The launch of the Local Business Center dashboard has officially been announced. The Local Business Center Team will be providing all the latest tips and tricks for making the most out of your business listings. In their new monthly newsletter they will also feature stories about local businesses’ successes and updates on Google products that can enhance your business operations. These statistics are also available in your account online.
Data available in the dashboard includes the following:
- Impressions: The number of times your business listing appeared as a result of a Google.com search or a Google Maps search in a given period.
- Actions: The number of times people interacted with your listing; for example, the number of times they clicked through to your business’ website or requested driving directions to your business.
- Top search queries: Which queries led customers to your business listing; for example, are they finding the listing for a cafe by searching for “tea” or “coffee”?
- Zip codes: where driving directions come from: which zip codes customers are coming from when they request directions to your location.
Power Tip: Use the dashboard to bring the power of Google’s data to your business
Now, Google provides easily accessible, customized and up to date data under the “dashboard” tab of your Local Business Center Account (www.google.com/lbc). Data available in the dashboard includes the following:
- Impressions: The number of times your business listing appeared as a result of a Google.com search or a Google Maps search in a given period.
- Actions: The number of times people interacted with your listing; for example, the number of times they clicked through to your business’ website or requested driving directions to your business.
- Top search queries: Which queries led customers to your business listing; for example, are they finding the listing for a cafe by searching for “tea” or “coffee”?
- Zip codes: where driving directions come from: which zip codes customers are coming from when they request directions to your location.
- So how will you use the dashboard? First, claim your listing on LBC. The dashboard will automatically populate with data from the last 30 days. Click the “View Report” link on your LBC account to check it out
On the dashboard, you’ll find several features. At the very top, you’ll see a timeline tracking the number of “Impressions” and “Actions” that your business received through Google. You can also change the date range selected to view more or less data.
You’ll find a list of the top search queries people are using when they discover your business listing. For example, do people tend to find your Italian restaurant more by looking for “pizza” or “pasta”? This gives you valuable insight into the ways that your potential customers are looking for you, and what terms are associated with your business.
Finally, you’ll also be able to see a breakdown of zip code starting points for driving direction requests to your business. To protect privacy, we aggregate these requests at the zip code level. If you click on the counts inside the map, we’ll highlight that zip code on the map. This lets you find out where there is an interest in your business, which can help inform advertising strategies.
As we mentioned above, your dashboard will be populated with data for the previous 30 days. We’ll add fresh data daily, so you’ll want to be sure to check back often to see how things are going and how various strategies (like your latest offline ad campaign or the addition of a photo to your listing) affect your traffic. If you want to learn more, you can read our post on the Official Google Blog or watch the video below. Otherwise, head to http://www.google.com/lbc to dive in to your new dashboard!
Optimize your local business listings Here are a few ways to optimize your local business listing: Make sure your listing is complete and accurate.
- Include optional information like images and videos to help your listing stand out.
- Add information like opening hours, payment types, and additional details to help users choose among search results.
- Make sure that the location of your business on the map is correct so users can find you. Remember, you can always drag the map marker to the exact location of your business.
- Make sure to list your authoritative business website as your homepage, since Google uses information from your homepage to help improve search results.
- Of course, be sure that your business name, physical address, and phone number(s) are correct in your business listing.
- See the Local Business Quality Guidelines to learn more.
Choose the most appropriate, specific categories for your business.
- Pick a category from the list of suggestions to help Google show your business for the right searches (although you can always enter your own category if the Local Business Center doesn’t suggest one that fits your business).
- Don’t be afraid to choose specific categories instead of broad ones. The important thing is that the categories are accurate and describe your business well. This information is also available in our Help Centers. To work these tips into your business listing, log in to www.google.com/lbc.
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