" searches have increased by over 2,500% in recent years
- 1730% of mobile searches are related to a location
- 18Mobile searches for "where to buy" + "near me" have grown by over 200%
- 19Listings that appear in the Local Pack have a 100% higher click-through rate than standard organic results for the same keyword
- 20Having a keyword in reviews is considered a relevance signal for Google’s ranking algorithm
Interpretation
Think of Google Business as your digital storefront: choose the right primary category and keep NAP consistent as the marquee, use a careful title and long-tail descriptions with natural keywords in reviews rather than stuffing, and cultivate steady, diverse reviews that make up a 17 percent signal alongside Google Business Profile signals at 36 percent, because proximity and a 900 percent surge in "near me" searches (plus a 2,500 percent jump for "best near me", a tripling of "open now" queries, a 200 percent rise in "where to buy near me", and voice searches that are three times more intent-driven) explain why the Local Pack captures a third of clicks, doubles CTR versus organic, drives 500 percent more views for the top three spots, helps convert many of the 51 percent of smartphone discoverers and the 28 percent of local searchers who buy, so optimize for mobile, intent, and the Snack Pack or watch customers walk past your storefront online.
Reviews & Consumer Trust
- 198% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
- 2A 4.0 rating is the average minimum star rating consumers expect before they will consider a business
- 3Businesses with more than 82 total reviews earn 54% in annual revenue
- 487% of consumers used Google to evaluate local businesses in 2022
- 5Only 9% of consumers are willing to engage with a business that has a 1 or 2-star average rating
- 673% of consumers report that written reviews are more important than the overall star rating or sentiment alone
- 769% of consumers appreciate it when businesses respond to reviews
- 885% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- 9Google holds 73% of all online reviews, making it the most dominant review platform
- 10A generic response to a review is seen as better than no response by over 30% of consumers
- 1155% of consumers feel more positive about a business if the owner replies to reviews
- 12Consumers read an average of 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a local business
- 1348% of consumers will visit a business website after reading positive reviews
- 14Businesses claiming their free listings on at least four review sites earn 58% more revenue
- 15Recency matters: 73% of consumers only pay attention to reviews written in the last month
- 16Fake reviews are a concern for 62% of consumers regarding Google (higher than Amazon or Facebook)
- 1781% of consumers say a business responding to reviews shows they care about their customers
- 18Service businesses on average have a lower star rating than product-based businesses
- 1912% of consumers write a review every time they use a business
- 2053% of consumers expect a business to respond to a negative review within a week
Interpretation
Think of your Google profile as a shop window: shoppers read about ten reviews, expect at least a four‑star minimum, prize recent detailed reviews and owner replies, and reward businesses with dozens of authentic reviews across sites, so failing to claim listings, solicit real feedback, and respond promptly will quietly cost you trust, customers, and revenue.
Visual content & Optimization
- 1Businesses with photos on their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps
- 2Listings with photos get 35% more clicks through to their websites than businesses without photos
- 3Businesses with more than 100 images on GMB get 520% more calls than average
- 4Profiles with more than 100 photos get 1,065% more website clicks than average
- 560% of consumers say local search results with good images capture their attention and push them towards a decision
- 6A complete Google Business Profile (filling all fields) gets 7x more clicks than an incomplete one
- 7Only 4% of businesses make use of Google Posts on their GMB profile
- 8Adding a virtual tour to your profile can double interest in the business listing
- 962% of visitors prefer listings with photos of food interiors for restaurants
- 1090% of customers are more likely to visit a business that has added photos to their Google Business Profile
- 11The average business has 11 photos on their GMB Profile
- 12Keeping business hours updated is cited as the most helpful profile optimization feature by 67% of consumers
- 13Businesses using Google Q&A have a higher conversion rate, yet 90% of questions go unanswered by the owner
- 1458% of photos on Google Business Profiles are uploaded by customers, not the busines owner
- 15Profiles with videos can see a 157% increase in organic traffic from SERPs
- 16Hotels have an average of 150 photos on their profiles, the highest among all categories
- 1729% of customers are more likely to consider purchasing from a business with a detailed business description
- 18Regularly posting on GMB (Google Posts) is considered a ranking signal by many experts, though Google has not officially confirmed the weight
- 19Enabling the messaging feature (chat) results in a perception of higher responsiveness for 45% of users
- 20Using specific attributes (e.g., "women-led", "wheelchair accessible") significantly improves relevance for voice search queries
Interpretation
Treat your Google Business Profile like a shop window: most businesses keep it dusty, while adding lots of photos, videos, a full description, accurate hours and interactive features like Q&A, virtual tours, posts and messaging delivers exponential gains in clicks, calls and customers.
