Free research report · South Africa 2026

The Branch Blind Spot

How 147 South African businesses with 3 to 30 branches show up on Google, and where customers get lost between the search and the branch.

81%run Google Ads
48%send every branch to the homepage
80%can’t tell which branch’s profile brought the visit
37%pay for ads and still send every branch to the homepage
Of 147 South African brands with 3 to 30 branches, 1,016 branch profiles checked, September 2026.
What’s inside
  • Six findings from 1,016 branch profiles: ads, where each profile links, tracking, ratings and reviews.
  • Where the blind spots are biggest by industry: furniture and home, auto aftercare, health and eyecare, storage and workspace, fitness and education.
  • Why paying for Google Ads isn’t enough when the branch journey leaks the customer.
  • A 7-point checklist to fix your own branches. Most of it costs nothing.
  • 7 pages, about 10 minutes to read. Totals only: no business is named.
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Who it’s for

Owners and marketing managers of South African businesses with several branches: retail stores, clinics and practices, tyre and car service, gyms, storage, franchises where head office runs the marketing.

How we did it

In September 2026 we searched Google for 20 industries across 8 metros, grouped about 6,700 listings by website and kept brands with 3 to 30 branches. For each brand we checked Google’s Ads Transparency Centre, every branch’s Google Business Profile, where its website button goes, and each branch’s rating.