Google My Business Attributes
In December 2016, Google introduced Attributes as a replacement for the business description on Google My Business listings. These complement and are supported by questions Google asks people who have visited your business. Think of these as features of the business. You might see questions which relate to the attributes in a “know this business?” panel that displays on mobile devices.
Key attributes are used in the local packs, in the local finder and other places Google shows brief info about a business.
Some of the attributes are also very important for searchability.
For example, people might search for a coffee shop with wi-fi. The “wi-fi” is an attribute, as are things like outdoor seating, gift wrapping, teeth whitening, dine-in & takeaway, and more.
The attributes get only one line to display on mobile searches – which means depending on the search one set of attributes might be prioritised over another. For example, if someone searched for women-led bakeries, that attribute might override the standard display of in-store shopping, in-store pickup, and delivery.
Business Attributes
Google pre-populates attributes based on business type, and in some instances turns them on by default.
As the business owner it is wise to periodically review and adjust the settings as appropriate for your business. Your own settings should override user edits and Google edits.
As a result of Covid-19, Google has also added a health and safety section of attributes – definitely something to make use of.
Menu attribute
Restaurants, coffee shops, and other dining establishments also have a feature Google is calling an attribute, but it doesn’t show in the attributes section. This is a URL for an online menu. If you have your menu on your website or an online ordering system, you can put a link in there.
“The menu should be representative of the items and services that are available for customers at the business. Full menus can be meal-specific (like breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and have links to other menu pages. For example, you may choose to link to your business’s dinner menu, which in turn may include links to the breakfast and lunch menus.”
Editing attributes
Some attributes are easily turned on and off within a single click in a location. Many however are still easier done by using the spreadsheet and bulk upload option.
To use this – go to your dashboard and click “download locations”. Where we go next is counter-intuitive, so follow along.
Click the red or blue plus circle as though you were going to add another location. A couple of icons will appear above the circle, select the option to import locations. Once clicked, the screen will change to allow you to download an attributes reference spreadsheet.
In that spreadsheet you’ll see attributes for all sorts of features of a business – amenities, crowd, dining options, highlights, payment options and more. Add each relevant attributes to your spreadsheet and then import the location/s back into your dashboard.
more: Create your bulk upload spreadsheet
Hotel Amenities
While these may look very much like attributes, these are a technically different thing, called amenities.
They come largely from online travel agency sites (although Google officially state only “a variety of sources”). Unfortunately these cannot be edited, but if there are incorrect ones showing on your listing, you must contact Google staff.
Local Pack
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