Driving Website Traffic Directly from Your Google Business Profile

Introduction: Why Your GBP is a Direct Traffic Channel

Your Google Business Profile is far more than a digital business card—it's a powerful, direct channel for website traffic. Every day, thousands of potential customers search for local businesses using Google. Often, the GBP listing is the very first thing they interact with in Maps or Search. Yet, many businesses miss out on this steady stream of intent-driven visits because their Google Business Profile isn't optimized to send website traffic.

By making strategic updates and using core features of your Google Business Profile, you can increase the odds that users click through to your website instead of scrolling past or contacting competitors. The benefits go beyond mere visibility: a well-optimized profile converts searchers straight into site visitors, ready to take the next step.

In this guide, you'll discover actionable tips to unlock website traffic from Google Business Profile and turn your presence into a direct traffic machine.

• A fully optimized Google Business Profile attracts up to 70% more visits.
• Approximately 46% of all Google searches seek local information.

Fundamental GBP Optimizations for Traffic

To optimize Google Business Profile so it reliably drives visitors, you must build a solid foundation. A robust, complete business profile boosts local SEO, ranks higher, and makes it easier for users to trust your brand enough to click through to your site.

Start by ensuring your business name, address, phone, and hours are absolutely accurate. Provide comprehensive details about your offerings and incorporate relevant keywords for local SEO into your descriptions. Duplicate or missing information can undermine your presence and lower your position in local search.

• Business name exactly as it appears offline
• Up-to-date address and contact details
• Accurate business hours (including holidays)
• Select the most relevant primary and secondary categories
• High-quality photos and logo
• Well-written business description with target keywords
• Add products/services to your profile
• Complete attributes (e.g., women-owned, accessible entry)

According to Google, businesses with complete Google Business Profiles are 2.7 times more likely to be considered reputable. These profiles receive 7x more clicks than incomplete ones, underscoring the direct impact on website traffic.

Leveraging Your Website Link Effectively

One of the easiest ways to increase website traffic is to properly link website in Google Business Profile. Even though adding your site is simple, strategic placement and tracking can make a big difference. Always double-check that you use your main, canonical site URL, and consider using UTM parameters for better analytics.

• Place your main site URL in the designated website link field in GBP
• Use HTTPS and the version you want indexed
• Regularly audit the link for broken redirects or errors

To track how many users are coming from your GBP listing, add unique UTM parameters to your URL. This enables you to attribute traffic within Google Analytics and measure true performance.

https://yourwebsite.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gbp&utm_campaign=local

How to Add UTM Parameters to Your GBP Link

1. Build your preferred UTM-tagged URL using Google’s Campaign URL Builder.
2. Navigate to your GBP dashboard, click “Edit profile,” and select the info tab.
3. Paste your new URL (with UTM tags) into the website field.

GBP Posts: Your Mini-Blog for Driving Clicks

GBP Posts are a dynamic feature in your google business profile that act as your local mini-blog and ad board. With well-crafted GBP Posts, you can drive traffic to your website consistently.

Each GBP Post appears prominently on your business profile, especially on mobile. They support images, calls-to-action, and direct links—making them ideal to attract and entice clicks to your latest offer, event, or update.

• What’s New: Share business updates, news, and announcements.
• Events: Promote special happenings or workshops—perfect for timely engagement.
• Offers: Feature discounts or deals with direct CTAs.
• Products: Spotlight specific products, each with its own link.

For best results, include a compelling image or video, a concise but enticing description (80–150 characters), and add a meaningful CTA button—like “Learn More” or “Book Online”—linking to relevant pages on your site.

To maximize reach and interaction, post at least once per week. Posts expire after 6–7 days (except Events), so keep content fresh. Use Google Business Profile Insights to measure performance and tweak your approach to continue to drive traffic.

A recent survey found businesses using GBP Posts regularly saw up to 25% more website visits from their profile compared to those who didn’t.

To drive website traffic from your Google Business Profile, optimize your profile completely, add your website link, regularly use GBP Posts with calls to action, and leverage the Products, Services, and Q&A sections to guide users directly to relevant pages on your site.

Showcase Products and Services Directly in Search

Featuring your Google Business Profile products and services enables you to drive traffic by connecting searchers with what matters most to them—instantly. These sections often appear directly in Search and on Google Maps, offering a direct route to your key offerings before a user even lands on your website.

To get started, use the Products tab in your GBP dashboard to add high-impact Google Business Profile products. For services, verify that each offering is listed, detailed, and linked wherever possible. Images, concise descriptions, and custom URLs for each product can drive clicks and boost engagement.

• Include targeted product names and descriptions for clarity.
• Add a high-quality photo (recommended: 1200x900px).
• Link to your product or service page using UTM tracking.
• Keep your product catalog and service list updated monthly.

Using Q&A to Guide Users to Your Site

Your Google Business Profile Q&A section is a valuable space for capturing organic website visitors. By proactively answering common questions, you address doubts and guide users to detailed resources on your website.

• What services do you offer? (link to your services page)
• How can I book an appointment? (send users to booking page)
• Where are you located? (link to your contact or directions page)
• Do you have customer reviews? (guide to testimonials)

Monitor your Google Business Profile Q&A weekly to remove spam, answer honestly, and make your responses actionable. Where relevant, include a link that naturally directs website visitors to more information. This balanced approach keeps users engaged and drives qualified visits.

A smart strategy is to seed the Q&A with important questions using your own account, then answer with helpful explanations and deep links to appropriate website pages. Every extra click is an opportunity for a new customer.

Encouraging Reviews and Responding Strategically

Google Business Profile reviews have both an indirect and powerful effect on your local search rank—which, in turn, boosts your ability to drive website traffic. Positive feedback increases your profile’s authority and the number of people who choose your website link over competitors.

Encourage genuine reviews by following up with happy customers post-purchase or after a successful meeting. Once reviews arrive, reply promptly and professionally. In some cases, you can even direct users to helpful resources or FAQs on your website within your responses, but avoid overt self-promotion for compliance with Google’s guidelines.

• Ask satisfied customers for reviews after providing your service.
• Respond to every review promptly with a personal touch.
• If relevant, offer to answer detailed queries and link to site resources.

Businesses with more than 50 reviews see over a 30% increase in click-through rates from their GBP listings after reaching this milestone.

Leveraging Google Business Profile Websites (If Applicable)

Don’t have a fully developed website yet? Google Business Profile website is a free tool built directly into your GBP dashboard. While basic compared to custom sites, it can generate traffic by serving as a mobile-friendly landing page for local searchers and Maps users.

Setup is simple—select a template, add your business info and images, then publish. Use this as an interim solution while developing a dedicated website, and be sure to link out to your main digital profiles as you grow. Many businesses start here and later upgrade as their needs evolve.

• Easy to set up and mobile responsive
• Integrates with GBP features to showcase reviews, hours, and contact details
• Add direct contact forms and CTAs to generate traffic

Tracking Your GBP Traffic in Google Analytics

To make the most of your GBP, you must track Google Business Profile traffic using Google Analytics. Applying this practice ensures you know exactly which tactics are delivering actual visitors and conversions.

First, always use custom UTM parameters on every link placed in your Google Business Profile. These tagged URLs allow Google Analytics to differentiate traffic originating from your GBP listing, GBP Posts, and the Products section.

• Label source as 'google', medium as 'gbp' and specify campaign names for posts or offers.
• Check 'Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium' in Google Analytics to see tracked visits.
• Compare website traffic from various GBP features to understand what drives the most clicks.

Website Link: utm_source=google, utm_medium=gbpPosts: utm_campaign=post-titleProducts: utm_campaign=product-name

According to Google, over 56% of actions on GBP are website visits—knowing the source lets you double down on what works.

Putting It All Together: A GBP Traffic Strategy

A comprehensive GBP traffic strategy blends core tactics into a repeatable system. Start by ensuring you’ve completed all profile basics, added and tracked your web links, and set a cadence for new GBP Posts and product updates. Monitor metrics to increase website visits through what works best for your audience.

• Complete all profile details and images
• Link website in every possible section—use UTM tags
• Post weekly updates or offers
• Highlight products with direct URLs
• Engage Q&A and reviews to build trust
• Analyze visitor data and refine monthly

Stay consistent. The most successful brands don’t just increase website visits with one update—they nurture and improve their GBP presence over time. Identify top-performers, double down, and adapt to local trends. Document your processes for continued growth.

Conclusion: Maximise Your Local Digital Footprint

Every local business can strengthen its local digital footprint by treating Google Business Profile as a critical traffic source. Implement the tactics above to drive website traffic from day one—and continue refining as you track results.

With the right optimizations, you’ll attract more visitors, capture more leads, and build a robust local presence that stands out to searchers and Google’s algorithm alike. Don’t let your local advantage go to waste—start now, and your digital footprint will keep growing.

Ready to boost your local online presence? Get a free local SEO audit!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add my website link to Google Business Profile?

Log in to your GBP dashboard, navigate to 'Info', and find the 'Website' field to add your URL. Ensure it is the correct and preferred version (http/https).

Are Google Business Profile Posts good for driving traffic?

Yes, GBP Posts are excellent for driving direct traffic as they include prominent call-to-action buttons that can link directly to pages on your website.

Can I track traffic from Google Business Profile in Google Analytics?

Yes, you can track traffic by adding UTM parameters to the URLs you use within your GBP profile, such as the main website link and links in posts or products.