Source: Google / Google Maps
The search for Black-owned businesses to happily spend our Black dollars has gotten even easier.
Google announced a new feature that will help single out Black-owned businesses when people search for them using their search engine and Google Maps. The new tool is part of the pledge the company made to help support the Black community with “initiatives and product ideas that support long-term solutions.”
So how will it work? When specifically searching for a Black-owned business, Google or Google Maps will designate the companies as such by placing a black heart with an orange three-striped background badge next to it.
In order to participate, Black owners need to claim their business on Google and then verify they own it via email, mail, or phone to apply for a badge. This feature mirrors similar badges the tech giant used to help highlight “woman-led” or LGBTQ+ friendly businesses.
Google decided to implement the feature because it noticed “”a surge in online searches for Black-owned businesses.” Amid the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that swept across the nation following the tragic murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, Black consumers, and white allies were on a mission to make sure their dollars were spent with Black-owned businesses.
Google’s announcement follows Yelp, who also introduced a feature that spotlighted Black-owned businesses when people used its platform to search for them.
We love to see it!
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Photo: Google / Google Maps
