Home Services SABs - slow decline in Phone Calls?

[GMBapi.com]

Just wondering if anyone else is seeing a slow but steady decline of incoming calls from GBPs?

 

[fisicx]

You personally or your clients?

 

[GMBapi.com]

We are seeing it across client accounts - US listings. Calls in particular.

 

[fisicx]

Are these calls you are tracking or is the client reporting fewer calls?

 

[Brian - TGL]

We are seeing it across client accounts - US listings. Calls in particular.

What range of percentage are you seeing a drop?

 

[GMBapi.com]

@Brian - TGL - So we are seeing slight decreases in total actions year on year in the US market (low single digit). Which we can explain through the "AI Overviews"appearance in the US (and other similar AI SERP developments). But on top of that, we are seeing calls being almost 80% of that decline - which seems odd. Hence our post here - anyone else seeing this? Any thoughts on what could be driving this?

 

[Brian - TGL]

Do the number of profile views reflect the same decreases?

 

[GMBapi.com]

@Brian - TGL Yes more or less the same as the small y/y decline in impression (as in actions), minimal difference there in y/y trend. It is the fact that the calls are driving the decline in actions which I can't explain.

 

[GMBapi.com]

@fisicx - neither - it is the calls we import from the GBP profiles.

 

[JoyHawkins]

How recently are you noticing this trend? Is it something you've seen all year, or is it something recent as of this month, etc?

 

[GMBapi.com]

@JoyHawkins - in Q2 and Q3 this trend was particularly noticable.

 

[fisicx]

@fisicx - neither - it is the calls we import from the GBP profiles.

Then it might be more people blocking tracking. If google can track the call you can't do the import.

 

[GMBapi.com]

@fisicx this is new to me. I can see how this could happen for call tracking on a website - but I have my doubts about user settings (in any way shape or form) impacting the information (Calls / Actions) that would come in via GBP reporting (whether UI or APIs). Can you elaborate?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Is the issue specific to Google or are they seeing a downward trend elsewhere? I had a conversation with a home services business last week who told me business has been rough lately because of the housing market. Less people are moving so he doesn't have as many jobs as usual.

 

[fisicx]

@fisicx this is new to me. I can see how this could happen for call tracking on a website - but I have my doubts about user settings (in any way shape or form) impacting the information (Calls / Actions) that would come in via GBP reporting (whether UI or APIs). Can you elaborate?

It was just a guess. As you say it should affect the tracking but if all cookies are blocked there might be something going awry.

What you need to do is could the number of calls you think are being made and compare to the number of calls the client actually gets. As @JoyHawkins suggested, maybe fewer people are Googling for services.

Have you also looked at the number of impressions for the GBP. Are these down as well?