Google My Business has been busy in the back-end just like us, adapting to this ‘new normal’ in the hopes of making it better. Earlier this week, we’ve observed that they have another update: the Health & Safety attributes. We’ll most likely see this roll out in more business categories in the following days or weeks.
This is the newest in their long list of COVID-related changes that you can check in our recent blog post.
Attributes are some of the must-need information in your GMB listing because they help your business stand out above competitors and help you stay visible in relevant search queries. The new list we have is one way to improve the trust and confidence between customer and business, especially in our current health climate.
These attributes are:
- Appointment required – if you are a GP with a clinic, for example, you can tick this to notify patients that they can only consult with you on an appointment basis
- Mask required – let your customers know that you are enforcing a ‘no mask, no entry’ policy inside your store
- Staff wear masks – inform your customers that your staff are working with the necessary health and safety precautions, which includes wearing masks
- Staff get temperature checks – if you allow dine-in customers in your restaurant, for example, you can notify them on your GMB listing that your staff have regular temperature checks to make sure that no one’s health is compromised during contact
We’re probably expecting more attributes under this category so do look out for those in the near future.
The Rationale
COVID-19 cases have not yet gone down in Australia and the rest of the world but people are going out of their homes to do some shopping that they otherwise cannot do online. In order to feel more confident about going out and taking a risk, they want to know if the staff there are following the standards to prevent infection or if there are requirements to take note of before going to you. This helps customers decide if they’ll feel safe entering your store.
On the other hand, these attributes are helpful in improving your ranking factors on Google Search and Google Maps. It’s always a good idea to inform your customers what safety precautions you’re enforcing. Just take note that this won’t be available for all categories.
Keep your business safe and your customers updated with your fully optimised Google My Business listing. The Health & Safety attributes are already available on the DigitalMaas Platform, so if you have an account with us you can go ahead and apply the necessary changes. You can edit individually or by bulk for all your locations.
Stay safe always!
