In digital marketing, relevant and well-suited images are an essential for a successful brand campaign. In fact, according to Google, around 60% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a business whose images appear in local search results.
Business listings with good quality photos also receive at least 42% more requests for directions, and 35% more clicks through their websites. Using and optimizing images in Google My Business (GMB) is therefore one of the powerful strategies to establish online reputation, improve brand awareness, increase engagement, built trust and strengthen search engine optimization (SEO) value.
Here are some tips to optimize photos for your GMB listing:
Select appropriate GMB photo category
When adding photos to your GMB profile, make sure to select the most appropriate and specific category that best fits each photo.
a. Identity photos, such as profile pictures, logo and cover photo, help potential clients recognize your business across Google. These photos will also give them a good idea of your brand identity, personality and your products and/ or services.
b. Business-specific photos
- Exterior Photos. Upload at least three eye-catching storefront images that were captured from different angles and at different times of the day. These will help customers recognize your business as they might approach from different directions.
- Interior Photos. Provide your customers an insight about your how your establishment looks like from the inside, including its feel, atmosphere and ambience, by adding at least three photos showcasing your business amenities.
- Product Photos. Add three photos of your most popular products to give your customers a good idea of what kind of goods you offer.
- Photos at work. Showcase the type of work that you do by uploading photos of your team providing different services to customers.
- Team Photos. Include a minimum of three images of your management and employees to give clients a more personal feel to what your business is like.
- Food and Drink Photos. For restaurants, cafes and bars, add at least three images of the most popular and/ or recommended food and drinks.
Upload “authentic” photos
Add high quality and recent photos that serve as unaltered representation of what your business is truly like. While using filters and other graphic elements has been a practice when uploading images on social media, adding clear photos will little to no filters is highly encouraged on GMB. Steer clear of anything that is overly polished and staged as this may make your business seem less trustworthy. Avoid using stock photos and excessive photo manipulations and alterations which can make an inaccurate depiction of your business.
Optimize image metadata prior to uploading
Aside from selecting professional images, ensuring that the format, image quality and alt tags are optimized is highly important. When optimizing photos for GMB, make sure to follow these guidelines.
- File format in JPEG or PNG
- File size must be between 10 KB and 5 MB
- Recommended resolution is 720×720 px.
- Minimum size limit is 250×250 px
In addition, use relevant keywords and photo descriptions when naming files. Whenever possible, geo-tag each photo and include other pertinent info such as coordinates and physical address. These steps will increase your SEO value and will further help users find your business on Google.
Check user-generated photos
Any internet user with a Google account can upload photos of your business online. These are considered as the most authentic and raw photos which can help in promoting your business and boosting credibility. They also keep your page populated and up-to-date. However, checking your GMB listing and reviewing photos published by third parties on a regular basis is necessary to ensure that all photos are relevant to your business and have no malicious intent. Otherwise, you can request deletion by flagging the image and reporting to Google.
Remember that well-curated high-quality photos can make a world of difference to your digital marketing strategy. Simply follow these steps and see how you can boost your local SEO ranking, increase engagement with potential clients and eventually increase revenue by just using photos.
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