This article was automatically translated by artificial intelligence. For accurate information, please consult the original English version.
What is an attribute?
In December 2016, Google removed descriptions from Google Business Profile listings and replaced them with a new feature: attributes! Although the description is now available again – see article on this topic – attributes still exist and even have a strong impact on your SEO! Partoo tells you more about this 🤡
Concretely, attributes are tags that characterize and describe your points of sale such as “Good value for money,” “Wifi,” “festive atmosphere,” or “payment by check.”
At first, note that these attributes were not even visible to internet users and therefore only influenced Google's algorithm. Today, attributes appear to users in two forms on the mobile version:
In the form of icons visible on certain listings
In the “about” section
Not all attributes are available for all types of points of sale and the rules evolve very quickly: for example, the “Wifi” attribute will not be available for the “bank agency” category. Moreover, some categories like restaurants have many more attributes than others.
Simply put, the Eligibility of a point of sale for an attribute depends on two factors: the categories of the Business and its country of location. Generally, it is the main category that has the most impact on Eligibility in terms of attributes! On this subject, do not hesitate to contact your Partoo Customer Success to implement the best strategy and choose your categories (reminder, you are allowed up to 9 categories!)
What are attributes for?
Attributes have two objectives within Google Business Profile. The first is to provide more information to users before they visit your Business: this is precisely the purpose of the badges that appear directly on the listings 🤓
But the second objective is ultimately the most important. Indeed, attributes mainly serve to improve Google's algorithm to allow the search engine to return results that better match users' expectations. So when searching for “bar with Wifi” or “pizzeria with terrace,” your Business is more likely to appear if you have completed your attributes on this subject!
Attributes are therefore perfectly aligned with the major trend of voice searches! Indeed, these are much longer and more precise than desktop or mobile searches. Thus, via voice, users no longer simply search for a restaurant, but rather “a restaurant with a terrace to party with friends and drink good cocktails” 🔥🍹, which strangely corresponds to 3 Google attributes! So to optimize your SEO in anticipation of the rise of voice search, it is urgent to update your attributes! Also note that if you add attributes, it will help you naturally rank higher since Google will know you are working on this and that your point of sale information is more likely to be up to date than your competitors' 👻
What are the different types of attributes?
Attributes can be classified by types, starting with attributes that can be modified by the owner because they are based on objective criteria:
Accessibility attributes 🔐: wheelchair accessibility of the entrance, elevator, parking...
Payment attributes 💵: acceptance of credit card, checks, or mobile payment.
Services attributes 🛠: often services like wifi, cloakrooms, or restrooms.
Specific services for catering 🍔: delivery, brunch, rooftop, terrace, fireplace, concert, reservation possible, etc.
Specific attributes for hospitality 🏨: available equipment, types of accommodation, brunch, breakfast, spa, etc.
Offer attributes 🎁: highly dependent on the category, for example in automotive “new car sales,” “used cars,” “oil change”...
Clientele attributes 👨🏼💼: adults only, family-friendly, LGBT, etc.
Next come subjective attributes, which are at the fair appreciation of users. Here we distinguish two types of attributes:
So-called “Main characteristics” attributes 🏫: good discounts, good value for money, good products, good wines, fast service, choice local specialties...
Ambiance attributes 💃🏼: casual, festive atmosphere, historic place, high-end... Below, you will find an example of an ambiance attribute request (“trendy crowd”), where the user can answer questions about a specific point of sale from their mobile.
If accessibility and payment attributes are almost available for all categories, this is less the case for offer attributes. Generally, a category has 5 to 30 attributes. To access a list of 120 attribute examples we have compiled, visit this article: List of Google Business Profile attributes.
How to manage my attributes from Google Business Profile?
It is important to understand that an attribute can have several “states” for a given point of sale: it can be...
Not Eligible for your category: however, you cannot do anything about it
Not filled in (attributes in light gray)
Available in this point of sale (attributes in blue)
Not available in this point of sale (attributes in dark gray)
An attribute can be modified in many ways: this can be done...
From your Google Business Profile space
Directly on the listing by any internet user (in the about section)
From external data sources like Booking for hoteliers – attribute states are then pre-filled
From questions asked to Local Guides Google users who answer yes or no to a list of questions after leaving a review
From Partoo
How to manage my attributes from Partoo?
To learn how to manage your attributes from Partoo, we invite you to consult this article.
If you are not yet a Partoo client and need support managing your network of points of sale, do not hesitate to make an appointment via the chat at the bottom right.