Directions actions (Requested directions) in GBP insights - how are they calculated?

[piotrek.gab]

Hello,

I am wondering how are Directions actions (Requested directions) calculated in GBP insights. Usually, a GBP profile has two buttons related to navigation - "Directions" and "Start":

The "Start" button starts navigation immediately and the "Directions" button shows a navigation preview and a user has to tap one more button to start navigation. Which of these actions are actually counted as "Directions actions"? Google doesn't explain this explicitly - in their support page (Link) they just say that action is counted when "A customer requested directions to your business."

 

[Brian - TGL]

When you select the 'Directions' button, you see the directions overview (which is the result of 'requested directions') you then have the option to select 'Start' and initiate turn-by-turn mode.

If you select 'Start' directly from the search page (your example above) there is still a request for directions before you are redirected to turn-by-turn mode.

It makes sense to me that a request for directions happens in both instances, but you would have to test out a brand new GBP with very little traffic and intentionally select say the 'Start' button with 3 to 5 different Google accounts and then check your performance numbers about 3 days later (there is always a delay in performance stats).

Then test the 'Directions' button with 3 to 5 different accounts than you tested the 'Start' button with a few days later and see if the performance stats reflected an increase for either or both options.

Some of the stats are not an indication of any definite actions being completed, the number of calls I believe only tracks the number of times the 'Call' button was selected . . . which then opens the dialer on a mobile device but doesn't mean they actually completed the call. There MAY be a different process when you have call tracking enabled for the GBP where the calculation involves actual calls initiated on the actual tracking number, but I have never tested that.

 

[piotrek.gab]

Thank you @Brian - TGL for a quick response. I also believe that both actions (taps on the "Start" button and on th e"Directions" button) are counted, however, to be sure it would be a good idea to test it, as you said.