Google Business Profiles Adds Small Business Attribute, a New Activities Section, Detailed Parking Attributes, and new Gym Attributes/Amenities
A month can’t go by without Google updating the available attributes to assign a Google Business Profile. Such an astounding success since they were made commonplace in 2020, Google now sees the feature as a necessity for every Maps listing to utilize. The first of this month’s batch are types you’d expect, a few meant for specific industries and then a new generalized attribute expected for all.
For the attributes applicable to all businesses, Google added a wide selection of parking options. These include:
- Free parking garage
- Free parking lot
- Free street parking
- Paid parking garage
- Paid parking lot
- Paid street parking
- Valet parking
For a more specific industry, gyms can now include:
- Has basketball court
- Has gender-neutral restroom
- Has a tennis court
- Has restroom
- Has sauna
- Swimming pool: Indoor and/or Outdoor
- Has swimming pool
- Has volleyball court
In regards to something that is adjacent to attributes, meaning it could still increase rankings and be used as a justification in local search, Google allows some hotel like businesses to now add “activities.” These are a bit more in depth than attributes, as businesses can name them, set prices, and add booking URLs themselves. This means that activities will offer a much better search experience and they can increase a business’s online presence, making those that click through to them much higher-intent customers.
Lasty, Google introduced a new “Small Business” attribute. This again offers a few more benefits than others. Google announced this on its blog saying, “Starting today, merchants can identify themselves with a new small business attribute on Search and Google Maps. Products in Search sold by businesses with that attribute will have a “small business” label on them, as will businesses on Maps. These new labels will make it easier for shoppers to narrow down their searches and be intentional about shopping with their favorite (or soon-to-be-favorite) businesses.”
The benefits of this will be greater than other standard attributes, gaining shopping features that are key during the upcoming holiday season. If businesses want to stand out against titans like Amazon, showcasing their “small business” status will be key, especially for those consumers who specifically desire to shop local. All else being equal, attributes can be the deciding factor between your business and a competitors’, meaning there is no reason not to take advantage.
