Google to allow merchants add ‘Asian-owned’ label on Search, Maps

With an aim to help Asian-owned businesses, tech giant Google has announced the launch of a new Asian-owned attribute that will be available on Search and Maps for business owners in the US.

US businesses can now add the Asian-owned attribute to their Business Profile on Search and Maps. In the coming weeks, ad-supported publishers will be able to identify as Asian-owned in Display and Video 360’s Marketplace, too.

“As we were building this feature, we worked with hundreds of Asian-owned businesses to ensure the attribute celebrates our diverse and unique cultures,” Leanne Luce, Product Manager, Search, said in a blogpost.

Businesses can opt-in to adopt the attribute on their Business Profile and can easily opt-out at any time. Once the attribute appears on a Business Profile, users will also be able to see the attribute.

This update builds on the Black-owned, Latino-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned and LGBTQ+ owned business attributes, and is another way people can support a diversity of businesses across Google’s products and platforms.

Over the past few years, Grow with Google has partnered with the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) to help Asian-owned small businesses grow.

To date, Google said it helped more than 20,000 Asian-owned businesses expand their digital skills through workshops focusing on topics like e-commerce tools, design thinking for entrepreneurs and making decisions using analytics.

“Today, we are building upon that partnership. Together, USPAACC and Grow with Google will help an additional 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses gain digital skills to help them grow their businesses,” the company said.