Start with what each number means
Google only shows the metrics that apply to your type of business, so a plumber and a restaurant will see different lists. The common ones:
- Interactions: the total of the actions below, a quick health check.
- Views: unique people who looked at your profile on Search and Maps.
- Searches: the words people typed before finding you.
- Calls: taps on the call button.
- Directions: people who asked for directions. Google says it filters out repeated taps, canceled requests and spam.
- Website clicks: taps on your website link.
- Messages: distinct message conversations, if you have a messaging option.
- Bookings: completed bookings made through a booking provider.
- Menus, Products and Offers: shown where they apply, such as menu clicks for restaurants.
Hotels see their own extras, including booking clicks and a price comparison view.
Why views feel low
This catches many owners. Google counts each person no more than once a day, may count someone on a phone and a laptop as fewer people, and only includes views of the profile itself. So a customer who sees you in the Maps list but never opens your profile doesn’t add to the figure. Your notification emails use different counting and will usually run higher.
Read the searches, then act on them
The Searches list is the most useful part for planning. It shows the words that led people to you, which tells you whether Google sees you the way you want to be seen. If you’re a bakery and the top terms are “coffee near me,” customers think of you as a cafe. Google says you can’t edit these terms; you influence them through accurate categories, services and description.
Timing matters here. The list refreshes at the start of each month and can take up to 5 days to fill in. Check it around the sixth, not the first.
Ads change the picture
Performance blends organic results with Google Ads activity. If you started or paused ads in a period, compare like with like before deciding your profile improved or slipped.
Many locations
From Business Profile Manager on a computer, tick the profiles you want, choose Actions, then Insights, pick a timeframe and select Download Report. Asterisks in the sheet mean that profile isn’t enabled for downloads; Google suggests checking its bulk upload status.
A five-minute monthly check
Pick the three numbers that match how customers reach you: calls for a trade, directions for a shop, website clicks or bookings for a clinic. Note them on the same day each month, after Searches has refreshed. Compare each month with the same month last year where you have it, so a seasonal business compares like with like. When a number jumps or drops, check first whether you started or paused ads, changed hours or edited categories in that period.
If it doesn't work
- There's no Performance option: performance data is only available for verified profiles. Finish verification first.
- Views look far lower than your email alerts: Google counts each person at most once a day and only counts profile views, so the numbers differ by design.
- This month's search terms are blank: Searches updates at the start of each month and can take up to 5 days to appear.
- The downloaded sheet shows ***: Google says the profile may not be enabled for downloads. Check your bulk upload status.
Questions owners ask
Why don't the views match what my profile used to show?
Views counts unique people who viewed your profile on Search and Maps. Google counts each person at most once per day, may count people on several devices fewer times, and counts only profile views rather than every place your business appears. That makes it lower than older counts or notification emails.
Do these numbers include people who clicked my ads?
Yes. Google says performance data covers both organic search results and Google Ads, so a busy ad campaign can lift the figures without any change to your profile.
Can I change which search terms bring people to my profile?
Not directly. Google says you can't manage the queries in the Searches report. What you can control is the information on your profile, such as categories, description and services, which Google uses to match you to searches.
What is the Insights section?
Insights offers suggestions based on public, location-based information such as reviews, photos and local search trends. Google says it may not be available for every profile, and you can rate each suggestion with a thumbs up or down.
Sources
- Understand your Business Profile performance and insights (support.google.com)
Checked 13 Nov 2026. When the platform changes its process we update this page and log it in What changed.