Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Boutique Hotel Uses Google Maps Attributes to Drive Bookings
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to talk about something that is probably the most underused feature in Google Business Profile — and that's attributes. Luna: Attributes? You mean like 'free Wi-Fi' and 'outdoor seating'? Lucas: Exactly that. Most businesses fill in their name, address, hours, maybe a few photos, and they stop. But Google has this whole taxonomy of attributes — some are universal, some are industry-specific — and they can actually move the needle on search ranking and conversion. Luna: I've seen them. When I'm searching for a coffee shop, I filter by 'has free Wi-Fi' all the time. Lucas: Right — so you're using attributes as a filter. And that's exactly why they matter. Google uses attributes to match user intent. If someone searches 'pet-friendly hotel near me' and your hotel has that attribute checked, you're far more likely to show up. And even if you don't get the click, the attribute itself answers the question — so the user might just call you directly. Luna: So it's almost like structured data for your listing. Let's get specific — what's a good example? Lucas: Let's talk about a boutique hotel in Portland — The Jupiter Hotel. It's a converted motor lodge, very trendy, known for being dog-friendly. They leaned heavily into attributes. They added 'pet-friendly,' 'free Wi-Fi,' 'breakfast included,' 'parking,' 'air conditioning,' 'eco-friendly' — all the relevant ones. And according to the owner, after they updated their attributes, they saw a 12% increase in booking inquiries within a month. Luna: Twelve percent from just checking boxes? That's impressive. Lucas: But here's the key — they didn't just check boxes. They made sure the attributes matched real guest expectations. If you check 'breakfast included' but your breakfast is just a granola bar, you'll get bad reviews. So there's a trust element. Google also uses aggregate review data to validate attributes — if enough people mention 'free parking' in reviews, Google might auto-apply that attribute. Luna: That's fascinating. So it's not just set-it-and-forget-it. You have to keep attributes aligned with what you actually offer. Lucas: Exactly. And Google rolls out new attributes regularly. For hotels, they recently added 'contactless check-in,' 'ev charging,' and 'accessible rooms.' If you're not checking your Business Profile monthly, you're missing opportunities. Luna: Before we go deeper — Lucas, you know, I think this is a good moment to mention something. If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own business, or even just made you think about your own Google listing differently, the show stays ad-free because of listeners who choose to support it. There's no pressure at all, but if you'd like to buy us a coffee, you can at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's just a small way to keep these episodes coming without any sponsors. Lucas: Yeah, and it genuinely helps. We don't run ads, so listener support is what keeps us independent. Thank you to anyone who's ever contributed — it means a lot. Luna: Alright, back to attributes. So beyond hotels, what other industries have really specific attributes? Lucas: Restaurants have a ton — 'outdoor seating,' 'takeout,' 'vegetarian options,' 'happy hour.' Gyms have 'sauna,' 'personal training,' '24/7 access.' Retail stores have 'curbside pickup,' 'in-store shopping,' 'wheelchair accessible.' The list goes on. The trick is to select the ones that differentiate you from competitors. Luna: So if you're a coffee shop, maybe 'outdoor seating' and 'free Wi-Fi' are obvious, but what about 'live music' or 'local art'? Lucas: Exactly. Those niche attributes can help you show up for very specific searches. And Google prioritises relevance. If someone searches 'coffee shop with live music near me,' and you have that attribute, you're almost certainly going to be in the top results. Luna: What about the order of attributes? Does that matter? Lucas: There's no manual ordering, but Google tends to show the most popular or most relevant attributes first based on user data. So if a lot of people mention 'free Wi-Fi' in reviews, that attribute might appear higher in your listing. Luna: So you kind of have to earn your top attributes through customer behaviour. Lucas: Right. And that's why it's important to encourage reviews that mention specific attributes. Not in a manipulative way, but if you genuinely have great outdoor seating, you could ask a happy customer: 'Would you mind mentioning our patio in your review?' That helps reinforce the attribute. Luna: That's smart. Now, are there any common mistakes businesses make with attributes? Lucas: The biggest one is over-claiming. If you check 'wheelchair accessible' but your entrance has a step, you're going to get a one-star review from someone who couldn't get in. And Google may fact-check attributes against review content. Another mistake is not updating attributes when your services change. A restaurant that stops offering takeout but still shows 'takeout' will annoy customers. Luna: So it's really about accuracy and freshness. Lucas: Exactly. And the great thing about attributes is that they're free. You don't need to pay for ads. You just need to spend ten minutes a month reviewing your profile and making sure everything is current. Luna: Ten minutes a month for a potential 12% lift in inquiries? That's a no-brainer. Lucas: Totally. And for multi-location businesses, it's even more powerful. You can check attributes at a regional level — like if one hotel has a pool and another doesn't, you can set that per location. Luna: So the takeaway is: go into your Google Business Profile, click on 'Info,' scroll down to 'Attributes,' and start checking boxes. But do it honestly. Lucas: And set a monthly reminder to check for new attributes. Google adds them all the time. The hotel industry alone got about six new attributes in the last year. If you're not staying on top of that, you're leaving potential bookings on the table. Luna: Alright, I'm going to check my own local cafe's profile right after this. Great tips, Lucas. Lucas: Happy to help. And if you want to dig deeper, we'll put some links in the show notes to the full list of attributes for different categories.