\n Stay Forward <\/h2>\n
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How we sliced and diced our data<\/h2>\n
We’re again comparing April 1 2020 to March 31 2021<\/strong> against April 1 2021 to March 31 2022<\/strong>, which covers the disruption of initial COVID lockdowns up to the relative normality of today. Regardless of how businesses may have struggled in early stages of the pandemic, the unknowable impact of that storm should now be over. Indeed, most businesses should be experiencing some form of upswing; what matters now is how that recovery compares to others.<\/p>\n Bear in mind that we’re again primarily considering businesses in the US, Canada, and Europe, and that our data sets are constrained by the number of clients we have within those industries. Even so, the scale of the data generated by our client base still acts as a microcosm of businesses within those regions.<\/p>\n To start, let’s first establish GBP benchmarks for general business performance before diving into each industry in more detail.<\/p>\n Total GBP actions percentage change YoY: <\/strong>24% Total GBP views percent change YoY:<\/strong> 47% With local restrictions lifting and other customer touch points reopening, it should be no surprise that businesses have seen significant increases in their overall GBP KPIs in 2022\u2014as evidenced by the 42% increase in requests for directions. While calls and clicks could have fluctuated depending on each business’s ability to retain clients during lockdowns, in-person store visits could only have increased so dramatically with the easing of restrictions. That’s especially important for dine-in restaurants, gyms, and retailers, for whom foot traffic is immensely important.<\/p>\n The same factors also explain the near double increase in map views compared to search. Consumers were no longer looking for ecommerce options but researching where<\/em> they could make same-day purchases at a physical location. Note how direct searches for map locations grew by 63%, which is significantly higher than incidental discovery and branded searches. The implication is that consumers will always seek out direct access to products and services when available.<\/p>\n The following table reveals the industry benchmarks that businesses should measure themselves against. The biggest winners are highlighted in green while the biggest losers see themselves marked in red.<\/strong> If you don’t see your industry represented or simply desire a more detailed breakdown than we have laid out here, get in touch<\/a> and we’ll be happy to oblige.<\/p>\n Perhaps unsurprisingly, restaurants, retailers, and pharmacies (a more specific type of retail) saw massive increases in their online and physical traffic\u2014specifically in requests for directions\u2014following the widespread lifting of restrictions. Although the fitness industry recorded an 86% increase in requests for directions (second only to restaurants), it’s not all good news: Gyms and health clubs now face new threats after consumers turned to exercise alternative in the last two years, including convenient at-home workouts like Peloton, which may dovetail nicely with flexible, post-pandemic working models.<\/p>\n The biggest drops come from the only three industries that saw losses in 2022 compared to 2021. The industry which faltered more than any other, however, cannot attribute its challenges to the pandemic alone. With a massive increase in fuel and gas prices, energy providers are struggling to articulate any positive differentiators for consumers. Gas stations, meanwhile, have seen a disproportionate increase in search volume compared to their direct traffic. This is due to consumers searching for news stories about gas prices rather than actually increasing their demand.<\/p>\n Some industries, despite how others are faring around them, can’t expect large volumes of growth or decline. For those who have seen their GBP metrics remain static year over year, our benchmarks suggest that consistency may just be what you should expect.<\/p>\nHigh-level considerations<\/h2>\n
\nClicks: 18%
\nCalls: 14%
\nDirections: 42%<\/p>\n
\nSearch: 28%
\nMaps: 55% (Discovery 42%, Direct 63%, Branded 40%)<\/p>\n![\"People](\"\/wpe-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/shoppers-legs.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe tale of the tape<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wpe-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/DAC-GBP-Benchmarks-scaled.jpg\")
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