Creating a profile on Google My Business creates the most accurate information for people searching for a business. It’s also an excellent way to stand out if you are a small business. A major part of a business profile is attributes. Attributes help page crawlers find an accurate match for a person’s search or provide additional information to a person curious about a business.
Outlined below is an overview of what attributes are, how to edit them and how they play into a business’s search ranking.
What are Attributes?
Attributes are a component of a business’s Google My Business (GMB) profile. These descriptions provide the customer with an overview of the amenities your business offers them. They are part of what helps someone make a choice in the selection process of discovering a business via search.
A restaurant’s search results are an example of attributes in use. They will most likely have attributes describing their food: vegetarian options, vegan offered, small plates or healthy options. They will also include attributes about dining options (catering, takeout), crowd (group or tourist friendly), and highlights (great for banquets or great beer selection).
There are two types of attributes: ones business can control and those which customers create through their input and reviews. The first, controlled by the business itself, is an objective attribute. The second, user-submitted input, is subjective attribution. For example, a subjective attribution may let a future visitor know whether or not a business is popular with locals.
Despite the control businesses have over objective attributes, customers can make suggestions about the attributes a business has listed. If enough people comment, Google will notify business page owners to make the suggested change. It is then up to them whether or not to incorporate the suggested change.
How are Attributes Added to a GMB?
Updating or adding attributes on a Google My Business page is easy. After logging in and selecting the correct location, navigate to the Attributes section and click edit.
Google has a list of possible attributes a business can include in their GMB page. When Google created the attributes part of Business Profiles, they replaced the business descriptions section. Previously, companies had been using descriptions to cram as many keywords as possible into their listing.
Google wanted to give consumers a clearer picture of what they will get from a business by switching to more specific attributes for different industries. It also allows unique business offerings to stand out.
A secondary reason Google switched to attributes was for voice search. When searchers use long tail keywords to find a business, attributes will help bots locate the most accurate answers.
When adding attributes to a business listing, the category the business falls under will determine which ones are available. For instance, a lawyer’s practice will specify whether the building is handicap accessible or not, whereas a restaurant may have to pick the kinds of food they serve, what service options are available and any additional amenities they offer.
Certain attributes have image badges associated with them. These badges call out unique features like a women-led business or outdoor seating. They are highlighted on a mobile search.
Remembering to check back on attributes is important as Google consistently adds new ones. Plus, if a business adds a new amenity or offer, adding it to the attribute list will help with ranking.
How Attributes Play into Ranking
Filling up attributes with keywords describing your business is a great way to get in front of consumers who already searching for companies like yours. Complete and accurate information in a business listing is one way that increases a business’s search result ranking, Google has even confirmed it.
Having multiple attributes leads to a higher likelihood of showing up in searches. Having relevant attributes listed for what people are searching for will increase people visiting your site or actual location. Think of attributes as an easier way to optimize a business for Google search.
Additionally, attributes are a way for a business to show up in a general search. People have started to search for features rather than brand names. For example, when searching for hotel amenities customers will search for “a hotel with a Jacuzzi” or “hotel with a restaurant” as opposed to querying the specific hotel by name. Having these amenities under attributes will increase a hotel’s chance of appearing as a search result.
Attributes are an important part of a Google My Business profile. They tell prospective customers what a business has to offer and provide an accurate description of a company. By including various attributes to describe a business, Google can use this information to rank it accordingly.
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Contributor to Enlightened Digital and software engineer form the one, the only New York City. When I’m not trying to find the best record store in the city, you can find me curling up to watch some Netflix with my Puggle, Hendrix.