How Your Veteran-Led Business Can Capitalize on Google’s Attribute Identifier
Veteran-owned, led or founded businesses received a significant helping hand from Google’s recent announcement discussing the debut of a new attribute badge for Google My Business profiles.
This “Veteran-Led” attribute badge provides customers with a quick and easy way to locate local veteran-owned businesses in Google Maps and Google Search results. It will appear alongside additional features in your business profile including “Outdoor Seating,” “Family-Friendly” and “Has Wifi,” and joins the ranks of the “Woman-Led” business badge which appeared earlier this year.
Part of Google’s Wider Initiative to Help Veterans
Communities across the country enthusiastically embrace military veterans and offer a wide range of support. As a former U.S. Army Sergeant himself, Google’s data scientist, Sean O’Keefe, explains in a recent blog post that he tries to connect with some of the nation’s 2.5 million veteran-owned businesses in his local community.
The debut of the “Veteran-Led” badge is just one segment of Google’s broader effort to employ technological innovations to help the veteran community overcome the hurdles of integrating into the modern job market after leaving the military. Google also assists transitioning service members with translating job skills from the military into potentially rewarding and lucrative career opportunities in the civilian sector.
How to Edit Your Website’s Attributes in Google My Business
To add the “Veteran-Led” badge to your Google My Business profile, follow the steps below:
- Log in to your Google My Business account or log in to the mobile application
- Select the menu and then click “Info,” or “Business Info” for mobile applications
- Locate the section labeled “Attributes” and select the pencil-shaped icon
- Find and select the “Veteran-Led” attribute badge, then click “Apply” or tap “Save” on your mobile device
- Customers who find your business on either Google Search or Maps will see your “Veteran-Led” attribute badge prominently displayed
Although it is currently easy to toggle this setting on, it is unknown how Google plans to ensure the veracity of a site’s claim of Veteran ownership status moving forward.
Incorporate as Part of a Broader Strategy to Boost Your SEO
Although displaying the “Veteran-Led” attribute badge on a Google My Business profile is a step in the right direction to generate interest from local consumers, it is only one aspect of a broader strategy to boost SEO results. Additional avenues such as maintaining an active social media presence and establishing an interactive blog on a website help boost authority and generate results, too.
Businesses should also understand the full spectrum of unique methods Google uses to enhance the overall quality of Google Search and Google Map results which incorporates feedback from thousands of search quality raters.
Just like the improved SEO and enhanced authority businesses experience through effective blogging, active social media interaction and an understanding of the nuances of Google Search and Google Map result algorithms, the addition of a “Veteran-Led” attribute presents an advantage. It’s one more avenue for small businesses to attract local customers and stand out from the competition.