While circumstances may have us working from home and the holidays may have us up in spirits, what other way to pass the time or keep spirits up than with a read about Google Business Profile (formally Google Business Profile) Attributes and a hot cup of tea.
Excellent. I hope you’re ready. Google Business Profile Attributes is the key to success for all businesses of all sizes, independent or big. It helps today’s consumers with understanding what exactly can be expected from your business. They indicate things like Payment Options, Amenities, Accessibility, and Highlights. Does the business have wheelchair parking? Is there Wi-fi? Do they accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, or contactless wallet? Why yes, yes they do. This is all stated in the knowledge panel under attributes.
These and many other facts about a business can be shown to both customers and just as importantly, to Google. They are used in combination with other aspects of an online presence to help Google rank the listing. Google Business Profile Attributes are important to consumers and they are important to Google in making sure the right results are shown to a searcher. It is a quick and effective way for an owner to communicate what may be important to a customer. Some of these attributes are optional and others are more subjective and not editable. All attributes are important to communicate to Google and to customers both who you are and what is available.
Now, let’s take a deeper dive into Google Business Profile Attributes.
When did GBP Attributes start?
Back in May 2016, while Drake needed “One Dance” and I was drinking tea while reading a book, Google was at work debuting GPB (formerly GMB) attributes. The site certainly had limited abilities and was only used by industries of their selection like food or service-related businesses. The number and choices for attributes were limited in this rollout. That was soon expanded later that year in September and continued to grow into what we now have today.
Just like all fine cars, let’s take a look under the hood of this beast.
What can we do with GBP Attributes?
Depending on your business, Google will give you a list of attributes that can assist your business to the fullest ability. Let’s say you’re an independent tea house in Downtown Phoenix, AZ, and have already set up an account through Google Business Profile. Let’s navigate to accessing Google Business Profile attributes. No worries, just like the owner’s manual, I’ll add screenshots to help.
- Login to Google.com/business and navigate to INFO.
- Scroll down to ATTRIBUTES.
- Once in attributes, you will see similar suggestions for your business.
Now, these attributes are broken down into what makes up your business. Do you have free Wi-Fi? Is there live music? Are there small plates? This area allows you to showcase your business to any customer, both new as well as existing. Here’s a bit of an Easter egg in GBP attributes. They break down into two categories: Objective (factual) and Subjective.
Does your business showcase attributes that are objective?
Objective attributes are still subject to updates from Google and from users, but these can be mitigated through the Google Business Profile dashboard. This is all factual information. Does your business accept debit cards? Is your location wheelchair accessible? This information will allow you to showcase attributes that are maybe frequently asked questions by customers. When using either objective or subjective, you can also say if your business doesn’t have that attribute.
As shown above, if you do not have a fireplace, you can use the prohibited sign, and maybe you have live performances, go ahead and add that checkmark. Choose attributes that only describe your business in reality. Never misuse factual information as it can lead to an upsetting response from a customer or critic.
Does your business showcase attributes that are subjective?
It’s always good to showcase what your business is capable of doing; however, we can also showcase what your business may be known for by your customers. These are attributes given to a business by Google through a number of sources including user-generated responses. For instance: Is your business known for sports? Is your business known for great tea? These highlights are only transmitted from Google’s database. These attributes cannot be influenced directly by the listing owner through the Dashboard the same way Objective Attributes are managed. So, unfortunately, you’re not able to control this. This is a reflection of what your business is capable of doing. You can find out what your business may be known for by using the insights column.
One way you can improve on these highlights is to read your customers’ reviews and keep in mind the current highlights that you’re known for. This will not only allow them to feel appreciated, but it will also allow you to find out what exactly you can continue to do as well as improve on.
How attributes are featured in your GBP listing
Attributes can be used in searches and both attribute types can be viewed in the knowledge panel of any listing both from desktop and from mobile:
As Google’s results become more personalized, we can expect this feature to become even more important. Google will attempt to provide searchers with more tailored results, based on these attributes when voice search is employed. A good example of this would be when a long-tail keyword is searched such as, ” Where is a pizza restaurant that has a kids menu and parking”. Google will be able to quickly index the request based on what business owners and customers have provided.
Recommendation
With all the hard work you spent on building your business, it certainly deserves to be displayed. Using attributes will help build your customer’s belief in your business. While it can get confusing, it is certainly beneficial to use for your monthly business objectives.
Let our Local SEO Specialists assist you with your attributes and achieve the monthly goals your business wants to accomplish in Google Business Profile.