Google Removed Call & Chat Reporting, but you don’t have to say goodbye to your data

Hear ye, hear ye! Google My Business call reporting going away completely! Another big change from Google. Brace yourselves, because if we have learned anything since Google’s Core Content Update is that kind of changes, can make or break your business. This time, they have decided to heavily tweak the Google Business Profile and the impact of this update will be felt by many. For better or worse, we are going to find out in the near future.

But let’s not delay any further. In this article I will talk about the impending removal of Chat and call history from Google Business Profiles, the reasons behind this big chane, how it will affect you and what you can do now. Let’s jump into it.

Google Announces the Removal of Chat & Call History Reports from Google Business Profiles

July 31st, 2024. Mark the date. It’s the day when Google will be shutting down Google Business Profile chat and call history feature. Google has already stopped new chats from being initiated on July 15th, 2024. They have notified businesses by sending out several emails. One example says:

Here’s a screenshot of an email we received as well.

So, to sum up:

July 15th: Searches were no longer able to initiate new chat conversations with businesses through Google Mpas or Search. Searchers in existing chats have been informed that the chat will soon stop existing.

July 31st: The chat feature will be removed from Google Business Profile. You will no longer be able to receive new chat messages or view your call history within the platform.

You can still, for an unspecified amount of time, download your chat history. At some point in the future, Google will delete it as well.

Why Is Google Doing That?

Google has provided little explanation for the removal of chat and call history features from Google Business Profiles. As usual. While the company remains tight-lipped, industry experts suggest potential reasons. One theory is that Google aims to enhance user privacy by reducing data collection and adhering to stricter data protection regulations. Another possibility is a strategic move to streamline the platform, focusing on core business information like name, address, phone number, and website. This simplification could benefit both businesses and consumers by making Google Business Profiles more user-friendly and efficient.

What Does the Removal Mean for Your Business?

Now, let’ see how this change will impact your business:

Call Reporting in Google: Is Anyone Going to Miss It?

Now that the Google My Business call reporting going away process is complete, I will be the first to say that I’m not really going to miss it.My feelings about it are rather…mixed. Imperfect is the best way to describe it. Sometimes it would even route phone calls to the wrong businesses and its analytics were weak. Basic might be more fitting. And don’t get me started on the bugs. It’s nothing new really. Remember Google Call Tracking that was removed last year? Yeah, check what people had to say about it as well.

Still, not everyone shares my opinion. There are some who appreciated the call attribution it provided. Basic as it was, it still fulfilled an important role in phone marketing. Especially businesses which didn’t require deep call analytics, seemed to be quite comfortable with Google Call Tracking. There is room for everyone after all.

And Now What? Here’s How You Can Fix This Problem

The loss of call tracking within Google Business Profiles will be felt across the board, but especially for small businesses and larger enterprises with multiple locations. GBP call tracking was for many a crucial tool for understanding how local search efforts translated into phone calls.

For multi-location businesses, franchises, and chains, phone calls often represent the primary lead source. Consider industries like automotive, healthcare, home services, and retail. Consumers typically research online before making a phone call to schedule an appointment, request a quote, or visit a physical location. Without call tracking, these businesses face significant challenges in measuring the effectiveness of their local marketing strategies.

Without call attribution, businesses are essentially flying blind. It’s impossible to optimize campaigns, allocate budgets effectively, or understand customer journeys. This leads to wasted ad spend, inflated customer acquisition costs, and a decreased return on investment. You can salvage this situation by using a third party call tracking software. You will still be able to track your calls, and make use of a ton of other features and actions.

Dedicated call tracking platforms offer a significant advantage over basic Google analytics. Tools like Nimbata, provide granular insights into which marketing channels and campaigns are driving phone calls, enabling businesses to optimize their marketing spend. Advanced conversational analytics can also help you understand better your customer base and optimise your marketing campaigns.

All the thing you can do better, at a glance:

1. Detailed Analytics: Now you can get a detailed view of your callers including caller name, location, call recording, call summary, time of each call.
2. Automated Notifications: This is one click thing. You can activate the option to get an email and/or sms notifications when you miss a call in order to take action before you miss the potential customer.
3. 360 Call Attribution: Seamlessly track and attribute call data across various channels, providing a comprehensive view of your call performance and enabling informed decision-making for your business.
4. Call Scoring: Calls can be automatically recorded and evaluated against predefined quality standards. This functionality is invaluable for training new employees, elevating overall customer service, recognizing top-performing agents, and proactively identifying potential issues.
5. Advanced Call Routing: Leading call tracking systems now integrate AI to call routing processes in order to intelligently direct incoming calls to the most suitable department or agent. This streamlined process significantly enhances efficiency and customer satisfaction by providing faster connections and resolving inquiries promptly.
6. Integrations: You can integrate your call data with any platform to gain deeper insights into your call performance, from sending call events to Google Analytics 4 to creating contacts in your favorite CRM.

Why Replacing Call History with Call Activity makes sense

In a meme:

Jokes aside, think of Nimbata’s Call Activity as a CRM for phone calls. It’s a fully flexible and customizable interface where all your caller data is stored. Here, you can perform actions such as listening to call recordings, tagging calls, and much more.

Breaking down the Call Activity Screen

1. Views: Think of views as collections of callers that meet specific criteria. By default, Nimbata includes “All Calls” and “Only Answered” views to help you get started. You can create custom views based on your own filter criteria, allowing you to segment call data in a way that is most relevant to your business needs. These views can be shared with your team or clients, ensuring everyone has access to the insights they need.

2. Columns: Each column in Nimbata represents a specific metric related to your call activity. There are numerous metrics available to choose from, allowing you to customize the data displayed to best meet your needs. These metrics can include call outcomes, call duration, caller location, and campaign performance, among others. By selecting the right metrics, you can gain valuable insights into your call data and make informed decisions to optimize your marketing and sales efforts.

3. Call Details: This section provides a detailed preview of each individual call. Here, you can find attribution details such as the source of the call, the device, and the campaign that generated the call. You can also leave notes on each call for future reference and listen to call recordings to gain deeper insights into customer interactions. This detailed information helps you understand the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and improve customer service.

4. Lead Timeline: The Lead Timeline offers a comprehensive view of each lead’s journey. It displays the full history of the caller’s behavior, both before and after the call. This includes information such as which pages they viewed on your website, form submissions, and other interactions. By understanding the complete history of a lead, you can tailor your follow-up strategies, provide more personalized service, and increase the chances of converting leads into customers.

Track Your Calls From Your Google Business Profile

To see all the details of your calls, just add your tracking number to your listing instead of your business one, and you are all set!

When someone places a call, Nimbata will track it, attribute it and give you relevant analytics on it.

Reports in Nimbata can show you how Google Business Profile (GBP) calls contribute to sales opportunities, appointments, and customer acquisition. By comparing GBP call volume and value to other channels like Google Ads and SEO, you can assess the overall impact of your search marketing strategy. Integrating Nimbata call data into platforms such as Google Analytics, Hubspot, and Salesforce allows for a comprehensive analysis of online and offline conversions, identifying top-performing channels.

With detailed call routing and attribution data from your GBP, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns, increase phone leads, and improve customer satisfaction.

Takeaway

The removal of chat and call history signals the definitive end of Google call tracking . While we can’t be 100% sure for the reasons behind this decision, we can safely assume that there will be an impact on businesses. Despite it’s many issues, it was still a viable and free alternative for many.

The loss of call tracking data will severely impact the ability of many businesses, especially those relying on phone calls, to measure and optimize their performance. However, this challenge also presents an opportunity to invest in dedicated call tracking platforms that offer more robust analytics and features.

Since you are reading this article, you are probably affected from this development. Do not worry. Google call tracking was always a very basic option. Now, it’s your chance to finally upgrade your call tracking capabilities AND take back your call history with Nimbata.