Google has made a variety of updates in response to the COVID-19 outbreak this year. Providing small businesses with additional opportunities to advertise their services with greater ease is just one of the ways the tech giant has stepped up to help those who have been most heavily impacted by the pandemic. Many of the updates have also allowed for increased transparency and more information to be conveyed on how and where consumers can get the services they are looking for- take out only, limited seating, outdoor dining only, etc. With states and businesses returning to work with various precautions, Google has added another update that will surely benefit multifamily's approach to in-person, by appointment only, and virtual tours for apartment communities. Google recently added a "last updated" date on Google My Business Profile operational hours (pictured below) to inform prospects of the last time your office hours were updated.
The importance for multifamily is twofold: 1.) If this "last updated" date is extremely outdated, prospects may be wary on the actual business hours of your leasing office, which could steer them away 2.) By updating your business hours and adding any additional information COVID related (in-person, virtual only, self-guided), prospects will be better informed without having to contact your leasing staff. This simple feature on your GMB is easy to manage and should be updated appropriately to save time for prospects and leasing staff, make for a better online experience, and reflect your up to date office hours for easier leasing efforts.