{"id":745658,"date":"2026-09-01T00:35:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T21:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T00:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T21:35:19","slug":"calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/","title":{"rendered":"Calls and clicks keep falling as Google Maps becomes the destination"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af3871176454\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af3871176454\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#New_findings_show_rankings_remain_stable_while_customer_behavior_changes_making_profile_quality_and_reviews_critical_for_local_visibility\" >New findings show rankings remain stable while customer behavior changes, making profile quality and reviews critical for local visibility.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#Why_Q1_looked_like_a_crisis\" >Why Q1 looked like a crisis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#The_corrected_Q1_number_and_what_Q2_adds\" >The corrected Q1 number, and what Q2 adds<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#Two_ranking_systems_and_reviews_as_the_connective_tissue\" >Two ranking systems and reviews as the connective tissue<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#The_EU_and_UK_arent_a_slower_version_of_the_US\" >The EU and UK aren\u2019t a slower version of the US<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#Rank_tracking_alone_wont_tell_you_this\" >Rank tracking alone won\u2019t tell you this<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#What_this_means_for_your_reporting\" >What this means for your reporting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/calls-and-clicks-keep-falling-as-google-maps-becomes-the-destination\/#Topics_on_this_page\" >Topics on this page<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_findings_show_rankings_remain_stable_while_customer_behavior_changes_making_profile_quality_and_reviews_critical_for_local_visibility\"><\/span>New findings show rankings remain stable while customer behavior changes, making profile quality and reviews critical for local visibility.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February, we wrote that local rankings were holding steady while calls and website clicks quietly dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared. By April, our data pointed to something much more dramatic, enough that we declared \u201clocal SEO\u201d was dying on stage at BrightonSEO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were wrong about the scale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Q1 data was revised retrospectively. After testing the corrected numbers against a full second quarter, we found a clearer, more specific story than either version suggested.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-why-q1-looked-like-a-crisis\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Q1_looked_like_a_crisis\"><\/span>Why Q1 looked like a crisis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sterling Sky and Jepto\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bHsZY5RZJbs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">analysis of 179 Google Business Profiles<\/a> found that AI-powered local packs often show just two businesses instead of three, frequently without a click-to-call button, and surface only 32% as many unique businesses as the traditional Map Pack. Most rank trackers couldn\u2019t see any of it. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joy Hawkins, Claudia Tomina, and Matt McGee were independently reporting the same pattern: rankings held steady while performance declined.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our initial reading of the Q1 data, presented at BrightonSEO in April, looked even more severe. Actions and impressions appeared to have fallen by roughly half across our U.S. portfolio. The drop was dramatic enough that we advised some agency customers to invest in paid search.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It didn\u2019t hold up.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-corrected-q1-number-and-what-q2-adds\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_corrected_Q1_number_and_what_Q2_adds\"><\/span>The corrected Q1 number, and what Q2 adds<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rechecking Q1 revealed a much less dramatic picture. Year over year:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>U.S. website clicks and calls each fell 15.8%, while direction requests rose 31.3%. <\/li>\n<li>Desktop Search impressions increased 12.3%.<\/li>\n<li>Mobile Search impressions fell 20.6%.<\/li>\n<li>Desktop Maps impressions declined 17.9%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don\u2019t put much weight on the mobile Maps figure alone. A small number of large advertisers can significantly shift that metric.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1500\" http: alt=\"GMBapi Q2 YoY Performance GBP Profiles Tables\" class=\"wp-image-486277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-tables.png 1200w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-tables-768x960.png 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-tables.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-tables.png\" alt=\"GMBapi Q2 YoY Performance GBP Profiles Tables\" class=\"wp-image-486277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-tables.png 1200w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-tables-768x960.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025, corrected year-over-year Google Business Profile performance. (Source: GMBapi data)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Q2 data tests that corrected the baseline. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. calls and website clicks are still falling, down 11.9% and 12.5%, and direction requests are still growing, up 21.1%, all three decelerating against Q1\u2019s sharper moves. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The standout change is desktop Maps: down 17.9% in Q1, up 3.2% in Q2, a genuine reversal, specific to the US. Mobile Maps impressions are up 30.4%, desktop search is up 13.9%, and mobile search is down 20.1%, enough on its own to erase the other gains.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1500\" http: alt=\"GMBapi Q2 YoY Performance GBP Profiles Graphs\" class=\"wp-image-486278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-graphs.png 1200w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-graphs-768x960.png 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-graphs.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-graphs.png\" alt=\"GMBapi Q2 YoY Performance GBP Profiles Graphs\" class=\"wp-image-486278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-graphs.png 1200w, https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/08\/GMBapi-Q2-YoY-performance-GBP-profiles-graphs-768x960.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Q2 2026 vs. Q2 2025, year-over-year Google Business Profile performance across the US, EU and UK. (Source: GMBapi data)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our read is that U.S. customers are increasingly completing the entire journey within Google Maps rather than starting on a search results page. The reversal in desktop Maps impressions suggests that the shift is no longer limited to mobile.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-two-ranking-systems-and-reviews-as-the-connective-tissue\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Two_ranking_systems_and_reviews_as_the_connective_tissue\"><\/span>Two ranking systems and reviews as the connective tissue<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditional Maps rankings still rely on proximity, relevance, engagement, and prominence. The signals behind AI Mode and Gemini differ: web context, entity matching, brand authority, and review sentiment are layered on top of the Google Business Profile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One system determines whether you appear on the map. The other determines whether Google\u2019s AI trusts what it knows about your business enough to answer a customer\u2019s question directly, without a click.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reviews are becoming the raw material for that second system. Google now prompts reviewers with structured tags such as atmosphere, price, and cleanliness, rather than relying solely on free text, and also encourages customers to review businesses they\u2019ve visited. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s building cleaner data so its AI can answer questions without sending users to a website first \u2014 a plausible explanation for direction requests rising while calls and website clicks decline.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-eu-and-uk-arent-a-slower-version-of-the-us\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_EU_and_UK_arent_a_slower_version_of_the_US\"><\/span>The EU and UK aren\u2019t a slower version of the US<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The picture outside the U.S. is different. In the EU, desktop Maps impressions fell faster in Q2, dropping from -16.5% in Q1 to -34.7%, even as direction requests continued to grow, slowing from +21.7% to +13.1%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.K.\u2019s smaller dataset showed the opposite reversal. Mobile Maps impressions swung from +22.4% in Q1 to -70.8% in Q2, while direction requests and website clicks continued to rise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither market appears to be simply trailing the U.S. They\u2019re following different paths.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"rank-tracking-alone-wont-tell-you-this\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rank_tracking_alone_wont_tell_you_this\"><\/span>Rank tracking alone won\u2019t tell you this<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.soci.ai\/insights\/lvi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SOCi\u2019s 2026 Local Visibility Index<\/a> found AI platforms recommend far fewer locations than Google\u2019s 3-pack: 1.2% on ChatGPT, 7.4% on Perplexity, and 35.9% on Google. A key reason is profile accuracy, which averages 68% on ChatGPT and Perplexity versus 100% on Gemini, which pulls directly from Google Maps data. Search Engine Land covered the report in detail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reviews matter here, too. Locations recommended by ChatGPT average 4.3 stars, while those recommended by Perplexity average 4.2, suggesting review quality is becoming a gate for AI recommendations, not just a ranking signal.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-this-means-for-your-reporting\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_this_means_for_your_reporting\"><\/span>What this means for your reporting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your reporting still leads with call volume, you\u2019re measuring only part of the customer journey. Direction requests deserve equal weight. Businesses with the most complete, accurate Google Business Profile data capture more of the remaining clicks, calls, and directions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For multi-location brands, agencies, and SMBs focused on the bottom of the funnel, local SEO has grown up. It\u2019s starting to look a lot more like SEO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>More detail on GMBapi\u2019s Q2 Local SEO trend data is available <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gmbapi.com\/news\/local-seo-2026-ai-packs-vanishing-calls\/\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-display\">\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-content\">\n<h5><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Topics_on_this_page\"><\/span>Topics on this page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-links\">Local search engine optimisationArtificial intelligenceGeminiGoogleGoogle MapsBrightonSEOChatGPTEuropean UnionGeminiGoogle Business ProfileJoy HawkinsMatt McgeePerplexity AISearch Engine LandSearch engine marketingSearch engine optimizationSOCiSterling Sky IncUnited KingdomUnited States<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ttd-topics-show-extra-button\">+15 more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/calls-clicks-falling-google-maps-destination-486276\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New findings show rankings remain stable while customer behavior changes, making profile quality and reviews critical for local visibility. In February, we wrote that local rankings were holding steady while calls and website clicks quietly disappeared. By April, our data pointed to something much more dramatic, enough that we declared \u201clocal SEO\u201d was dying on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-745658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=745658"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745658\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=745658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=745658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=745658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}