Local SEO<\/a> opportunities that businesses aren’t taking full advantage of is their Google My Business listing. A well-curated GMB profile provides a significant boost to your local organic visibility, especially by appearing in users’ Local Packs.<\/p>\nPerhaps the most overlooked feature of this potentially loaded business profile is the photos section. The right strategy for your Google My Business photos can dramatically increase your organic traffic and revenue from the world’s largest search engine.<\/p>\n
Google data says that business listings with Google MyBusiness Photos<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n- Get 42% more requests for directions to your business location<\/li>\n
- Get 35% more clicks through to your business website<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In other words, photos are invaluable in building trust with consumers searching for your services and convincing them to consider your services further.<\/p>\n
But simply having that visual presence isn\u2019t enough. If you want to get the most out of your listing, your photos need to be thoughtfully crafted, expertly optimized, and regularly updated. Here are our top seven tips for optimizing your Google MyBusiness Photos<\/strong>.
\n <\/p>\nMake a great first impression with high-quality images with these 6 tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Add a wide range of photos to showcase your business<\/li>\n
- Make it an ongoing process<\/li>\n
- Optimize your photos<\/li>\n
- Keep an eye on user-generated photos (UGC)<\/li>\n
- Use user-generated posts to your advantage<\/li>\n
- Eliminate all irrelevant images<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/p>\n
1. Add photos<\/h2>\n
If you’re new to Google My Business, you might not even know where to start. Luckily, the platform makes it easy.<\/p>\n
For your profile photo<\/strong>, we recommend using a square business logo or a photo that best exemplifies your business. Your profile photo must be 250 x 250<\/strong> pixels.
\nFor your cover photo<\/strong>, you\u2019ll want to choose a high-quality image that\u2019s eye-catching and has the potential to draw customers in, as it\u2019s often used as the default image in search results. Your cover photo should be 1080 x 608<\/strong> pixels.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re using a desktop computer and are already on the Photos page, you can find the Profile and Cover options under Overview. For mobile users, proceed to the Profile menu to add these images.<\/p>\n
Now that you know the basics, it\u2019s important to understand how to choose and optimize your images to make an impact.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Use high-quality images<\/strong><\/p>\nThey say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that\u2019s certainly true in the online landscape. Like dating profile photos, people will make an almost instant judgment about your business based on a cursory glance.
\nIf you post grainy Google MyBusiness Photos<\/strong> of your business taken from an awkward angle on an old iPhone 6 camera, you\u2019ll immediately be at a disadvantage compared to competitors who have quality, professional photos.<\/p>\nIf your budget allows, hire a professional photographer who specializes in business photography. For best results, contact a Google-certified photographer in your area. These professionals will visit your business location and create a complete virtual experience for your GMB listing.<\/p>\n
If a professional photographer isn\u2019t in the cards, you can take your own high-quality photos. If you know someone who owns a powerful DSLR camera with a wide-angle lens, see if they\u2019ll lend it to you or offer to help.<\/p>\n
Even recent smartphones, like the iPhone 11 and Google Pixel 3, are capable of taking some truly stunning photos. Just be careful about your angles, framing, and lighting, and consult with someone with photography experience for feedback if necessary.<\/p>\n
Finally, make sure your images adhere to Google\u2019s guidelines and best practices. They should be saved in JPG or PNG format with a minimum resolution of 720\u00d7720 and a file size between 10KB and 5MB.<\/p>\n
\nFocus on photos that showcase your business<\/strong><\/p>\nHow many times have you looked at a business\u2019s Google listing and only seen an exterior shot of the property? It\u2019s not just boring, it\u2019s not helpful to a potential customer.<\/p>\n
The goal of adding images shouldn\u2019t be to simply show people what your front looks like. You want people to be excited about becoming a customer.<\/p>\n
To make a solid impression, try to include most or all of the following:<\/p>\n
\n- Shots of the interior and exterior of your business from multiple angles at different times of the day<\/li>\n
- Product images (depending on your business type, you may want to showcase a few key products or menu items)<\/li>\n
- Images that showcase your quality (before\/after photos, happy customers, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Photos of your team at work<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For example, if your business is a pet supply store, you might upload a few images of your signature dog baked goods, a few photos of your team interacting with customers’ pets, and a couple of images that showcase your groomer’s trimming skills.
\nAsk yourself: What can I post to show potential customers our products\/services and communicate their value?<\/p>\n
As long as your images are high quality and show your property in a positive light, more is always better.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Make Photos an Ongoing Priority<\/h2>\n
Many businesses take the “set and forget” approach<\/strong> when it comes to creating a new GMB listing. In other words, they create their listing and abandon it forever, assuming their work is done. But Google’s search algorithms tend to favor listings that are updated regularly.<\/p>\nAt the very least, you should try to add one or two new Google MyBusiness Photos<\/strong> each week. It will take up some of your time, but it will also signal to Google that your business is active and committed to providing helpful content to customers. That means higher search rankings for your listing and an easy competitive advantage.
\nIf you\u2019re not sure what to include, consider things like:<\/p>\n\n- Images of new products or services<\/li>\n
- Team photo from a recent company event<\/li>\n
- A shot of the interior or exterior from a previously unseen angle<\/li>\n
- A snapshot of daily or weekly deals\/specials<\/li>\n
- Images of happy customers with products (with their permission, of course)<\/li>\n
- Some \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d footage (of the manufacturing process, facilities, or prep work)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some of the photos you\u2019d post on your social media profiles might also be good candidates for your GMB listing. You don\u2019t want to post memes or cartoons, but you can cross-post anything that showcases your property, products, or services.
\n <\/p>\n
3. Optimize your photos<\/h2>\n
Many businesses are good at posting photos, but fail to actually optimize them. This is a huge missed opportunity and can significantly limit your ranking potential.<\/p>\n
For starters, use your primary keywords when naming your files. So, if you\u2019re posting a photo of the outside of your Los Angeles coffee shop, you might use a file name like los-angeles-coffee-shop.jpg instead of the generic IMAGE001.jpg. Use different relevant keywords for different photos.<\/p>\n
In addition to optimizing your file name, you also want to geotag<\/strong> each<\/strong> photo<\/strong> and include relevant information in the metadata (coordinates, physical address, etc.). You\u2019ll want to update the EXIF \u200b\u200bdata for each photo.<\/p>\nFew business owners do this for each of their photos before posting, so doing so will give you an immediate competitive advantage.
\nFinally, while Google My Business doesn\u2019t allow you to add specific tags to your photos, it does allow you to choose categories. Make sure to select the most appropriate and specific category for each photo when uploading it.<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\n4. Keep an eye on user-generated photos<\/h2>\n
You\u2019re not the only one who can add images to your GMB listing. Anyone with a Google account can add their own photos of your business.<\/p>\n
This is good in the sense that it allows customers to do some of the work for you, keeping your page populated and helping to build buzz for your business. However, this freedom to crowdsource can be a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to regularly check your listing and review all Google MyBusiness Photos<\/strong> posted by third parties. Any time someone shares an image that\u2019s irrelevant to your business or has malicious intent, you can report it to Google and request that it be removed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
5. Use User Generated Content to Your Advantage (UGC)<\/h2>\n
Research shows that user-generated content attracts nearly 30% more engagement than brand-generated content<\/strong>. People are more likely to trust the endorsement of other consumers.
\nAdditionally, by curating high-quality user photos for your Google My Business page, you can ensure that your listing is constantly populated with new content without having to constantly do the work yourself.<\/p>\nThe easiest way to do this is to keep track of your social channels, especially Instagram. Periodically search for your business name, hashtags, and check-ins, and look for user-generated images that showcase your business well.<\/p>\n
When you see a photo you like, send a message to the user who posted it. Thank them for taking the time to visit and share, and ask if it\u2019s okay for you to post the photo to your Google listing.<\/p>\n
If the user is particularly receptive, you may want to ask them to post the photo themselves. While you can always upload the image yourself, it can add extra credibility to your business if your listing is well-populated with content posted by actual customers.
\n <\/p>\n
6. Remove all irrelevant images<\/h2>\n
This goes hand in hand with the previous point, but it\u2019s not just about flagging user-uploaded images. It\u2019s about being aware of your own uploaded images and cleaning up any irrelevant photos that Google may have pulled on its own.<\/p>\n
For example, Google often automatically creates a business listing based on information already available. While the search engine is pretty good at pulling relevant images associated with your business, it\u2019s far from perfect<\/strong>. You might see photos of discontinued products, an outdated photo of a decaying building, or unflattering perspectives.<\/p>\nYour priority is to make sure that the best, highest-quality photos are displayed more prominently, and that may require deleting any old photos that are irrelevant, outdated, misleading, or of poor quality.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Delete any photos you\u2019ve previously updated that no longer adhere to your new high standards, and flag any automatically generated photos that don\u2019t show your business in the best light.
\nThis should go without saying, but \u201cirrelevant photos\u201d include stock images. In an effort to professionalize their business, some business owners will populate their listings with staged images from sites like Shutterstock.<\/p>\n
Not only does this not add any value to your listing, it can actually damage your brand by giving users the impression that you\u2019re trying to mislead them by misrepresenting your business. Your Google MyBusiness Photos<\/strong> should truthfully showcase your business.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Google MyBusiness Photos: Conclusion<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re proactive in strictly following all of these golden rules, your visibility and brand will benefit. Even if you can only spend 15 minutes a week on your GMB photos, the investment will be worth it. Give customers a reason to take a second look at your business and reach out to you![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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