Google's New Business Profile Performance Report: What Home Services Owners Should Check

Google is testing a revamped performance report inside Business Profiles. According to Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable, it adds sections for engagement, reviews, search trends and audience, plus top recommendations and a more detailed reviews view. It is a test, so you may not see it yet. Here is what to watch when you do.

What is the new Google Business Profile performance report?

It is a redesigned analytics area inside your Google Business Profile. Based on what Barry Schwartz reported on October 23, 2026, it covers engagement, reviews, search trends and audience, and it adds a recommendations section on the overview page along with a more broken-out view of your reviews.

That is the whole list from the source. Nobody has published a full breakdown of every metric inside each section yet. So treat those section names as headings, not promises. Until it reaches your account, you don't know exactly what numbers you will get.

Schwartz also notes this is separate from the new Google Business Home portal he covered the day before, though he says the two are somewhat duplicative. Google is clearly reworking how owners see their data. That is the real story here.

Is everyone getting the new performance report yet?

No. Google is testing it, which means a small group of accounts sees it first. Schwartz wrote that he does not see it himself yet. Two people he knows sent him screenshots and a video, so it is live for at least some profiles. Expect it to change before any wide release.

The two people he credits are Jaikishan Raturi of Wisevu, who shared light mode screenshots, and Syed Amir, who shared dark mode screenshots and a video. Schwartz called it "a very big improvement" over the current report.

Google tests plenty of things and drops some of them. Don't rebuild your whole routine around a feature that may never ship in this form. Do get ready for it.

Why does a performance report matter for a roofer, plumber or HVAC company?

Because your Google profile is often the first thing a homeowner sees before they call. If you never look at how that profile performs, you are guessing. A better report means less guessing about what is working, what is slipping and what Google thinks you should fix.

Think about how a home-services job actually starts. A pipe bursts, the AC quits in July, or a storm takes shingles off a roof. The homeowner searches on their phone, scans a few listings and calls one. That decision happens in seconds.

You can't see those seconds. A performance report is the closest thing you get to watching them. It won't tell you everything, but it shows direction. Are more people finding you, or fewer? Are they doing something with your listing, or just scrolling past?

Most contractors I talk to have never opened the performance tab. That is the first problem, and no redesign fixes it.

What should I look at in each section?

Look at each section for one thing: the direction of travel. Is it going up, down or flat compared with the last period? The exact numbers matter less than the trend, and you should check at the same time each week so the comparison is fair.

Here is how I would approach each of the five areas the source names. The metric names inside them may differ once you see your own account, so adjust.

1. Overview and recommendations. Start here. Read what Google suggests for your profile. Write down the top item and decide whether to do it this week.
2. Engagement. Look at how people interact with your listing. If activity drops while your marketing stays the same, something changed on the listing or in the market.
3. Reviews. Check the new, more detailed reviews view. Look for patterns in what customers mention, and for reviews you haven't answered.
4. Audience. Look at who is finding you. If it doesn't match the customers you want, your categories or service areas may be off.
5. Search trends. See what people searched when they found you. Compare it to the services you actually want to sell.

Write the numbers in a simple note or spreadsheet. A month of notes tells you more than any single screen.

How often should I check my Business Profile performance?

Weekly is enough for most home-services owners. Daily is noise, and monthly is too slow to catch a problem before it costs you calls. Pick one day, spend 15 minutes, and write down what moved. Then act on one thing, not ten.

A weekly check works because local search shifts slowly, then suddenly. A competitor starts collecting reviews. Your hours get changed by a suggested edit. A category gets removed. You want to catch that in days, not after a slow quarter.

Here is a simple routine.

1. Open the performance report on the same weekday.
2. Note the trend in engagement, reviews, audience and search trends.
3. Read the top recommendation.
4. Reply to any review you haven't answered.
5. Pick one fix and do it before you close the tab.

Fifteen minutes. That is all it takes, and it beats the contractor who checks once a year.

How do I act on Google's recommendations without wasting time?

Treat recommendations as a to-do list from Google, not orders. Do the ones that fix real gaps, like missing information or unanswered reviews. Be skeptical of anything that adds work without helping a customer decide to call you. Ask one question: would this help a homeowner choose us?

Google's suggestions are built to improve profile completeness. That usually helps you. But Google doesn't know your business. It doesn't know you stopped doing gutters, or that you only take emergency calls after hours in certain towns.

Check each suggestion against reality. If it matches what you do, do it. If it doesn't, skip it. And when a recommendation keeps showing up, ask yourself why it keeps showing up.

If you want a second set of eyes, our Google Profile Audit goes through your listing and flags what is missing or wrong.

What if I don't have the new report yet?

Use what you have now. The current performance tab still shows you something, and a baseline from today makes the new report more useful when it arrives. Start your weekly check now, keep your own notes, and you will be able to compare old against new.

Also, don't ignore the basics while waiting for a new dashboard. A great report on a weak profile just shows you a weak profile in better colors. Make sure your categories, service areas, hours, photos and review replies are in shape.

Not sure where you stand? Our free Local Visibility Score shows how your business looks in local search right now. It takes a couple of minutes and gives you a starting point.

And if you would rather not manage this yourself, that is what our local search service is for. We handle the profile, watch the numbers and fix what is slipping, so you can run jobs.

What is the catch with any analytics dashboard?

Data doesn't book jobs. A report is only useful if someone reads it and does something. I have seen owners pay for fancy dashboards they never open. The new Google report will be free, and it will be just as useless if it sits there unread.

The other catch is that reports measure what happened, not what you should do. Search trends can tell you what people looked for. They can't tell you whether you have the crew to handle that work, or whether those jobs pay.

Look at the numbers, then use your own judgment about your market. You know your customers better than any dashboard does.

Common questions

Is the new Google Business Profile performance report available now?

Only to some accounts. Google is testing it, and Barry Schwartz reported on October 23, 2026 that he could not see it himself yet. Two people sent him screenshots and a video. Expect changes before any full release, and check your profile's performance tab for updates.

What does the new report include?

According to Search Engine Roundtable, it includes metrics on engagement, reviews, search trends and audience, along with top recommendations on the overview and a more broken-out reviews view. The source does not list every individual metric, so exact numbers inside each section may differ on your account.

How often should a contractor check Business Profile performance?

Once a week is enough for most home-services businesses. Pick a set day, spend about 15 minutes, note the trend in each section and fix one thing. Checking daily creates noise. Checking monthly is too slow to catch a problem like a dropped category or unanswered reviews.

Do Google's recommendations always make sense for my business?

No. Google suggests improvements based on profile completeness, but it does not know your services, hours or service area. Do the recommendations that match how you actually operate and help a customer choose you. Skip the rest. If you are unsure, get a profile audit.