Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Florist Uses Google Maps Attributes to Win Customers
Transcript
- Lucas: So picture this: you search Google Maps for a florist in Portland, Oregon. You get a dozen results, each with the usual star rating, a few reviews. But one shop—Petals & Pine—has this little tag underneath its name: 'Women-led.' And right next to it: 'Free Wi-Fi.' And then: 'Identifies as lgbtq friendly.' Luna: I've seen those tags before. But I never thought about them as something you'd actively manage—almost like metadata for your business. Lucas: Exactly. Google calls them 'attributes,' and they're part of your Google Business Profile. Most business owners ignore them, or they check a half dozen boxes and move on. But Petals & Pine did something different. In February of this year, they cleaned up their attribute list. They removed about 20 generic ones like 'Has parking' and 'Accepts credit cards'—stuff everyone has—and narrowed it to just seven highly specific attributes. Luna: Seven? That feels almost too few. Don't you want to signal as much as possible? Lucas: That's what most people think. But the data says the opposite. Over the next 90 days—so through late April—Petals & Pine saw a 40 percent increase in 'request a quote' clicks from their Google Maps listing. Their calls from Maps went up about 25 percent. And their website clicks from the profile nearly doubled. Luna: So the theory is that when you have fewer, more specific attributes, Google's algorithm can actually match you better to the right queries? Lucas: Exactly. Think of it like a signal to noise ratio. If you have 50 attributes checked, you look like a generic business that could be anything. But when you check 'Women-led,' 'lgbtq friendly,' 'Free Wi-Fi,' 'Pet-friendly,' 'Same-day delivery,' 'Vegan-friendly,' and 'Appointments required'—those are all decision-making filters for a specific type of customer. And Google's January 2026 update actually started surfacing attributes more prominently in the local finder, right below the business name and rating. Luna: So this isn't just about ranking—it's about conversion. The attributes themselves become a kind of micro-ad copy. Lucas: That's a great way to put it. And it's not just florists. A plumber could check 'Emergency service,' '24/7 availability,' 'Licensed and insured,' 'Senior discount.' A coffee shop could highlight 'Outdoor seating,' 'Dog-friendly,' 'Free Wi-Fi,' 'Roastery on site.' The trick is to pick attributes that are genuinely true, that differentiate you, and that match the language your customers use when searching. Luna: So how do you actually find out which attributes are available? I've seen the list in the GBP dashboard, but it seems like Google rolls them out slowly. Lucas: Yeah, the full list is dynamic. Google adds new attributes based on categories and seasons. For example, around Valentine's Day, florists might see attributes like 'Custom arrangements' or 'Workshops available.' But the core set is pretty stable. You can find it by going into your Business Profile, clicking 'Info,' then scrolling to 'Attributes.' If you don't see any, your category might not support them yet—or you need to update your primary category to something more specific. Luna: And what about businesses that serve multiple locations or have a service area? Can you set attributes per location? Lucas: You can, but it's per profile. So if you have ten dental clinics, each can have its own attributes. That's actually a massive opportunity. A clinic in a family neighborhood could highlight 'Kids welcome' and 'Stroller parking,' while a downtown clinic might emphasize 'Late hours' and 'Teeth whitening.' They'd rank for different queries. Luna: Okay, but here's my skepticism: doesn't Google already know most of this from reviews? If someone writes 'They have free Wi-Fi,' shouldn't the algorithm just pick that up? Lucas: It's a good question—and yes, Google can extract some attributes from reviews. But that's unreliable and slow. By manually setting attributes, you control the signal. Plus, the attributes show up in your snippet, which drives click-through. Reviews can mention Wi-Fi, but that text doesn't always get surfaced as a tag. With attributes, you get that prime real estate. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. Let's say I'm a local business owner. What's the first thing I should do tomorrow? Lucas: Audit your current attributes. Open your Business Profile, count how many you've checked. If it's more than maybe 15, start cutting. Ask yourself: does this attribute help someone decide whether to visit me today? 'Accepts credit cards' is table stakes—everyone does. Remove it. 'Free Wi-Fi' might matter if half your competitors don't offer it. Be ruthless. Then add attributes that match your unique selling points. And here's a tip: you can also use attributes in your Google Posts. If you have a post about a workshop, tag it with the 'Workshops available' attribute—it creates a link in the post. Luna: And check for new attributes monthly, right? Because Google adds them seasonally. Lucas: Exactly. Once a month, peek at the attributes section. Especially before a busy season—if you're a florist, you want 'Custom arrangements' checked before Valentine's Day, not after. Luna: You know, this kind of deep-dive into a specific feature is exactly why I love this show. If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used—like checking your attributes—a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, if you've gotten something out of them. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a real difference for us to keep the podcast ad-free and focused on tactics like this. Luna: Alright, back to attributes. Lucas, you mentioned that the January update changed how they display. Can you tell us more about what actually shifted? Lucas: Sure. Before January, attributes appeared in a collapsed 'About' section that you had to tap to expand. Now, for certain categories like restaurants, retail, and services, Google shows up to three attributes directly below the business name in the local finder. That's huge. It means your first impression isn't just a name and a star rating—it's also 'Outdoor seating,' 'Pet-friendly,' 'Free Wi-Fi.' That can be the difference between a click and a scroll. Luna: So it's almost like a second headline. No wonder Petals & Pine saw such a jump. Lucas: Right. And there's another wrinkle: Google now uses attributes in its 'Matching' algorithm for 'near me' queries. If someone searches 'Women-led florist near me'—which is a real query, by the way, up 60 percent year over year—Google needs that attribute to be manually set to serve your listing. Reviews alone won't cut it. Luna: So this is also about capturing long-tail, intent-rich queries. Lucas: Exactly. And those queries have higher conversion rates because the person already has a preference. They're not just browsing; they're looking for a specific vibe or service. Luna: Let's talk about pitfalls. Any common mistakes? Lucas: The biggest one is overclaiming. If you check 'Wheelchair accessible' but your store has a step at the entrance, you'll get negative reviews and Google might suspend your profile. Another is checking contradictory attributes—like 'No-contact delivery' and 'In-store pickup' both checked, which confuses the algorithm. And some businesses check 'Free Wi-Fi' but don't actually have reliable Wi-Fi. That's bad for customer experience. Luna: So integrity matters. Better to have five accurate attributes than fifteen that are half true. Lucas: Exactly. And remember, attributes can be removed or updated at any time. So if you change your business, update them. Luna: Is there a way to see how your attributes are performing? Any analytics in Google Business Profile? Lucas: Not directly for attributes on their own. But you can track overall profile performance—clicks, calls, direction requests—before and after an attribute update. That's what Petals & Pine did. They used a simple spreadsheet, tracking weekly metrics for a month before and two months after the change. That gave them confidence the attributes were driving the improvement. Luna: And for a business that doesn't have many attributes available—like a service area business that's not a storefront—what would you recommend? Lucas: Check your primary category. Sometimes switching from 'General Contractor' to 'Kitchen Remodeler' unlocks a whole new set of attributes. Also, Google has started rolling out service area specific attributes like 'Virtual consultations' and 'Free estimates.' So even if you don't have a physical location, you can still use attributes to signal what you offer. Luna: That's a good point. I've seen 'Online estimates' on a few plumbers' profiles. Definitely a differentiator. Lucas: Yeah. And if you're a multi-location business, you can set different attributes for each location. That's a competitive advantage most chains don't exploit. Luna: Alright, so we've covered the what, the why, and the how. Any final piece of advice for our listeners? Lucas: Yes. Do an attribute audit this week. Spend 15 minutes. Remove the noise, add the signal. Then check back in 30 days to see if your profile clicks have changed. It's a low-effort, high-impact tactic that too many businesses overlook. Luna: I'm actually going to do that for my favorite coffee shop. They definitely have 'Outdoor seating' but I bet they haven't checked 'Dog-friendly.' Lucas: And if they're not on top of it, maybe send them this episode. Luna: Right. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. See everyone next time.