Google Business Profile (GBP) metrics tell a compelling story about the customer experience, highlighting how it unfolds across your brand’s entire network. Rio SEO’s quarterly analysis provides an in-depth examination of performance trends across individual locations, regions, and brands, delivering insights that truly matter.
Each quarter, we provide a detailed breakdown of how these metrics impact numerous industries—from retail to restaurant and beyond, shedding light on how and where brands can tweak their local marketing strategy for maximum impact.
Our data from over 230,000 enterprise locations spans eight divergent sectors. It’s a comprehensive snapshot that uncovers evolving customer experience (CX) trends and fuels smarter local marketing strategies.
Let’s take a quick look at the high-level trends from this past quarter before we dig into the industry-specific insights.
Healthcare brands were the big winners in terms of total impressions and conversions from a local search perspective, as both rose substantially over Q3 2023. Last year, impressions and clicks dropped steadily quarter over quarter, but these latest Q3 results continued the more recent upward trend.
Restaurants, both dine-in and quick-service, saw impressions dip over 25% year-over year (YoY), while service businesses and multi-family residential brands each lost ground to a lesser extent.
When we compare GBP metrics to the previous quarter, there’s not nearly as much movement in search impressions. Only the multi-family residential vertical changed by more than 10%, while all other verticals kept it in the single digits. Financial services saw the largest quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) drop in clicks, followed by full-service restaurants.
It’s important to note that decreased search activity isn’t necessarily indicative of a problem, and is often expected as part of the seasonal ebb and flow across industries. Changing economic conditions, election uncertainty, consumer sentiment, financing trends and more can all influence searcher trends, as well, so we try to reflect the current state of the industry in our analysis.
What’s important is that your marketing, SEO, and web teams can take advantage of these brief slow-downs to improve listing quality, refresh location photos, update website copy, and put your organization’s CX insights to work improving each customer’s journey with your brand.
Let’s take a closer look at the industry-specific insights below. Along the way, you’ll find tips and expert advice to elevate your local marketing game.
Business services
- Total Q3 2024 impressions -7% QoQ and -21% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks +8% QoQ and -10% YoY
In Q3 2024, total impressions dropped 7% QoQ and 21% YoY, while total clicks rose 8% QoQ but declined 10% YoY. For the purposes of our reporting, business services include enterprise brands such as post offices, gyms and fitness studios, storage facilities, IT services, etc.
Fresh, hyperlocal content is a great way to fight back when your local search visibility starts slipping. As search engines evolve, they increasingly value content that’s relevant not only to your business but to each individual location’s unique audience and context.
This is where hyperlocal content comes in—it connects your brand to local searchers through precise, meaningful references to neighborhoods, nearby landmarks, and community events.
Strategies to enhance your hyperlocal content include:
- Speaking to local interests: Add details that resonate with each area, whether it’s mentioning nearby institutions, seasonal events, or neighborhood-specific services. This builds a sense of local relevance and can help search engines prioritize your content.
- Using natural language and local terminology: For example, if people in a particular neighborhood call their local train station by a unique nickname, incorporate it. This strengthens your page’s local appeal and aligns with how locals search.
- Optimizing for both head terms and long-tail keywords: Include broader search terms alongside location-specific phrases. This way, you can capture high-volume queries as well as more targeted searches.
- Regularly updating content to stay relevant: Freshness matters, especially when adding new local information or adjusting to changing customer needs.
To see this approach in practice and learn how it drove a 200% increase in search impressions for a major pharmacy brand, check this out.
Financial services
- Total Q3 2024 impressions: -6% QoQ and -6% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks: -7% QoQ and +3% YoY
In Q3 2024, total impressions decreased by 6% both QoQ and YoY, while clicks fell 7% QoQ but rose 3% YoY.
To boost visibility and ensure customers find the accurate info they need, consider using Apple Business Connect to expand your local visibility.
Apple Business Connect lets you manage local listings across Apple’s ecosystem—Maps, Siri, Wallet, and Safari—reaching the 60% share of U.S. mobile users on Apple devices. Apple’s ecosystem is deeply integrated into daily life for millions, meaning it’s often the first place people turn when they’re ready to act. If a customer asks Siri to “find a bank nearby” or searches Apple Maps for “financial advisor,” your brand should be there, with clear and current information.
When hours, addresses, or contact info change, quick updates via an Apple Business Connect integration keep your brand visible and accurate. Local search moments matter, and accurate, timely info helps you turn that local interest into visits.
Ready to unlock greater local reach?? Download our Guide to leveraging Apple Business Connect for local discoverability.
Full-service restaurants
- Total Q3 2024 impressions: -10% QoQ and -35% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks: -12% QoQ and +8% YoY
- Q3 2024 food menu clicks -26% QoQ and -61.4% YoY
- Q3 2024 bookings: -8.5% QoQ and -7.6% YoY
- Q3 2024 food order clicks: -41.5% QoQ and -62.9% YoY
In Q3 2024, full-service restaurants saw a challenge breaking through the noise, marked by a 10% QoQdrop in impressions and a 35% decrease YoY. Total clicks fell 12% QoQ but rose 8% YoY, while food menu clicks dropped significantly, down 26% QoQ and 61.4% YoY. Bookings declined 8.5% QoQ and 7.6% YoY, and food order clicks saw sharp declines of 41.5% QoQ and 62.9% YoY.
Despite these numbers, the industry is starting to see a glimmer of recovery. According to Black Box Intelligence data reported by Restaurant Dive, same-store sales bounced back into positive territory in early September, following a tough August where comp sales dipped 0.4% and traffic fell 3.6%. If the trend holds, Q4 could mirror last year’s pattern, with modest single-digit growth in same-store sales.
With this cautious optimism, now is the time for full-service restaurants to focus on streamlining their GBP menus, making it easier for customers to choose their next meal. Here are some tips for optimizing GBP menus to capture more search interest and drive traffic:
- Keep it simple and scannable: A long menu can overwhelm customers searching for quick options. Group items by category and highlight popular dishes to make the selection process faster and easier.
- Use sensory language: Enticing descriptions like ‘grass-fed Angus burger with melted cheddar and house-made aioli’ can piquecustomer interest and help you rank locally.
- Stay current with seasonal offerings: Update menus to reflect any seasonal dishes or limited-time specials. Fresh, relevant content boosts engagement and can improve local ranking signals on search engines.
- Add high-quality photos: Photos of key dishes make the menu come to life and help customers feel more confident in their choices.
For more insights on local menu optimization and GBP tips, check out our resources on restaurant discoverability.
Quick-service restaurants
- Total Q3 2024 impressions: -7% QoQ and -28% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks: +4% QoQ and +1% YoY
- Q3 2024 food menu clicks: +4.4% QoQ and -39.7% YoY
In Q3 2024, quick-service restaurants (QSRs) had a mixed quarter: total impressions fell 7% QoQ and 28% YoY, while total clicks rose 4% QoQ and 1% YoY. Food menu clicks saw a modest boost of 4.4% QoQ, but dropped 39.7% YoY.
According to a recently released restaurant consumer insights report called Savoring the Season: Consumer Trends Ahead, fewer people are dining out across all categories, yet QSRs saw the smallest dip, likely due to affordability. Hybrid workers are a standout group, with 38% saying they’re ordering more often and spending more at QSRs, while Gen Z and millennials continue to show strong demand for quick service, making them critical audiences for QSRs.
To attract and retain these customers, restaurant brands need a sharp focus on reputation management.
Start with responsiveness: more than half of customers expect a response to negative reviews within a week, but too many brands fall short. Engaging with reviews—both positive and negative—demonstrates commitment and builds trust. Keeping every location’s details up-to-date is essential, too. Accurate hours, map pins, and contact info prevent missed opportunities when customers are ready to order but find inconsistent information online, too.
Finally, don’t overlook the importance of visibility across review platforms. Consumers validate their choices on multiple sites, and an optimized, responsive presence on platforms like Google and Yelp gives your brand the boost it needs to stand out.
Hotels
- Q3 2024 impressions: +5% QoQ and +3% YoY
- Q3 2024 clicks: 0% QoQ and +1% YoY
- Q3 2024 bookings: +0.3% QoQ and -23.7% YoY
In Q3 2024, the hotel industry saw mixed performance, with impressions up 5% QoQ and 3% YoY, while clicks held steady QoQ with a 1% YoY increase. Bookings edged up 0.3% QoQ but dropped 23.7% YoY.
This comes as the U.S. hotel construction pipeline reaches new heights, marking a 9% YoY increase in project numbers, according to Lodging Econometrics. Extra weekends and a late Labor Day positively impacted revenue per available room (RevPAR) in August, which grew 1.4% thanks to a 1.5% increase in average daily rate (ADR) that offset a slight dip in occupancy, says CBRE. Resort and urban locations are narrowing the performance gap as leisure travel normalizes, with upper-price chains leading growth while lower-price segments stabilize.
However, some economic headwinds may temper future growth. Consumer spending power is at risk as wage growth moderates and employment ticks down. Yet, there are mitigating factors: wages are still outpacing inflation, stock markets are strong, and airfare prices are decreasing—factors that may keep travel demand steady.
To capture demand and maximize visibility in this evolving market, hotels need to prioritize listings accuracy. Here’s how to keep your locations at the top of search results and attract the right guests:
- Ensure all hotel, spa, and restaurant listings are verified, clean, and optimized. Duplicate listings and outdated information can lead to listing suspensions or poor visibility, resulting in lost bookings.
- Schema markup on specialty pages, like your spa or restaurant offerings, also helps search engines surface hyperlocal content and keeps potential guests informed on the specifics that matter to them.
- Today’s savvy travelers explore reviews across multiple sites and devices before making their choice. Use robust review management tools to monitor and enhance each hotel location’s performance, ensuring you’re visible where guests are researching.
When your listings are accurate and optimized, your hospitality brand stands out across search and map results, reaching guests exactly when they’re ready to book.
Retail
- Total Q3 2024 impressions: +2% QoQ and -7% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks: +5% QoQ and 0% YoY
In Q3 2024, retail brands saw a mixed bag of results: total impressions ticked up 2% quarter-over-quarter but fell 7% year-over-year, while total clicks rose 5% QoQ and stayed flat YoY.
This aligns with broader U.S. retail trends recently reported by Reuters, as September sales picked up, likely due to lower gas prices putting more cash in consumers’ pockets for spending on dining and retail. Clothing, health, and personal care stores saw solid gains, buoyed by consumers’ robust household savings and income growth, even as job growth slows.
To capture this momentum, retail marketers can turn to local insights to deliver more relevant, resonant experiences across locations.
Start with social listening to stay tuned into real-time customer feedback. Monitoring conversations, keywords, and hashtags unique to each area helps you learn what matters most to local customers, so you can respond quickly to needs and strengthen brand perception in each community. A proactive approach to comments and messages also shows your commitment to quality, helping to build trust and resolve issues before they escalate.
Customer journey mapping brings another layer of depth to your CX strategy. Map each stage of the journey to see where customers encounter friction and where they engage most. Enhancing key touchpoints—whether it’s a website visit, social media engagement, or in-store experience—helps you create a more seamless, satisfying path to purchase that turns visitors into loyal customers.
Finally, data-driven insights give your team the power to turn information into action. Using analytics to understand customer behaviors, you can tailor your marketing efforts to fit each community’s unique needs, creating a lasting local impact.
Learn more about mapping the customer journey and maximizing touchpoints in How to measure customer experience like a pro.
Healthcare
- Total Q3 2024 impressions: +8% QoQ and +24% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks: 0% QoQ and +24% YoY
In Q3 2024, healthcare brands saw strong performance in local search, with total impressions up 8%QoQ and 24% YoY, while clicks held steady QoQ but rose 24% YoY.
This growth underscores the increasing demand for digital engagement in healthcare—a sector that’s been slower than others to embrace the digital transformation shaping nearly every other industry.
According to Collier, while nearly all adults under 50 and 75% of those over 75 are active online, much of healthcare still relies on paper-based processes and manual billing systems. As healthcare digitizes, providers will need to be visible and accessible online to match patients’ expectations for seamless, accurate information.
For healthcare providers, patient trust and ease of access begin in search. When someone seeks out a new provider, they’re looking for reliable details, from accurate hours and insurance acceptance to positive patient reviews that offer reassurance and social proof.
Positioning your brand to be found at these crucial moments means your listings and local profiles need to be up-to-date and optimized on platforms like Google, WebMD, Healthgrades, Vitals, and more. Ensure your location, hours, and services are clearly listed across all relevant networks—anywhere a patient might look for you.
Clear calls-to-action and enabled booking functions on your profiles also make it easier for patients to book appointments or reach out, reducing friction in their journey and increasing your click-through and appointment rate. Learn more about creating exceptional experiences for patients in every market here.
Multi-family residential
- Total Q3 2024 impressions: -12% QoQ and -14% YoY
- Total Q3 2024 clicks: -8% QoQ and +2% YoY
In Q3 2024, multi-family residential brands felt a dip in engagement, with impressions down 12% QoQ and 14% YoY, while total clicks dropped 8% QoQ but gained 2% YoY. To stand out in this competitive space, it’s crucial for multi-family residential brands to keep GBP listings accurate, complete, and visually engaging.
GBP attributes are an essential feature for property managers, allowing you to showcase key details—like pet policies, amenities, and accessibility features—right on your listing. With GBP Attributes, residents get the answers they need, fast, around important questions.
Then there’s the power of high-quality photos. Great images don’t just catch the eye; they keep potential residents engaged. Shots of your interiors, shared spaces, and amenities help people imagine their lives there. This kind of connection can turn a quick look into a serious inquiry. Bonus: they appear in Google Images and expand your local visibility, too.
Fresh listings with clear attributes and captivating photos holds the power to bring your properties to the top of search results.
Ready to boost your local search visibility?
Take advantage of our free local audit to reveal the unique, brand-specific insights you need to rise above the competition. Get a detailed look at how your brand appears in local search engine listings, where you stand in rankings for essential keywords, and how customers rate your locations online. It’s a straightforward way to uncover your biggest opportunities for growth—starting today. Request your free audit now.
