What 8 local businesses taught us about Google Maps in 2026.
Original data from our own clients in Pakistan and the USA: clinics, solar, insurance, retail and tours. What grew, what did not, and the patterns we keep seeing. SEO Guru is an SEO agency and registered SEO company in Islamabad, offering SEO services, ads, websites and digital marketing for businesses in Pakistan, the UK, the US and the Gulf.
What we found, in one paragraph.
Across 8 businesses, the profiles that grew most had every contact option switched on and were ready before demand arrived. More views did not always mean more customers: for one clinic, views fell 19% while chats rose 71.8%. And for most businesses, Google Search brought far more profile views than the Maps app, and most of those views were on a phone.
8 businesses, one table.
Every number is from the business’s own Google Business Profile Performance report.
| Business | Location | Period | Results | Compared with last year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental clinic | Islamabad | May–Oct 2026 | 5,408 profile views; calls from about 2 a month to 39 | No comparison |
| Spine and pain clinic | Islamabad | May–Sept 2026 | 146 chat clicks, 118 website clicks, 595 directions, 457 calls | Chat +71.8%, website +28.3%, directions +4.4%, calls −1.1%, views −19.0% |
| Solar company | Islamabad | May–Jun 2026 | 185 calls, 143 directions, 43 chat clicks | Calls +42.3%, directions +43.0%, chat +330% |
| Tour operator | Islamabad | May–Oct 2026 | 1,308 profile views, 707 from Google Maps | No comparison |
| Furniture store | Atlanta, USA | May–Oct 2026 | 1,854 profile views, 735 from Google Maps | No comparison |
| New dental client | Pakistan | Aug–Oct 2026 | About 1,476 profile views after 3 months | No comparison, still in progress |
| Insurance agency | Columbus, Ohio, USA | May–Oct 2026 | 18,924 profile views; 322 website clicks and 161 calls (Jun–Sept) | Website +42.5%, calls +15.8% |
| Insurance office | Wilmington, Ohio, USA | May–Oct 2026 | 261 directions, 96 calls, 78 website clicks | No comparison |
Phones and Google Search bring most views.
Share of each profile’s views, from Google’s platform and device breakdown. The rest of the views came from Google Search.
8 lessons from real profiles.
An unused profile is the biggest missed opportunity
The dental clinic had been open since 2018, but its profile was not being used. Once it was built properly, calls from it went from about 2 in May to 39 in September 2026. Before chasing rankings, check that your own profile is complete and working.
See the full result →People choose different buttons, so switch them all on
The spine clinic’s calls stayed level (−1.1%), but chat clicks rose 71.8% and website clicks 28.3%. The solar company’s chat clicks rose 330%. In small-town Wilmington, people mostly asked for directions (261) rather than clicking to the website (78). Each extra button catches people who would not have called.
See the full result →More views is not the goal; more actions is
The spine clinic’s profile views fell 19.0% and searches 52.2% compared with last year, yet chats, website clicks and direction requests all grew. A smaller number of the right people taking action beats a bigger number of people just looking.
See the full result →Google Search matters as much as the Maps app
For 7 of the 8 businesses, most profile views came from Google Search, not the Maps app. Only the tour operator got more than half its views from Maps (54%). Your profile has to look good in the search results, not only on the map.
In Pakistan, it is almost all mobile
For our Pakistani clients, 72% to 91% of profile views came from phones. For the two insurance offices in Ohio, it was 55% to 60%, with far more desktop use. Photos, buttons and hours must work perfectly on a small screen.
Seasonal businesses must be ready early
The solar company’s profile was prepared in the off-season. When the season opened in May and June 2026, calls rose 42.3%, directions 43% and chat clicks 330% on the year before; in June alone, calls were up only 2.6%. The first weeks of the season matter most.
See the full result →Small towns are worth it
Only 175 searches showed the Wilmington office’s profile, but it brought 96 calls and 261 direction requests in six months. Fewer searches, but fewer strong competitors and people ready to visit.
See the full result →“Near me” searches come in quickly once the basics are right
The dental clinic was shown for “dental clinic near me” 146 times and “dentist near me” 100 times in six months. A new dental client was already shown for “dentist near me” and “dentist nearby” 53 times each within three months.
Our method, and its limits.
- All numbers come from the Performance reports in each client’s Google Business Profile, shared with us as screenshots. We have not changed any number.
- Mobile and Maps shares are calculated from Google’s platform and device breakdown for each profile (Google Search mobile, Google Search desktop, Google Maps mobile, Google Maps desktop).
- Periods differ between clients, because each one started at a different time. Comparisons with last year are only shown where Google showed them.
- This is 8 businesses, not a scientific study. It shows patterns we keep seeing, not rules that apply to every business.
- Client names, addresses and branded searches are hidden for privacy.
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