Using Google My Business: How to Differentiate Your Organic Traffic From Direct Traffic
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It's no secret that Google is the most popular search engine in the world. You already know about resources that help you find popular keywords and key phrases that relate to your industry, but there's other tools you can use. One of them is Google My Business.
What is GMB All About?
Google My Business is a simple tool designed to help you manage your online presence. You can update your basic business information, make sure your locations show up properly on Google Maps, and in general make sure consumers can find accurate data about the business and what it does. The nice thing is that GMB is free, and it doesn't take long to figure out how to do the updates, verify your locations on Maps are accurate, and in general ensure customers are finding correct date about the company.
So What's the Problem?
As great as this sounds, there is one snag. Some people have found a slight issue with the way GMB identifies and categorizes traffic. Specifically, some of the organic traffic ends up being identified as "direct" rather than "organic." That's a problem, because direct traffic figures let you know how often people are typing your URL directly into a browser while organic traffic lets you know how much of your traffic is the result of a search. Both matter, but inaccurate attribution makes it difficult to know how effective your methods for attracting each type of traffic are going.
How is This Happening?
There is more than one theory about how GMB inaccurately identifies traffic as direct rather than organic, but one of the more common has to do with mobile devices. It's no secret more people use their smartphones for searches than ever. It appears that GMB sometimes identifies those smartphone (and possibly some tablet) searches as direct traffic rather than organic. The throws off the information you can pull from Google Analytics.
Is There Anything I Can Do?
It's possible to get a more accurate assessment by doing one simple thing: add a little something to your website or blog URL on your Google My Business dashboard.
That little something is known as an Urchin Tracking Module. The addition basically flags organic traffic even if it gets dumped into the direct bucket. Since Analytics will reflect the UTM right along with the originating URL, it's possible to see if (a) you are having an attribution problem, and (b) how much of the supposed direct traffic is in fact organic.
The process is not difficult. You add the UTM code at the end of the custom URL. The code itself is not hard to configure. It will look like this:
?utm_source=GMBlisting&utm_medium=organic
This one change will ensure those organic clicks are properly attributed in your Google Analytics.
A Word About Google Posts
Have you tried Google Posts yet? It's a somewhat new feature that allows business owners to create content directly on Google. The idea is to have it display high in the rankings and reach a wider audience.
That's excellent, but the same type of attribution problem that plagues GMB seems to be popping up with Posts.
Fortunately, the same UTM strategy will work in this case. Tweak the UTM code to use "GooglePost" as the source, and leave the medium set to "organic." When you use the search console to check on your traffic, filter the pages result with "UTM" and you'll be able to see which traffic is organic. That data will help you determine if your current search engine optimization strategy is making it easier for people to find you and motivating them to click through to your pages.
Using Google My Business FAQs
What naming convention should I use for UTM tags from Google My Business (Google Business Profile)?
Pick a clear, consistent taxonomy so reports stay tidy. A common pattern is utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp and then use utm_content= to specify the profile element (e.g., website_button, call_to_action, posts, products). Consistency beats “perfect” just document it in a shared sheet so your team tags the same way.
Which GMB/GBP links deserve UTMs besides the main “Website” button?
Tag every traffic-capable surface: “Website,” “Appointment,” “Menu/Services,” Post CTAs, Products, Offers, and booking links. Use utm_content to distinguish elements (e.g., appointment_link, post_event). This lets you see which profile elements actually drive sessions, conversions, and revenue.
How do I keep GA4 from misclassifying tagged GBP traffic as “Unassigned”?
Ensure utm_medium=organic so GA4’s default channel grouping recognizes it. If you must use a custom medium (e.g., local), add a custom rule in GA4 Admin → Data Settings → Channel Groups so it maps to “Organic Search.” Otherwise those sessions can fall into “Unassigned” and muddy your reporting.
What’s the best way to verify my tagging works before rolling out to all locations?
Use GA4 Realtime while clicking your GBP links from a mobile device and desktop. You should see Source / Medium = google / organic with your chosen campaign name within seconds. Also check Landing Page report for the exact UTM parameters to confirm nothing is stripped by redirects.
We have multiple locations. How do I separate results by store without creating dozens of campaigns?
Keep one campaign (e.g., gbp) and vary utm_term or utm_content with the location ID or city slug (e.g., utm_content=website_button_toronto). This keeps roll-up views simple while preserving per-location attribution. If you run promotions per store, layer a short utm_campaign=gbp_promo_q1 as needed.
Our site uses redirects can UTMs get lost on the way in?
Yes, poorly configured 301/302 chains or URL normalization can drop query strings. Ask your devs to preserve parameters across redirects and avoid server rules that strip ?utm_*. Run a quick curl test or use a redirect checker to confirm the final URL still contains your UTMs.
Do UTMs affect SEO or indexing of my landing pages?
No UTMs are query parameters for analytics and don’t change the canonical page. Make sure the canonical tag points to the clean URL (without UTMs), and don’t let UTMs create duplicate paths in your sitemap. In Search Console, keep parameter handling at defaults unless you’ve introduced custom behavior.
How should I attribute phone calls that originate from GBP?
Use the native “Calls” insights in GBP for click-to-call trends, but also implement call tracking on your site for post-click calls. Add a tracking number as a secondary number in GBP to protect NAP consistency while routing calls properly. Tie sessions to calls with a session-level identifier or dynamic number insertion on the landing page.
What about Google Posts, Products, and Offers any tagging tips?
Always tag the CTA links, and use utm_content to differentiate the module and theme (e.g., posts_new_spring_sale, products_widget_blue). This reveals which content types pull users from the SERP into your funnel. Compare CTR and engaged sessions by utm_content to decide what to publish more often.
How do I report “Direct vs. Organic from GBP” cleanly to stakeholders in GA4?
Build an exploration with a filter Session source = google and Session campaign contains gbp to isolate tagged GBP organic. Side-by-side, show “Direct” as GA4’s default channel group, and add a card for untagged “google / organic” to catch any residual. Include a weekly anomaly check: if GBP sessions dip while Direct rises, you likely introduced an untagged link or a redirect stripped your UTMs.
