How Many Leads Does Google My Business (GMB) Drive?

TL;DR

• The main goal of hiring a marketing company should be lead growth, not just higher rankings.
• For most small businesses, Google My Business drives more leads than organic search, though both matter.
• Leads from Google My Business have increased significantly year over year across many industries.
• Google Business Profile insights underreport calls, but still show reliable trend data over time.
• Accurate lead tracking requires call tracking and UTM codes to separate GBP and organic leads.

When any small business hires a marketing company, they should be aiming to increase the number of leads they get.  At Sterling Sky, we focus on reporting on leads, not ranking, so our monthly reporting for clients looks something like this:

What drives more leads – organic or Google My Business?

In our experience, for most industries, Google My Business drives substantially more leads than any other lead source for small businesses.  The organic section of Google also still drives a good number of leads and should not be ignored.  Here are some examples of the number of monthly leads by source for a few industries we work with.  We counted leads as calls, online chat, and contact form submissions from the prospective source.

Are leads from Google My Business increasing year-over-year?

In general, the number of leads from Google My Business has increased substantially over the last few years.  I am basing this conclusion on the number of leads we track for our clients from Google My Business.  If I look at this sample from 3 months in 2021 compared to 3 months in 2018, here is the breakdown for a few select businesses:

How to track the correct number of leads.

It’s important to remember that if you’re using GMB insights to track the number of phone calls, the number you’re seeing doesn’t reflect the actual number of calls the business gets.  Google My Business insights tracks the number of clicks-to-call which they can only do on mobile devices. Any calls you get from people looking at the phone number on their computer and then typing it into their phone are not counted unless you utilize call tracking.

The good news is that although the number will be off, the general trend according to GMB insights should match the trend in reality.  In this case, the actual number of unique calls (from call tracking) was 380 but GMB insights only showed 282.  Although the numbers according to GMB were lower, the graph trend is the same month-over-month.

Additionally, to make sure you can separate Google My Business leads from organic, make sure you are using UTM codes.

Is That Google Calling or Is It a Scam?

Since Google Business Profile drives a large share of leads for most small businesses, it’s common for owners to be cautious when they receive calls referencing their listing. If you’re ever unsure is that Google calling or is it a scam?, it’s important to understand what legitimate Google calls look like and the red flags that indicate a scam before engaging with the caller.

How many leads do you find Google My Business is driving?  Weigh in on the forum here.

Join us in Dallas for LocalU
October 20, 2026 - Just $299

Save Your Spot!