Using Google Business Insights to Understand Your Local Market Reach

Your Google Business Profile is often the first place local buyers and sellers see you. The Insights section shows what people search for, how they find you, and what they do next. When you read these numbers with a property lens, you can see which suburbs you are reaching, which services people want, and where to focus your time and budget.

This guide explains what to look at, how to read it, and how to turn it into more enquiries and listings.

What Google Business Insights Actually Show

Google Business Insights, sometimes called Performance, tracks how people find and use your profile. The key parts include

• Searches and the keywords people used

• Views on Search and on Maps

• Actions such as calls, website clicks, message starts, bookings and direction requests

• Popular times and top days

• Photo views and how many photos you have compared with similar businesses

• Where people came from when they asked for directions

Each of these tells a small story about demand in your patch. When you line them up, you get a clear picture of your local market reach.

How to Access Insights Step by Step

• Open Google and sign in with the account that manages your profile

• Search your business name on Google

• In the business panel, click Performance or Insights

• Choose the date range you want to review

• Click each section to see more detail, including search terms and actions

Tip. Use a consistent monthly date range, such as the first day to the last day. This makes your trends easier to compare.

The Metrics That Matter Most for Property

Focus on the numbers below. These link directly to real property outcomes.

• Search terms. Shows what people typed to find you. Look for suburb names, near me phrases, appraisal terms, property management terms and brand terms

• Views on Search and Maps. Search views often come from people researching. Maps views often come from people ready to visit or call. A higher share on Maps usually signals stronger local intent

• Calls. The count of taps on Call. Check which days and times drive the most calls, then plan your open homes and staffing to match

• Website clicks. Useful for measuring how many people move from Google to your listings, appraisal page, or landlord page

• Direction requests. Shows where requesters are located. This helps you see which suburbs are pulling people toward your office and which areas need more brand activity

• Messages. If enabled, shows how many people start a message. This is a strong early enquiry signal

• Bookings. If you connect a booking link for appraisals or rental viewings, you can track starts here

• Photo views. Photos that outperform similar businesses help more people choose you. More high quality photos usually mean more profile engagement

Read Insights Like a Local Market Map

Use these simple reads to understand your reach and demand.

• Direct versus discovery searches. Direct searches include your brand name. Discovery searches include terms such as real estate agent in [Suburb] or property manager near me. A healthy profile shows a growing share of discovery searches, which means more new people are finding you

• Maps share. If your Maps views are rising faster than Search views, your local visibility and intent are improving. Lean into this with stronger review activity and more photos of your office frontage, local landmarks and team

• Direction request origins. Note which postcodes request directions the most. These are your warmest pockets. Compare with listing activity and letterbox drops to guide your next area plan

• Time and day patterns. Align high call times with your team roster. If calls peak at lunchtime on Thursdays, make sure appraisal lines are covered and fresh posts are live that morning

• Query intent. Group keywords into buyer terms, seller terms and landlord terms. This shows which side of the market is most active around you, and where to steer content and offers

Turn Insights Into Fast Wins

Below are practical actions tied to what you learn.

• If discovery searches are low. Refresh your main category and add all relevant additional categories such as Real Estate Agency and Property Management Company. Update your services list with clear items such as Free Appraisal, Rental Appraisal, New Listings, Off Market Opportunities and Auction Services

• If Maps views are low. Add more local photos and short videos that show your office, team, recent sales boards, rental inspections and well known local spots. Ask for more reviews that mention the suburb name

• If calls spike on certain days. Schedule new listing posts, open home posts and Stories the afternoon before. Ensure your phone routing and voicemail are clear and inviting

• If direction requests cluster in a few suburbs. Target these pockets with Just Listed and Just Sold social posts, local letterbox cards, and appraisal offers. Feature the same suburb names on your website and in your posts

• If seller terms are rising. Publish a weekly market wrap with sold prices, days on market and buyer demand signals. Promote free valuation offers and a five step pre sale guide

• If landlord terms are rising. Add a tailored landing page for property management, link it from your profile, and share landlord tips each week

Track Website Traffic From Your Profile

To see what people do after they click to your site, add tracking tags to your Google Business website link.

• Create a link to your home page with UTM tags for source google, medium organic, and campaign google business

• Paste this tagged link into the Website field of your profile

• In your analytics tool, create a segment for that campaign to see pages viewed, time on site and conversions such as appraisal form starts

This simple step joins your profile insights with your on site behaviour data.

A Simple Monthly Review Routine

Set aside twenty minutes at the start of each month.

• Open last month’s Insights

• Write down totals for searches, views, calls, website clicks, messages and direction requests

• List the top five search terms and label each as buyer, seller or landlord

• Screenshot the direction request map and note the top three suburbs

• Note your best day and time for calls

• Review photo views. Add five new photos this week to stay ahead

• Pick two actions for this month. For example, ask for ten more reviews in a target suburb and publish three posts that match the top search terms

Repeat this each month so your profile compounds.

Benchmarks and Targets That Keep You Honest

Every market is different. Use these starter targets and adjust as you learn.

• Discovery searches. Aim for at least sixty percent of total searches

• Maps share. Aim for at least fifty percent of total views on Maps for strong local intent

• Call through rate. Aim for at least five calls per one hundred profile views. If lower, improve reviews, photos and posts

• Review velocity. Aim for four to eight new reviews each month, with suburb names and service keywords in the text

• Photo freshness. Add at least five new photos or short videos every month

The trend matters more than any single number. Up and to the right is your goal.

Build a Simple Reporting Sheet

Use a single page sheet to track momentum. Add these columns and fill them monthly.

• Month and date range

• Total searches and brand share

• Top five search terms with labels for buyer, seller and landlord

• Views on Search and Maps with the share for Maps

• Calls, website clicks, messages and direction requests

• Top three suburbs from direction requests

• Best day and time for calls

• Review count and average rating

• Photo count and photo views

• Two actions chosen and two results achieved

Keep this sheet for twelve months. It becomes your local market diary.

Use Insights to Plan Campaigns

Turn patterns into planned activity.

• If seller terms jump in February and March. Run a four week valuation campaign tied to autumn listing prep, with a free pre sale checklist and weekend appraisal slots

• If buyer queries spike on Thursdays. Post new listings and inspection times by Wednesday afternoon. Boost to the suburbs that show on your direction request map

• If landlord terms climb mid year. Publish landlord case studies, promote rental appraisal offers, and share compliance tips for smoke alarms and pets

• If a new suburb starts to appear in direction requests. Add a suburb page to your site, post a local guide, and ask recent clients in that area for a review that mentions the suburb name

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Ignoring discovery searches. Brand searches feel nice, but discovery searches grow your market

• Letting photos go stale. Old photos lower trust. Keep them fresh and local

• Forgetting to ask for reviews. Reviews drive both ranking and choice. Ask after every successful sale, lease or appraisal visit

• Posting only listings. Mix in market advice, suburb stories, team wins, vendor reviews and buyer tips

• Not linking to the right page. Send your profile traffic to pages that convert, such as an appraisal page or a landlord page, not only the home page

Content Ideas Based on Search Terms

Turn your top search terms into content each week.

• If people search for real estate agent in [Suburb]. Publish a suburb market update with median price, days on market and a new listing spotlight

• If people search for property manager near me. Post a three step landlord onboarding guide and a rental case study with time to lease and quality of tenants

• If people search for house valuation [Suburb]. Share a two minute video that explains how an appraisal works and invite viewers to book a visit

Quick Prompts You Can Paste Into Your AI Tool

Copy and adapt these for fast content that matches your Insights.

• Write a ninety second script that explains the current selling conditions in [Suburb]. Make it simple and friendly. Invite viewers to request a free appraisal this week

• Create a social caption that promotes open homes this Saturday in [Suburb]. Include address hints, parking tips, and a call to message for private viewings

• Draft a post that thanks recent clients in [Suburb] for their reviews. Encourage readers to ask about our free pre sale plan

Photo and Video Ideas That Lift Engagement

Add visual proof that you are active and local.

• Office exterior and entry so people recognise you on arrival

• Team photos at open homes and auctions

• Sold boards with street names visible

• Short videos of local parks, schools and cafes

• Behind the scenes clips of pre sale styling, photography day and auction setup

Aim for natural light, clear framing and tidy backgrounds. Upload with suburb names in the file name and captions.

Reviews That Boost Local Reach

Reviews are both a ranking factor and a conversion signal.

• Ask at key moments such as after settlement, after a rental is leased, or after a helpful appraisal

• Provide a short guide on what to write, such as suburb name, the service received, and one standout detail

• Reply to every review with warmth and specifics. Mention the suburb again where natural

Basic Compliance Notes

Insights data is aggregate. Do not publish personal information about people who called or asked for directions. When you export or share numbers with your team, keep names and phone numbers out of it. Stay aligned with the Privacy Act by collecting consent before using any client story or review in marketing.

When you read Insights each month, you are not just counting clicks. You are reading the mood of your local market. You can see who is searching, where they come from, and what they want next. Then you can answer with the right content, in the right suburbs, at the right time. Keep your routine short and steady. Track the same numbers, act on one or two insights each month, and watch your local market reach grow.

Author.  Ken Hobson