Independent research

Original research on Google Business Profile performance.

Aggregate data analysis of local business profiles. Cross-vertical and vertical-specific studies. New reports monthly. Independent of Google.

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Active on Social, Invisible on Google. The Wrong-Channel Paradox in Local Business Marketing.
Cross-verticalUnited States·Apr 14, 2026

Active on Social, Invisible on Google. The Wrong-Channel Paradox in Local Business Marketing.

463 US local businesses in our sample link active social media to a Google Business Profile that is not confirmed claimed. 1 in 10 socially-active profiles is invisible on the channel that actually converts. A data report on the backwards budget of local business marketing.

  • 463 US local business profiles link active social media but have unclaimed or unverified Google Business Profiles.
  • Chiropractors lead the gap at 17.3%. Dental at 13.9%. Veterinary at 12.9%.
  • The budget is inverted: local businesses hire social managers before claiming the Google profile that actually converts.
Read the reportINQ-IR-2026-007 · n = 13,859

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The Contact Funnel Collapse. Only 17% of US Local Business Profiles Offer All 5 Contact Paths.
Cross-verticalUnited StatesINQ-IR-2026-006

The Contact Funnel Collapse. Only 17% of US Local Business Profiles Offer All 5 Contact Paths.

94% of US local business Google profiles have a phone number. Only 22% have an email address. Only 17% offer all 5 contact paths we checked. The typical profile gives a visitor half the ways to reach the business.

Apr 11, 2026n = 13,859
The Social Media Paradox. Visual Businesses Link Fewer Social Channels Than Non-Visual Ones.
Cross-verticalUnited StatesINQ-IR-2026-005

The Social Media Paradox. Visual Businesses Link Fewer Social Channels Than Non-Visual Ones.

Only 22.5% of US hair salons link any social media to their Google Business Profile. Veterinary clinics, not famous for visual content, hit 43.3%. A data report on social media cross-linking across 13,859 US local business profiles.

Apr 8, 2026n = 13,859
The 4.74 Ceiling. Why Almost Every US Local Business on Google Rates Above 4.5.
Cross-verticalUnited StatesINQ-IR-2026-004

The 4.74 Ceiling. Why Almost Every US Local Business on Google Rates Above 4.5.

60% of US local business Google profiles in our 13,859-profile sample rate 4.9 or 5.0. The average is 4.74. Only 5% rate below 4.0. The distribution is extremely right-skewed. What that means for how owners should read their own rating.

Apr 2, 2026n = 13,859
The Keyword-in-Name Myth. Fewer Than 1% of US Profiles Actually Do It.
Cross-verticalUnited StatesINQ-IR-2026-003

The Keyword-in-Name Myth. Fewer Than 1% of US Profiles Actually Do It.

Every local SEO tool warns about keyword stuffing in Google Business Profile names. We analyzed 13,859 US profiles. Fewer than 0.5% use superlatives. 0.01% say near me. The real pattern is city names and service words, which behave differently.

Mar 26, 2026n = 13,859
US Med Spa Google Business Profile Benchmarks, 2026
Med SpaUnited StatesINQ-IR-2026-002

US Med Spa Google Business Profile Benchmarks, 2026

Across 1,448 US med spa Google profiles, 29% are unclaimed or unverified, the median profile has 39 reviews, and 60% rate 4.9 or 5.0. A deep dive on one of the highest-revenue Tier Special verticals.

Mar 19, 2026n = 1,448
We Analyzed 13,859 US Local Business Google Profiles. Here is What We Found.
Cross-verticalUnited StatesINQ-IR-2026-001

We Analyzed 13,859 US Local Business Google Profiles. Here is What We Found.

27% of local business Google profiles in our sample are unclaimed or have unverified claim status. Half show fewer than 10 photos. One in four has no website. A data report across nine verticals and six US states.

Mar 12, 2026n = 13,859

How we work

Aggregate data, never individual businesses.

Our research is based on public Google Business Profile data, analyzed in aggregate across thousands of profiles. We never publish individual business names, locations, or identifying information. Every report includes its sample size, time range, and methodology.

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