Google Business – Local Auto Repair Attributes Currently Available

What’s that, you say? Google has added new Features?

Google Business Listing’s are vital to all businesses. Not only do these listings help with N.A.P. (name, address, phone) citations, but they also provide basic information at a glance in Google’s search results, allowing customers to find the information they need quickly. As we all know, Google is constantly updating, testing and trying to improve how and what information is presented. Some of the recent updates are shifting to a mobile first index and showing more granular information concerning your business termed “Insights” and “Attributes.” Some of these insights are listed in the local knowledge panel, such as popular or busy times, while other insights are more analytical and only available to view by the owners – how customers find you, driving direction requests, phone calls, and more. For more information on insights click here: Introducing Google+ Local Insights

Highlight New Information

With this shift, Google is also adding different ways to highlight important information on your local listing in the knowledge panel. Google is essentially creating snapshots of companies that include the most important and actionable information. Attributes are optional but suggested by Google and actually very useful. Now you can directly point out if your business does or does not have a service or if it is or isn’t wheelchair accessible. I believe more attributes will be available in the future, but for now within the automotive vertical, the options in the images are available.

Another addition is the ability to add a service menu link. This will allow your customers to navigate to a specific url from the local finder and knowledge panel that points to a complete set of services available at your business. Depending on how you set up your service menu page, you have the capability to make it easier for customers to find services offered, prices and labor rates. From a strategic point of view, this update has the potential to elevate the importance of a services page and become a higher traffic entry point to your business’s website than the homepage itself. For now, this is widely unknown, but very possible. Take advantage of this opportunity to get ahead of the curve and stomp out your competition. This option is still very new, and we are currently working on a solution to make this a part of our SEO program. Interested in having your service menu shown publicly and stand out above the rest? Contact your Account Manager today to see how we can get you started!