Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Google has been continually updating its products to ensure that businesses and customers continue to get the most out of them as everyone adapts to the everchanging nature of everyday life.
Google has further added to its list of attributes that businesses can add to their Google My Business Listings to help customers get a feel of what services and products may be available to them.
The new attributes that have begun to appear within the service include ‘Online Appointment’, ‘Online Care’, ‘Online Classes’ and ‘Online Estimates’. The introduction of this range of online attributes will enable a business to highlight that some of their usual services have now moved online and can be accessed, even if the core of the business may remain closed as part of government-imposed lockdown restrictions.
For example, a business that offers mortgage advice and usually operates with face-to-face appointments on the company’s premises may now utilise the ‘online appointments’ attribute to inform customers that they can still access these services, but it will be conducted online instead of in-person.
Businesses can add these attributes, and any of the existing ones, to their profile to showcase its essential services and grab the attention of people searching local businesses. These attributes can help users to make a decision about which business to consider using, meaning that it is important for a business to have an up-to-date listing detailing correct and relevant information about them.
Traditionally, Google has tailored attributes towards people visiting business locations in person by including tags like ‘Wi-Fi’ and ‘Outdoor Seating’ but as many businesses and industries remain closed, these attributes have started to shift towards online offerings.
In the last month or so, it has added attributes relating to delivery and pickup as some businesses begin to operate in new ways. This latest batch of attributes continues that trend as more businesses make the move to a more online-based operation and customers increasingly look for online alternatives. These new attributes can be useful to a wide range of businesses including health services, fitness instructors, and educational facilities.
In the coming months, Google could add a new set of attributes that anticipate lockdown restrictions continuing to ease, and may be able to highlight whether customers need to wear a mask, make appointments to visit and have maximum capacities, as well as other tools such as when is the best time to visit.
For help with your Google My Business listing, online marketing campaigns or transforming your website to reflect a new way of working, speak to the team at Engage Web.
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