I was helping a dentist who was struggling with Google reviews. Mind you, he is not getting bad ones, just… none. Zero reviews in six months while the practice across town had dozens rolling in every month.
We dug into their Google profiles like detectives at a crime scene. Found the smoking gun: the other dentist had every single attribute filled out. Accepts new patients, wheelchair accessible, accepts credit cards, and is even “LGBTQ+ friendly.” My client? Blank spaces everywhere.
To the rescue, we added those attributes, and something weird happened. Not only did visibility jump, but patients started leaving reviews. Turns out people who find exactly what they’re looking for are more likely to say thanks.
What Google Business Profile Attributes Are
Google Business Profile attributes are those little tags that tell people specifics about your business. You know, the boring details like whether you have parking or accept Apple Pay.
Except they’re not boring when someone’s desperately searching “restaurants with changing tables” while their baby has a blowout. Or “mechanics open Sunday” when their car dies after church. These attributes answer the questions people forget to ask until they really, really need to know.
The stupid part? Most businesses leave them blank. Like having a store but forgetting to put up an “OPEN” sign. Google literally hands you free ways to show up in more searches, and businesses just… don’t use them.
The Attributes That Make People Choose You
Not all attributes are worth your time. Some matter, some are just Google being Google. Here’s what moves the needle:
Accessibility Stuff That Matters
Wheelchair accessibility isn’t just about wheelchairs. Parents with strollers care. People on crutches care. Your delivery guy with a hand truck cares.
I watched a yoga studio explode after adding accessibility attributes. Turns out there’s a whole community of people with mobility challenges looking for adaptive classes. Who knew? (They did. The studio just wasn’t telling Google.)
The ones to focus on:
- Wheelchair accessible entrance (not just “we have a ramp somewhere”)
- Wheelchair accessible restroom (the actual restroom, not just the building)
- Wheelchair accessible seating/area
- Wheelchair accessible parking (real spots, not “park wherever”)
Service Attributes That Stop Phone Calls
You know those calls? “Do you take walk-ins?” “Are you accepting new patients?” “Do I need an appointment?”
Every one of those is an attribute you can set. A hair salon I know cut their phone interruptions in half just by marking “Walk-ins welcome” and “Appointment required for color services.”
Key ones that save everyone’s time:
- Accepts reservations/appointments
- Appointment required
- Accepting new patients/clients
- Online appointments (if your online booking system doesn’t suck)
Payment Options People Assume Wrong About
Cash-only restaurants in 2024? They exist. Businesses that don’t take Amex? More common than you think.
But here’s what kills me: customers assume. They assume you take cards. They assume you have Venmo. Then they show up with no cash, and everyone has a bad time.
Just tell them upfront. All of it.
Food Service Options That Changed Everything
Remember 2020? Restaurants that had “outdoor seating” and “curbside pickup” in their attributes before it was cool? They survived. Everyone else scrambled.
Now it’s about being specific:
- Takeout (not just “we’ll box up your leftovers”)
- Delivery (through whom matters)
- Outdoor seating (covered? heated? street-side?)
- Curbside pickup (where exactly?)
Identity Attributes That Build Loyalty
Woman-owned. Veteran-led. Black-owned. LGBTQ+ friendly.
Some business owners get weird about these. “I don’t want to make it political.”
It’s not political. It’s letting people who care find you. I know a veteran-owned auto shop that went from struggling to being booked solid. Not because veterans get better oil changes. Because other veterans wanted to support them.
Adding Attributes Without Losing Your Mind
Google buries this stuff because, I don’t know, they want to make life difficult for everyone?
Sign in to your Google Business Profile. Click around until you find “Edit Profile.” The attributes hide in different sections because Google’s UI team apparently hates local businesses.
Here’s the catch: your business category determines which attributes you see. Pick “Restaurant” and you get food options. Pick “Professional Services” and those disappear.
I’ve seen law firms categorized as “Legal Services” miss out on “Appointment required” because that attribute lives under “Law Firm.” Google logic at its finest.
Where These Actually Show Up
Mobile search results? Those little attribute bubbles under your name. Desktop? They’re in that knowledge panel on the right.
But here’s what most people miss: Google uses attributes for matching searches. Someone types “accessible dentist near me,” and Google checks who has accessibility attributes filled out. No attributes? You’re invisible.
A plumber client started showing up for “emergency plumber accepts credit cards” searches. Didn’t change anything else. Just added payment attributes. Calls doubled.
The Stuff Google Adds Without Permission
Google plays detective with your business. Enough reviews mention “great for kids”? Boom, you’re family-friendly. Food bloggers keep talking about your patio? Congrats, you have notable outdoor seating.
Sometimes this helps. Sometimes Google decides you’re “usually busy on Fridays” when you’re actually dead on Fridays. Or marks you “good for groups” when you have four tables.
Check what Google’s saying about you. A pizza place I know had Google highlighting “romantic atmosphere” from old reviews. They catered to families. Awkward.
Keeping This Stuff Current
Your business changes. Google adds new attributes. What worked last year might be hurting you now.
That taco truck that went brick-and-mortar? Still had “no restroom” from their food truck days. Killed their dine-in business for months.
Set a calendar reminder. Check quarterly. Takes ten minutes. Especially check when you change anything… hours, services, payment options, anything.
The Hidden Power Most Businesses Miss
Here’s what nobody talks about: attributes pre-qualify your customers.
Someone searching “restaurants with changing tables” has a baby. They’re not looking for your romantic wine bar. By marking “good for kids,” you’re helping wrong-fit customers self-select out. That’s a gift.
Better to have five customers who want exactly what you offer than twenty who leave disappointed.
Your Competition Is Already Doing This
Pull up your biggest competitor on Google. Check their attributes. I bet they’re filled out.
Now check yours. How many blank spots?
Every missing attribute is a search where they show up and you don’t. A question you’re not answering. A customer chose them because they provided information, and you didn’t.
This isn’t advanced SEO wizardry. It’s not expensive marketing. It’s filling out forms that Google literally begs you to complete.
Yet most businesses act like it’s optional. Like, customers should just somehow know you have wifi. Or parking. Or take reservations.
The businesses winning locally aren’t always the best. They’re the ones making it easiest for customers to choose them. Attributes are part of that.
Stop making customers guess. Stop losing to businesses that just filled out more forms. Take twenty minutes, audit your attributes, fix what’s missing.
Your customers are searching with specific needs. Make sure Google knows you can meet them.