Don’t miss out on all the benefits your law firm’s Google My Business profile can provide! If you haven’t looked at the attribute options available to you lately, it may be time for an update.
What Are Attributes, and Why Do They Matter?
Attributes are an important part of your law firm’s Google My Business profile. Attributes are ways to let searchers know certain things about your law firm, such as services you provide, what to expect at your office, and current health and safety policies. They’re a handy (and free!) way to set your firm apart from the competition.
Searchers can see a business’s attributes in the local pack when they search on Google:
These results for my search of “Little Rock law firm” have attributes regarding their services at the bottom of their listings: Onsite services and Online appointments. These let prospects know whether they’ll be able to schedule online or in-person visits.
Not only are attributes helpful for at-a-glance knowledge, but they have an effect on search results, too. For example, someone searching for “Little Rock law firm with online appointments” will likely see these two results pop up, with Online appointments bolded to emphasize that these firms offer exactly the type of consultation that the searcher is looking for.
For these reasons, attributes on your law firm’s Google My Business profile are extremely helpful for searchers who are using long-tail keywords—that is, search terms that are longer and more specific. And the more specific the search, the more qualified the lead.
New Google My Business Attributes for Law Firms
COVID-19 made it necessary for Google to add new attributes to GMB listings. Here are a few of the new attributes that are available for law firms:
- Online Appointments
- Mask Required
- Temperature Check Required
- Staff Wears Masks
In addition, if you’d like to highlight your leadership and staff, Google has added the following attributes that may be applicable to your firm:
- Veteran-Led
- Women-Led
- Black-Owned
- LGBTQ-Friendly
Factual Attributes for Law Firms
The attributes your law firm’s Google My Business profile has access to will change depending on the category you’re under. Here are some of the attributes your law firm may be able to use:
- Payment information, such as cash only, checks, credit cards, etc.
- Wheelchair accessibility, including entrances, parking, elevators, restrooms, and seating
- Restroom information, such as unisex restrooms
- Languages spoken
These are known as factual attributes: ones that are easily proven. Your attributes should always be true—falsifying them won’t help you in the long run.
“Choose attributes that only describe your business in reality. Providing false attributes could result in the removal of those attributes by Google,” warns Chris Lively of V Digital Services. “Another possible result from an untrue attribute could be a negative review.”
Subjective Attributes for Law Firms
Unlike factual attributes, which are selected by your firm, subjective attributes come from reviews and questions answered by your clients. While you don’t have control over your law firm’s subjective attributes, they’re important to take note of.
In the following example, we can see a quote at the bottom of the search result, complete with an icon that signals that it comes from a fellow Google user:
Subjective attributes pulled from your firm’s reviews can go a step further when it comes to keywords that people use when searching. For example, here’s a result I received when I made a search for “friendly law firm in Little Rock”:
Notice how Google has put the word “friendly” in bold so that it’s easier for the user to see. In this case, the trait of being friendly is given more weight because it’s from a happy client. It’s much easier to trust that this firm is full of friendly attorneys because a client, not the firm itself, said so.
Local Justifications
Local justifications are similar to subjective attributes in that you don’t choose them outright—but they’re not entirely out of your control.
For example, if someone makes a search for “Little Rock estate lawyer,” these results may show up:
While the first result has an excerpt from a review that mentions “estate,” the second result emphasizes that the firm provides estate planning law. The review quote in the first result is a subjective attribute, but the service note in the second result comes directly from the Services section of your law firm’s Google My Business profile—which you have control over.
Justifications can also come from posts you make on your GMB page, the description you provide, and your website itself. Keep in mind, though, that there’s no guarantee you’ll always be shown with a justification every time you turn up in a search—it all depends on the searcher’s intent.
Update Your Law Firm’s Google My Business Profile
If you haven’t double-checked your law firm’s Google My Business attributes lately, now is the perfect time to do so. Attributes help your firm show up (and stand out) in relevant searches that your ideal prospects are making. If you don’t keep your GMB profile up to date, you risk losing these clients to your competitors.
Ready to start making the most of your law firm’s Google presence? Contact Kirkpatrick Creative today for help managing your law firm’s Google My Business attributes, services, and justifications—and start seeing more qualified leads.