Open your Google Business Profile dashboard. Click "Edit profile." Scroll past the basic info — name, address, phone, hours. Find the section labeled "More" or "Attributes."
Most contractors have never looked at it.
This is where Google lets you declare specific things about how you operate: whether appointments are required, whether you offer online estimates, whether the business is veteran-owned or women-owned, what payment types you accept. Each one is a checkbox. Most profiles have all of them unchecked.
What Attributes Actually Do
Attributes serve two functions.
First, they filter search results. Google Maps and Google Search let users filter results by certain attributes. Someone looking for a plumber and filtering for "women-owned businesses" only sees businesses that have that attribute enabled. If you qualify but never checked the box, you're invisible to that filter.
Second, they display on your listing. Enabled attributes appear in your Google Business Profile under an "About" section. A customer comparing two electricians can see at a glance that yours accepts credit cards and offers online estimates while the competitor only takes cash and requires an in-person quote.
Neither function is a dominant ranking factor. But together, they affect whether you appear in filtered searches — and filtered searches are underserved, lower-competition segments. A user adding a filter has narrower intent and higher intent to hire.
The Categories of Attributes
Attributes are organized by type, and availability depends on your business category. Here's what most contractor categories include:
Ownership:
- Women-owned
- Veteran-owned
- LGBTQ+ owned
- Family-owned
- Minority-owned
These are checkboxes you self-declare. Google doesn't independently verify them, but they display prominently and some customers specifically filter for them. If any apply, mark them.
From the Business:
- Online estimates
- Appointment required
- Walk-ins welcome
For most contractors, "appointment required" or "online estimates available" is accurate. Setting "online estimates" if you actually offer them increases the likelihood someone submits a request before calling a competitor.
Accessibility:
- Wheelchair accessible parking
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
Relevant for businesses with physical offices or showrooms. Less relevant for pure field-service contractors.
Payments:
- Credit cards accepted
- Debit cards accepted
- Cash only
- Checks accepted
- NFC mobile payments
Most customers check payment methods before hiring for large jobs. If you accept credit cards, mark it. If you're cash-only, let them know upfront rather than at invoice time.
What to Enable for Your Trade
Plumbers, HVAC, electricians, roofers:
- Online estimates: Yes, if you offer them
- Appointment required: Usually yes for non-emergency work
- Payment types: Be accurate and complete
- Ownership: Check any that apply
Landscapers, tree services, cleaning companies:
- Online estimates: Yes if applicable
- Walk-ins welcome: Usually N/A for field-service businesses
- Ownership: Check any that apply
The rule: don't check things that aren't true. A customer who expects walk-ins and finds you won't see them without an appointment becomes a negative review.
How Attributes Fit the GBP Foundation
Attributes are the final layer in the complete GBP optimization stack:
- Primary category right — the biggest lever
- Photos active and recent — trust and engagement
- Q&A pre-loaded — preempt competitor answers
- Services tab complete — free keyword real estate
- Reviews coming in consistently — velocity signal
- Posts running weekly — freshness signal
- Attributes complete — filtered search visibility
Attributes are last because they have the least direct impact. But at this point in the series, they're the one thing that's almost universally missing. Each of the above took time to set up. Attributes take 15 minutes and you'll likely never touch them again.
The 15-Minute Attributes Audit
- Go to business.google.com and select your listing
- Click "Edit profile"
- Find the "More" tab or "Attributes" section
- Go through every available attribute
- Check everything that's true about your business
- Save
One-time task. Attributes persist until you change them. Check your public GBP listing's "About" tab — enabled attributes should appear within a few hours.
The complete GBP stack — category, photos, Q&A, services tab, reviews, posts, attributes — is what separates contractors who hold Map Pack positions from those who drift out of them.
Run the free brand audit at vibetokens.io/start to see where you stand on all of it right now. Two minutes, no sales call, full breakdown vs. the top competitor in your market.
— Murph, VibeTokens
