Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Plumber Uses Google Maps Attributes to Win More Jobs
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, I want to talk about something that drives me a little crazy — something almost every local business I look at leaves completely blank on their Google Maps listing. Luna: Let me guess — you're not talking about reviews or photos again, are you? You've covered those to death. Lucas: No, no. I'm talking about attributes. Those little checkboxes under your business profile that say things like 'offers free estimates' or 'emergency service' or 'wheelchair accessible.' They seem trivial, but they're actually one of the fastest ways to make your listing more useful — and more clickable. Luna: Attributes. Right. I think most business owners just skip that section because it feels administrative. Like filling in a form. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a huge missed opportunity. So I want to tell you about a plumber in Austin — let's call him Mark — who turned his entire Google Maps strategy around just by being more intentional with attributes. Luna: Okay, I'm listening. What did Mark do? Lucas: Mark runs a small plumbing company with three vans. He was getting maybe ten calls a week from his Maps listing, but only converting about four of those into actual jobs. That's a forty percent conversion rate. Not terrible, but he knew he was losing potential customers somewhere. Luna: So he looked at his attributes? Lucas: He did. And what he found was that his profile had exactly two attributes checked: 'on-site services' and 'identifies as veteran-led.' Both true, but neither is what a frantic homeowner with a burst pipe is searching for at 2 a.m. Luna: Right — they want to know if you'll actually show up now, not your military service. Lucas: Exactly. So Mark added these attributes: 'emergency service,' '24-hour response time,' 'offers free estimates,' 'accepts credit cards,' and 'licensed and insured.' That's it. Five checkboxes. Within two weeks, his call to job conversion rate went from forty percent to sixty-five percent. Luna: That's a huge jump. But wait — did he actually change anything about his service? Or just the profile? Lucas: He was already offering all those things. He just wasn't telling Google — and by extension, potential customers — that he did. The attributes act like signals. When someone searches 'emergency plumber near me,' Google prioritizes listings that have the 'emergency service' attribute. It's a ranking signal. Luna: So it's not just about converting the people who find you. It's about being found in the first place. Lucas: Bingo. And this applies to almost every local business. A dentist should check 'accepts new patients' and 'accepts insurance.' A coffee shop should check 'outdoor seating' and 'free Wi-Fi.' A car repair shop should check 'free estimates' and 'same-day service.' Each attribute is a tiny filter that helps the right customer find you. Luna: Okay, but how many attributes are there? And how do you know which ones to pick? Lucas: Google has dozens of attributes, and they vary by category. For a plumber, there are about fifteen. For a restaurant, more like thirty. The key is to put yourself in the customer's shoes. What questions do they ask before they call? If they're looking for a plumber at midnight, they want to know you're available. If they're budget-conscious, they want to know you offer free estimates. Luna: So the attributes are basically answering pre-call objections before the customer even picks up the phone. Lucas: Exactly. And here's the thing — most business owners don't even know the attributes exist. I did a quick audit last week. Out of twenty local businesses I checked at random, only six had any attributes filled in at all. And of those six, most had just one or two. Usually the defaults. Luna: Defaults? What do you mean? Lucas: Google pre-selects some attributes based on your category. For example, a plumber automatically gets 'on-site services' checked. But the rest are optional. Most people just leave them blank. Luna: So what's the quick audit you mentioned? If I'm a business owner listening right now, what should I do? Lucas: Three steps. Step one: open your Google Business Profile and go to the 'Info' tab. Scroll down to 'Attributes.' Step two: look at every single attribute available for your category. Don't skip any. Step three: check every single one that applies to your business. Be honest — don't check 'wheelchair accessible' if your store has stairs. But if you offer it, check it. Luna: And that's it? That can take two minutes. Lucas: Two minutes. And it could be the most productive two minutes you spend on your marketing all month. Mark the plumber told me that after he added attributes, he started getting calls from customers who specifically mentioned they chose him because he offered 24-hour service. They didn't even call his competitors because those competitors didn't have the attribute. Luna: So it's a competitive advantage that most people ignore. That's a beautiful thing. Lucas: It is. And here's the bonus: attributes also feed into Google's local search algorithm for things like 'best plumber in Austin' or 'affordable plumber near me.' Google uses attributes as one of many signals to determine relevance. Luna: So having more relevant attributes can actually help you rank higher for specific long-tail searches. Lucas: Exactly. And unlike reviews, which take time and effort to accumulate, attributes are completely within your control. You can change them today, and Google will reflect them almost immediately. Luna: I love that. One quick note — if you're a service-area business like a plumber or a mobile dog groomer, there are also attributes for things like 'serves the greater metro area' or 'offers online estimates.' Make sure you check those too. Lucas: Great point. And if you're a home-service business, definitely check 'licensed and insured.' That's a huge trust signal. I've seen data suggesting that listings with that attribute get significantly more calls, especially for high-ticket services like roofing or HVAC. Luna: So the takeaway is: don't skip the boring stuff. The attributes section is not just paperwork — it's free marketing. Lucas: Exactly. And on that note — you know, this kind of practical, no-fluff advice is exactly the kind of thing that keeps our show going. We don't do sponsored content, we don't sell courses, and we don't have advertisers breathing down our necks. This podcast is entirely listener-supported. Luna: Yeah, and we hear from listeners all the time who tell us that even one tip — like filling out attributes — has made a real difference in their business. That feedback keeps us going. Lucas: So if you find value in what we do, and you want to help us keep the show ad-free and independent, the best way is to support us at Buy Me a Coffee. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Even a small contribution goes a long way. Luna: And it really does help us keep creating episodes like this one. Plus, it's a great way to say thanks without having to subscribe to anything. Lucas: Alright, back to attributes. I want to leave you with one more example — a dentist I know in Chicago. Luna: Oh, I'm curious. What did they do? Lucas: She added the attribute 'accepts new patients' — which sounds obvious, right? But Google's data shows that about thirty percent of dental practices don't have that checked. She also added 'accepts CareCredit' and 'offers sedation dentistry.' Those three attributes alone led to a noticeable increase in phone calls from people who specifically mentioned they chose her because she offered sedation. Luna: Because dental anxiety is a real barrier. If you can signal that you handle that, you're removing a huge objection. Lucas: Exactly. So whether you're a plumber, a dentist, a landscaper, or a coffee shop, go check your attributes today. It might be the simplest marketing win you get all year. Luna: And if you want more tips like this, you know where to find us. We'll be back next week with another deep dive.