Google Analytics Adds Business Profile Data

Google has introduced documentation outlining a native integration between Google Business Profile and Google Analytics, allowing local business activity to be tracked more directly within Analytics reports. Once connected, key local engagement metrics such as phone calls and direction requests can be viewed alongside standard website performance data.

The integration is designed to bring more visibility to real-world customer actions that take place on Google Business Profiles, although it may not yet be available across all Analytics accounts.

What appears in Google Analytics

After linking a Google Business Profile, a dedicated section becomes available within Google Analytics reports. This new area includes a range of local interaction metrics such as:

Profile interactions
Website clicks
Phone calls
Direction requests
Messages
Bookings
Menu views

The connection is created through the Admin section in Google Analytics under product linking settings.

Limitations of the integration

While the feature expands reporting capabilities, there are several restrictions to be aware of.

If multiple Business Profiles are connected, the data is combined into a single aggregated view. This means it is not currently possible to separate performance by individual location within Analytics.

In addition, the data cannot be used within standard exploration reports, comparisons, or filtering tools. It also does not support subproperty configurations, which may limit its use for more complex analytics setups.

Another limitation is the data retention window. Google Analytics only stores Business Profile data for six months, meaning older activity will not be visible even if the reporting date range is extended further back.

Interestingly, Analytics displays all available Business Profile metrics regardless of business category, whereas the Business Profile interface itself may hide metrics that are not relevant to certain industries.

Why the integration matters

Previously, Google Analytics could only capture Business Profile activity through tagged links using UTM parameters. This method mainly recorded website visits, but excluded important on-profile actions such as calls, direction requests, and bookings.

The new native connection helps bridge that gap by bringing those on-profile interactions into Analytics alongside website behaviour. For single-location businesses, this creates a more unified view of customer engagement without relying on external tagging.

However, for multi-location businesses and agencies, the benefits may be more limited due to the lack of location-level breakdowns within the reporting.

What happens next

At present, Google has not confirmed whether the integration is fully rolled out to all accounts or whether more granular reporting by individual location will be introduced in future updates.

Given the six-month data retention limit, the feature is currently better suited for tracking short- to medium-term trends rather than long-term historical analysis.

For more detailed location-based reporting, the Google Business Profile dashboard, data exports, and Performance API remain more comprehensive options compared with the current Analytics integration.