In March of this year Google added a “women-led” attribute to Google My Business profiles. Now it’s doing the same for veteran-run businesses.
A blog post this afternoon announced the new attribute:
Google is making it easier to identify your local business as veteran-led on Google Search and Maps. If your business is owned, led, or founded by a veteran, you can enable this “Veteran-Led” attribute through Google My Business, and it will appear on your Google listing alongside other details like “Has Wifi” or “Outdoor Seating.”
Women-led and veteran-led attributes are controlled by the business owner and can be edited in the GMB profile. (Some attributes the community identifies or defines.) They appear under the “about” tab.
Based on US government data, Google says that there are roughly 2.5 million small businesses owned or majority owned by veterans. That’s roughly 10 percent of the total number of US small businesses in the country today.
It’s not clear how many people do or will seek out this information (or women-led businesses) but it will be meaningful to some. While these are currently the only two business owner identity attributes available, Google says that it will be adding more over time.
About The Author
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.