Previously I wrote about how SMB can take advantage of Google Local Business listings. The Google Maps team has just launched a new dashboard in its free Local Business Center that will provide you with information on how users interact with your local listing on Google Maps and Google Search.

It will show you stats such as how many times your business comes up as a search result, how often people click through, which queries led customers to the business listing, as well as which zip codes customers are coming from when they request directions to your location. All you have to do is claim your listing in the Local Business Center and go through a quick verification process to get access to this information.

For the local business owner who relies on Google in helping customers find the business, you can now measure the impact of search, especially the top search queries that result in your business showing up in the listings.  I’ll bet that once you see these search queries, you’ll wonder how your listing can show up more often in the search.  This will lead you into assessing whether you should move forward and buy the keywords in the Google AdWords campaign.  You’ll also think about optimizing your website to get more inbound traffic from natural search results.

If you are interested in knowing more, you can go to the Office Google Blog to learn more details about the new Local Business Center Dashboard.