Is it smart to check GBP performance with Google Search Console?(UTM address)

[Cuoreimpavido]

Hi, I have a location that shows a massive rank drop in the past 4 weeks by Local Falcon reports, but when I check in Google Search Console the "total impressions" and "average position" of the UTM link associated with this location, it shows an incline in impressions and pretty stable avg position.

So far I don't see any chance in phone calls from that location,
And when I try to position my browser location around that area, I do see some rank decline in google maps, but not in search results (3-pack).

What would you do next in this point?

Many thanks!

Edit: sorry my title may be misleading, I don't mean to use it as the only rank tracking tool, but to count on this info to get perspective on my general situation (if there is a massive rank drop I assume the impressions of this UTM link in Search Console supposed to show it, right?).

 

[rbradf]

Google Search Console’s impressions and average position data are not always 100% aligned with local pack rankings or real-world visibility, especially when tracking a UTM-tagged URL. GSC tracks queries and impressions for the exact URL which might not reflect all the ways your GBP appears in Maps or local search results.

GSC primarily tracks organic search performance on your website URLs, not the Google Maps local pack directly. Local Falcon focuses on map pack rankings based on user location and is generally better at detecting local pack rank shifts. So if Local Falcon shows a drop in maps rankings, but GSC looks fine, it probably means your website is okay, but your GBP or local presence is hurting. I would conduct a GBP audit and look for any recent changes, negative reviews, suspensions etc, update the information if anything's missing, check Google Business Profile Insights, and also check if your competitors have improved or started running ads etc.

 

[Joey Abna]

I am going to make an assumption here. I am assuming you are looking at one query or a few queries in Local Falcon. Do those queries typically have the most search volume? If that is the case are you parsing the data in GSC with that same query or queries? Keep in mind the data and the methods to gather the data are not the same for both applications. Your data will never align completely but you can use multiple tools to help identify the trends. As for the phone calls are you looking at the number of calls in the GBP dashboard? Are you tracking the calls that happen on your website from GBP traffic? Has that call volume changed in a meaningful way? I asked alot of questions just to help get you thinking about the different ways to parse and analyze your data.

Also, if you are running a Performance Max campaign Google really struggles in separating the organic and the paid metrics when looking at the Performance data in the GBP dashboard.