Vanity vs. Sanity
Google provides a lot of data. "Profile Views" and "Search Impressions" are vanity metrics. They feel good, but they don't pay bills. You can have 10,000 views and 0 calls.
The "Sanity" metrics are Actions: Website Clicks, Direction Requests, and Calls.
The Holy Trinity of Metrics
**1. Direction Requests:** This is the highest-intent metric for retail/hospitality. It means someone is physically coming to you.
**2. Calls:** The lifeline of service businesses. Track these against your actual phone logs to verify quality.
**3. Discovery vs. Direct Search:** "Direct" means they searched your name (they already know you). "Discovery" means they searched "near me" and found you. Growth comes from increasing Discovery %.
Keywords Ranked
Beyond GBP Insights, you should track how many keywords you rank in the top 3 for. Tools like grid trackers show your visibility radius. Expanding this radius is the primary goal of SEO.
What This Means for Your Business
Focus your reporting on conversion actions. If actions are flat but views are up, you have a conversion problem (bad reviews, bad photos). If views are flat, you have a visibility problem (bad SEO).
How BPB Helps
We provide clear, jargon-free monthly reports that focus on the metrics that matter: growth, lead volume, and ROI.