If your company has a presence on Google, then you most likely look at data from your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This data source provides valuable insight into how users are finding and interacting with your business through Google's search engine.
Companies that set up their analytics stacks effectively enjoy the benefit of always having up-to-date records with data from their Business Profile, and they're able to view the data through various visualizations at any time with just a few clicks. If this all sounds too good to be true, then you'll be surprised to hear that it's actually very easy to set up.
The two tools that make it all possible are Launchpad and Google BigQuery. Launchpad is an ETL (extract, transform, and load) application that extracts your data from your Google Business Profile and transfers it to the data storage of your choice. Not only do platforms like Launchpad require no code, but they enable you to set up automated, recurring transfers from various sources so that your data is always archived, unified, and up-to-date.
For data storage, we recommend using Google BigQuery, which can be easily connected to business-intelligence tools and visualization apps, such as Looker Studio. Leveraging these powerful tools allows you to take ownership of your data and translate it into meaningful insights that guide successful business decisions. Keep reading to learn all about how to automate your analytics through these simple steps.
Steps for Transferring GMB Data to BQ and Connecting to Looker Studio
- Connect to the GMB API via Launchpad
- Transfer your data to a Google BigQuery account
- Create a BigQuery data source in Looker Studio
Connect to the GMB API via Launchpad
Log in to Launchpad and navigate to the source setup screen. Choose Google My Business as your source and follow the instructions in the setup wizard.
Connect the Google My Business source to your target destination (example uses Google BigQuery)
Transfer Your Data to a Google BigQuery Account
Connect your Google My Business source to your Google BigQuery destination and configure your job settings and schema. We are using the following schemas for our example:
Keywords Schema:
Dimensions
- searchKeyword
- InsightsValue (impressions)
Daily Metrics Schema:
Dimensions
- date
- business_impressions_desktop_maps
- business_impressions_desktop_search
- business_impressions_mobile_maps
- business_impressions_mobile_search
- website_clicks
- call_clicks
Create a BigQuery Data Source in Looker Studio
Open Looker Studio, click the “Create” button in the top-left corner, and click “Data source”. Find BigQuery among the options and click on it. You will then be able to select the BigQuery project ID, dataset, and table linked with your Google My Business data source. Once you’ve made your selections, click the “CONNECT” button in the top-right corner.
Now that you have the data from Google Business Profile connected to Looker Studio, you can create all the reports you wish and fill them with the charts and visualizations of your choice.
How Can We Help?
If you're having any trouble managing your data, then the experts at Calibrate would be happy to help show you what's possible. From walk-throughs and interactive demos to custom solutions, we'll help you set up a healthy analytics stack that fuels smart business decisions.
