The internet today is a vast expanse of information. However, despite the ubiquity of data available online, there is certain knowledge that only you can provide. One of these is information about your business. As a business owner, it is up to you to provide consumers with everything they need to find you and do business with you.
Your business address, operating hours and product offerings, among others, are crucial bits of information your consumers require to find you. You can make these details readily available through your Google Business Profile or Google My Business (GMB) listing.
In today’s age of information, Google My Business experts agree that having a website and following GMB SEO best practices should no longer be just an option but necessary if you want to succeed.
Not sure how to get started on your Google Business Profile or Google My Business marketing strategy? We’ve got you covered. We scoured the internet to find relevant Google My Business statistics to guide your marketing efforts. In this Google My Business statistics 2021 compilation, you will discover GMB stats on the current state of local businesses and GMB statistics that will guide you through optimization.
Local Business Statistics
It’s been said time and time again that small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy – and yet, they are also the most vulnerable sector to economic changes. In this section, our Google My Business Company shares with you some Google My Businesses stats about local businesses. Get to know more about the current state of small businesses through the Google My Business stats 2021 below.
• Small businesses account for 99.9 percent of all businesses in the United States (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2020).
There are over 31.7 million small businesses in the country, according to data released by the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA). By definition, small businesses have fewer than 500 employees, so even high-value startups fit the bill.
• Seventy-seven percent of small businesses reportedly experienced declines in sales in 2020 (Business Know-How, 2020).
Nearly all small businesses were dealt a blow by the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the latest Google local SEO statistics, 11 percent reported experiencing a slight decline in sales, while a whopping 66 percent experienced massive declines. Fourteen percent of businesses were somewhat unaffected, while only 9 percent have enjoyed an increase in sales since the start of the pandemic.
• Thirty-one percent of small businesses in the U.S. closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic (Facebook, 2020).
Some 140,000 businesses were marked temporarily closed on Yelp at the height of imposed lockdowns in 2020. This marked a significant period of uncertainty for most businesses, as the economy headed into one of the worst recessions in recent history. During that period, 60 percent of businesses that had closed temporarily were forced to shut their doors permanently.
• Fifty-one percent of small businesses increased online interactions with consumers to adapt to the pandemic (Oberlo, 2020).
As businesses tried to adapt to the challenges presented by the recession, they increased their online interactions to accommodate more consumers who themselves were adapting to new circumstances. For example, physical stores started offering delivery, various services now enabled online appointments and food establishments introduced curbside pickup, which could be arranged online.
Google Local SEO Statistics
Local search is one of the best things to happen to small businesses everywhere, as it is one of the best ways to deliver qualified traffic to your store. Local SEO is essential if you want to improve your store’s local visibility. But a local SEO strategy isn’t easy to build. Take a look at Google My Business stats 2021 to help you create an effective strategy. You can view our list of Google My Business stats below.
• Eighty-four percent of all searches focus on discovery (BrightLocal, 2019).
Discovery searches are those that search for categories instead of specific brands. According to GMB stats released by BrightLocal, 84 percent of searches for a business are focused on discovery, while only 16 percent are direct searches. Through these searches, the average local business is found in 1,009 searches per month.
• Eighty-six percent of people look at the location of a business through Google Maps (Backlinko, 2020).
Google Maps is a living map and one of the most informative location tools today. Consumers use it to find your business’s location. Once they’ve done so, they can choose to see more information about your business by clicking on it. But this result will remain empty if your GMB listing is unclaimed, which is another reason why you should claim your location on GMB.
• Mobile queries centered around “where to buy” and “near me” keywords increased by over 200 percent in the last two years (Google, 2019).
These Google local SEO stats will resonate more with businesses that depend on local consumers for much of their revenue. The key here is to optimize your website for local SEO through Google My Business optimization. Keep your Google My Business page up to date by adding all your present information to ensure that your website shows up on local searches and capture searches with local intent.
• Seventy-eight percent of smartphone users visit a business within one day after discovering it through local search (Google, 2016).
People who perform a local search generally have a high intent to purchase – a statistic that is still significant to this day. So although this information is all the way back from 2016, it still proves that GMB SEO is essential if you want to attract local buyers to your store. Even better? Twenty-eight percent of local searches result in purchases.
Google My Business Marketing Statistics
Google My Business, now called Google Business Profile, offers you a quick and easy way to display business information on local search and Google Maps. When you optimize your GMB listing using relevant Google My Business stats 2021, you increase the likelihood of consumers finding your business, whether through direct search or discovery. Gain helpful insights from our list of Google My Business stats below.
• Fifty-six percent of local businesses have yet to claim their GMB listing (LSA Insider, 2017).
Your GMB listing is incredibly valuable for your business because it gives consumers all the information they need, such as your address, phone number, directions and operating hours. But, unfortunately, according to these Google My Business stats, an astounding 56 percent of business owners haven’t seen the incredible value of claiming their GMB listing. Don’t be one of those people.
• Businesses enjoyed a 61 percent increase in calls from January to July 2020 thanks to their Google My Business listing (Small Business Trends, 2020).
Many businesses were forced to close down at the height of the pandemic. During this period of great uncertainty, many consumers reached out to their favorite stores to ask about their status, changes in their operating hours or delivery services. These valuable calls wouldn’t have been possible if a business’s contact information weren’t available online through local SEO marketing.
• More than 5 percent of views on a Google My Business page result in a conversion (Search Engine Journal, 2019).
A 5 percent conversion rate may not seem like much, but considering that an average business is found 1,009 times in searches per month, you’re looking at roughly 51 conversions per month – all from a single listing.
• Sixty-four percent of consumers look for a business’s Google My Business page for contact information (BrightLocal, 2020).
According to more GMB statistics published by BrightLocal, 32 percent of local consumers trust a business’s GMB profile to have up-to-date information about a company. As a result of this, 64 percent of consumers will find that profile to look up contact information, resulting in the business gaining warm leads – even without a website.
Google My Business Optimization
Optimizing for GMB brings target visibility to your business. The good thing is that it’s not only easy but also completely free. But why do some businesses opt to work with a Google My Business company instead? Because not everyone knows how to take full advantage of their GMB profile. In this section, our Google My Business company shares some tips on how you can make full use of your GMB profile for maximum visibility.
1. Keep your business information up to date.
Consumers rely on the information they find on your GMB profile. As such, it is your duty to your business – and consumers – to provide accurate information consistently. For example, suppose you recently made changes to your operating schedule, contact information or even address. In that case, you should update your profile immediately to keep your account verified and visible online.
There is nothing to be gained from keeping outdated information on your GMB listing. Conversely, you have everything to gain if you constantly update your information and keep it accurate.
2. Upload plenty of photos and videos of your business.
The human brain is hardwired to process visual information. Your GMB listing can be instantly improved by adding photos (which also helps with GMB SEO). Google My Business statistics 2021 from Google show that businesses with pictures in their listing receive 42 percent more requests for driving directions and 35 percent more click-throughs than those that don’t.
People will want to look at your business before they visit to make it easier for them to find you. In terms of Google My Business optimization, Google My Business experts found that having more images resulted in more customer actions. Hotels typically have the most photos, with a median number of 150, while most other businesses have an average of just 11.
3. Use your Google My Business page to book appointments.
Did you know that more than 50 percent of consumers looking for services still book their appointments by phone? And did you know that most of these businesses lose clients to busy phone lines? So instead of relying on a single-customer-at-a-time landline, book your appointments directly using GMB. All you have to do is link your existing scheduling service to GMB, and you’re all good.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Log in to your GMB account.
2. Go to the left side of the page and click on Info.
3. Near the middle of the page is an option called Appointment URL. Paste your scheduler’s URL on the field.
4. Click Save.
That’s it! Now, you can book appointments automatically without having to worry about no-shows and busy phone lines.
4. Ask your customers for Google My Business reviews.
An astounding 84 percent of online consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, according to Google My Business statistics 2021. Google My Business reviews are vital because they can influence your customers’ buying decisions. Additionally, they also help to improve your online visibility and reputation through SEO.
But how many Google My Business reviews do you need? Take a look at these Google My Business statistics:
• The top three businesses on local search have an average of 47 reviews.
• Businesses occupying spots 7–10 have nine fewer reviews (38).
• The average number of reviews across all industries is 39.
Politely ask your satisfied customers for a review to boost your GMB profile. But if you’re flooded with negative reviews, you might need Google My Businesses services from a reputable Google My Business agency offering online reputation management.
5. Share Google My Business marketing content through Google posts.
Google Posts are like an extension of your GMB profile. Through Google Posts, you can offer a glimpse into your website by sharing quick, actionable content all from your GMB profile. It’s also a great way to control what readers can see while browsing your GMB listing. These posts are also visible on your Knowledge Panel – that informative box that appears on the right of search results.
Note that Google Posts only stay on your profile for seven days, so you will have to continuously share content updates, preferably once a day.
Conclusion
In the age of information, two types of businesses lead the charge: those that share information and those that use information effectively. As a local business, it is your responsibility to share business information with consumers to improve your visibility and searchability. Help them find you through your GMB profile.
On the other side of the spectrum, your business will gain much success if you use the insights you gained from our Google My Business statistics 2021 guide effectively. In this blog, we highlighted some important GMB statistics, as well as firsthand information gathered by top Google My Business experts and Google My Business services to improve your GMB profile.
Do you need help applying what you learned in these GMB stats? Let our Google My Business agency help you. Thrive is a full-service Google My Business agency that helps businesses like yours improve local visibility by optimizing your GMB profile. We offer Google My Business services that drive more business to your location. Get in touch with our Google My Business agency today to start attracting more local customers to your business.
