The Insights section of your Google Business Profile dashboard shows you how people are finding and interacting with your listing. It is free to access and updates regularly. You do not need any additional tools or accounts to view it.
What the data shows
Search queries are the actual terms people typed when your listing appeared in results. This is one of the most useful reports available. If "emergency plumber Rhyl" or "boiler repair Colwyn Bay" appears in your data, it confirms people are searching for that in your area. If you expect to appear for a term but it is not showing up, that points to a gap in your profile.
How customers found you is split into two types:
- Direct searches. the person searched specifically for your business name or address
- Discovery searches. the person searched for a category, service, or location and your listing appeared
A healthy listing has strong discovery numbers. A listing that shows mostly direct searches means existing customers are finding you, but new customers are not.
Actions taken shows what people did after viewing your listing. clicked for directions, called your phone number, or visited your website. For a trade business, calls are the action that matters most. Watch this number month to month.
Photo views shows how often your photos have been seen, sometimes in comparison to similar businesses in your area. If competitors' photos are seen significantly more than yours, your photo count or quality needs attention.
Of data available in GBP Insights
Search queries reveal exactly what customers type to find you
What to check each month
Set a reminder to review your Insights once a month.
A sudden drop in impressions suggests something has changed. a ranking drop, a competitor improvement, or a profile issue. Investigate quickly. If calls drop without an obvious seasonal reason, your ranking has likely fallen. A drop in impressions followed by a drop in calls is a reliable indicator of a position change.
Review your top search queries every few months too. If you see terms you want to rank for but are not appearing in, your services section and business description may need updating.
Most tradespeople never look at their GBP Insights — which means they're making business decisions based on gut feeling instead of data.
What the data does not show you
Insights data is directional rather than precise. Google uses estimation methods for some metrics, particularly at lower volumes. Treat the numbers as trends and indicators, not as exact counts.
The data also only covers what happened on your Google listing. it does not capture calls from your website, direct referrals, or word-of-mouth leads.
Check your GBP Insights every Monday morning. Track which search terms are growing and which photos get the most views to guide your optimisation efforts.
Using Insights to benchmark against competitors
In some profile views, Google shows how your photo count and review count compare to similar businesses nearby. If this data appears in your dashboard, it tells you the baseline level of activity needed to compete in your local area.
If competitors have 80 reviews and you have 12, the gap is visible. If they have 150 photos and you have 8, that explains some of the ranking difference.
The right way to use it
Insights is a diagnostic tool. It helps you identify what is working and where the gaps are. Use it to prioritise where to focus effort. whether that is building reviews, adding photos, or updating your services section to match the searches you want to appear in.