1. Start with the geography your firm actually serves
The Census records El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) as a city in San Luis Obispo County. That distinction matters when you review attribution. A visitor may arrive through a page for the city, another community in the county, a broader California search or a referral that does not use a local search term. Population is not a substitute for evidence about legal need, competition, search behavior or signed matters.
Recommended approach
Define the geographic labels you want to compare before judging performance. Keep El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), San Luis Obispo County, California and any other service areas as separate categories. Then ask whether each inquiry’s landing page, referrer and eventual outcome support the geographic coverage you are funding.
