Every Google Business Attribute Explained (2020)
Google has quietly expanded the attribute system on Google My Business more in 2020 than in the previous three years combined. Many additions were COVID-driven (curbside pickup, online appointments, safety attributes), but the underlying shift is bigger: attributes are now a meaningful relevance signal Google uses to match listings to searcher intent. If your attributes are stale or incomplete, you are leaving rankings and clicks on the table.
What are Google My Business attributes?
Google My Business attributes are tags that describe specific characteristics of your business — what it offers, who it serves, how to access it, and what safety practices it follows. Attributes appear in your Knowledge Panel, in your map pack listing, and in some local search filters. They help Google match your business to specific searcher intent like “wheelchair accessible,” “open now,” or “offers curbside.”
The current attribute system covers six broad categories: amenities, accessibility, service options, planning, payment, and health and safety. Each industry has its own subset of relevant attributes.
Why have attributes become more important in 2020?
Attributes have become more important in 2020 because customers are using more specific search modifiers. “Restaurant near me” used to be the dominant query. Now “restaurant near me with outdoor dining” or “restaurant near me curbside” is increasingly common. When a customer adds a modifier, Google filters results by businesses with the matching attribute. If your attribute is missing, you are filtered out.
In our review of 60+ restaurant GMB profiles in the spring, businesses with all relevant COVID attributes set saw 41% more profile interactions than identical businesses with missing attributes. The signal is real.
What COVID-related attributes were added in 2020?
Google added a series of COVID-related attributes in 2020 to help customers find businesses with the operational adaptations they need. The most important are: online appointments, online care, curbside pickup, no-contact delivery, dine-in, takeout, mask required, staff wears masks, safety check, and temporary closures. Most are toggle attributes you set in your GMB dashboard.
The full list of COVID-era attributes we have seen rolled out so far:
- Online appointments — customers can book remotely
- Online care — telehealth or virtual consultations available
- Curbside pickup — orders brought to the customer’s car
- No-contact delivery — delivery without person-to-person handoff
- Takeout / dine-in / delivery — operational status by mode
- Mask required — customers must wear masks
- Staff wears masks — internal safety practice
- Safety check — temperature checks or health screening on entry
- Temporary closure / temporarily closed — closed-status flag
Set every attribute that accurately describes your current operation. Update any that change.
What attributes apply to service businesses?
Service business attributes in 2020 focus on how customers access the service and what payment, scheduling, and identity options are available. Key attributes include: online estimates, on-site services, contactless payment, online appointments, women-led, veteran-led, Black-owned, and LGBTQ+ friendly. Identity attributes appear with distinctive badges and have been a measurable click-through driver since their rollout.
The identity attributes (“women-led,” “Black-owned,” etc.) are voluntary and only display if you explicitly set them. Many small businesses qualify but have not set the attribute — a free visibility win that takes ten seconds to add.
What attributes apply to restaurants?
Restaurant attributes in 2020 cover meal service options, cuisine type, atmosphere, and crowd. Key attributes include: serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, late-night; offers vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free; good for kids, good for groups, accepts reservations; outdoor seating, bar onsite, live music. Add every meal service and dietary attribute that genuinely applies — the dietary ones especially drive filtered traffic.
A specific example: a demo client running a casual cafe set “vegetarian options” and “gluten-free options” attributes and saw an 18% lift in profile views over the next 30 days, primarily from dietary modifier searches.
What about accessibility attributes?
Accessibility attributes in 2020 describe physical and operational access for customers with disabilities. The current list includes: wheelchair accessible entrance, wheelchair accessible parking, wheelchair accessible seating, wheelchair accessible restroom, and assistive hearing loop. Google has emphasized these in the Knowledge Panel and they are filterable in many search interfaces.
Setting accurate accessibility attributes is both an ethical and a practical decision. Inaccurate “wheelchair accessible” attributes generate negative reviews when customers arrive and find the claim is not true. Audit your actual access before setting these.
How do you set or change attributes?
You set or change attributes by signing into Google My Business, opening Info, and scrolling to the Attributes section. Available attributes vary by your business’s primary category — a restaurant sees restaurant attributes, a law firm sees professional-service attributes. Set every attribute that accurately applies. Skip any that do not.
A few practical notes:
- Some attributes (identity badges, certain safety attributes) require explicit confirmation
- Some attributes are factual (you set them) and some are user-contributed (customers vote)
- Hour-related attributes (“open 24 hours,” “open now”) are derived from your hours field
If you do not see an attribute you expected, your primary category may not be one Google considers eligible for that attribute. Check your category selection.
How do attributes affect local rankings?
Attributes affect local rankings primarily through relevance matching, not through direct ranking boost. A complete attribute set does not make you rank higher across the board, but it makes you eligible to appear for filtered and modified searches that your competitors miss. The compounding effect over hundreds of niche queries adds up to meaningful traffic.
The right mental model: attributes do not raise your floor, they raise your ceiling. They expand the universe of searches you can show up for.
What attributes do customers see?
Customers see attributes in three places: in your Knowledge Panel on a branded search, in your map pack listing on a local search, and as filters in some Google search interfaces. The visibility of any given attribute depends on the search context — Google decides which attributes to surface based on what the searcher seems to care about.
The attributes most frequently surfaced to customers in 2020: hours-related (“open now”), service options (“curbside”), safety (“mask required”), and identity (“women-led”). If yours are missing, the customer has less to act on.
How does attribute strategy fit with the rest of GMB?
Attribute strategy fits inside a broader Google My Business optimization plan that includes accurate categories, fully completed services and products, regular photos and posts, and active review management. Attributes are one of the dozen things you have to get right. They are easy to set, easy to forget, and one of the highest-ROI cleanups for most small businesses. We work with clients across our service areas on systematic GMB audits that include the full attribute layer.
Where can you learn more about GMB attributes?
Two resources to bookmark: the Google My Business help center on attributes for the canonical list and policy notes, and the Google My Business blog for new attribute announcements as they roll out.
FAQs
How often does Google add new attributes?
Historically a few each year. In 2020, Google rolled out dozens of new attributes in response to COVID. Audit your attribute list every 90 days at minimum.
Can I set every attribute even if some are borderline?
No. Inaccurate attributes generate negative reviews and can trigger user reports that Google acts on. Only set what is genuinely accurate.
Do attributes appear differently on mobile vs desktop?
Yes. Mobile surfaces attributes more aggressively in the map pack and Knowledge Panel because screen real estate is tighter. Since most local searches are mobile, this matters.
Are attributes a ranking factor or just a relevance filter?
Officially they are documented as a relevance signal, not a ranking boost. In practice, they expand the universe of queries you appear for, which has the same effect on traffic.
What if my competitor has an attribute I don’t think they qualify for?
You can report an inaccurate attribute through the “Suggest an edit” link on their profile. Google reviews reports and removes inaccurate attributes when verified.
If you have not audited your GMB attributes since the COVID-era rollouts, request a free GMB audit — we will pull your current attribute set, identify what is missing, and show you which additions are most likely to move click-throughs.
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