Google Business Profile Previously Known As Google My Business pages are your front doorstep to local clients. It pays to make a good impression because, well, it’s the first impression that matters. Since nearly 50% of businesses receive more than 1,000 views on Google search each month, optimizing Google Business Profile has become perhaps the most important component of local SEO.
There are numerous ways you should be optimizing your GMB for your particular business, including adding an enticing business description, accurate and complete service listings, and filling out all other details in the Info section. Today, we are talking about one area that many marketers overlook, the use of images and how important they are for ranking in Google.
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Why Images Matter
With the rise of Google’s machine learning technology in recent years, it’s not necessarily about the words that are on the page but more about the visuals and branding components being used. Perhaps no examples are better than of image usage.
Google’s Vision API gives you the ability to drag and drop images of your business to “see” how Google views them. This provides clarity to the Google puzzle and shows you what types of images work and which types may not work.
For example, a local plumber will obviously want to use photos of workers on the job. Images of drains being fixed, pipes being tightened, bathtubs, showers, and other plumbing-related imagery are key to telling Google unequivocally that you are a plumbing company.
How to Implement Your Images
Then there’s the step of adding these images onto your GMB in the correct manner. You’ll want to add each image to the appropriate section of your GMB photo area. Ideally, you’ll have photos for “at work,” “team,” and “identity.”
Filling up each of these sections helps you have a more complete GMB profile, plus it shows users every important component of your business. They can see your workers performing a variety of services, one of which might be the service they need.
The next step after you post your images onto the GMB profile is to create a Google post. Your post will incorporate the image you just posted, and it’s an opportunity to establish greater relevance between the photo and your brand.
Google posts are an excellent opportunity to share special offers, announce big company news, or just say hello to potential customers. The most important step for getting sufficient SEO juice out of your Google posts is to include your Name-Address-Phone Number information at the bottom of each post, like a business citation.
You can additionally use each photo on your website, either in blog posts or static pages. A bonus step would be to link out to that page on the Google post you create for it. Remember, it’s all about keeping that SEO juice flowing through your Google properties to your website.
Geotagging
Add location relevance to your photos by geotagging them. To do this, mark down the GPS coordinates of your business or city center. Then, using a tool like EXIF Pilot, simply edit your latitude and longitude coordinates accordingly.
Save the image file and viola! Your image will now tell Google of its exact location, helping you improve your map rankings around that vicinity.
Linking GMB Posts to a Press Release
In case you haven’t heard, press releases are a nice way to get your brand out there, plus they have a bit of inherent SEO value as well.
One trick of the trade is to publish your press release and provide a link to it within a Google post. You’ll preferably want to use an image from your press release in that post, and a NAP citation again too.
Product Listings
Certain GMB types contain a products section, allowing you to post photos and descriptions of your main product offerings.
This is a great opportunity to provide relevant photos for each item and push even more relevance for your brand.
Google Posting Schedule
There’s no specific science for how often you should post on your GMB, but it appears that the more often you’re able to the more exposure you’re getting.
Some sources claim you should be creating Google Posts at a minimum once every 7 days, but the main takeaway is that Google will reward you for using their products and features. The more often you use them the better.
Start Your GMB Dominance Right Away
Start adding photos to your GMB profile today. It’s extra important for brand new businesses, but still quite vital for established brands. Impress Google and they’ll return the favor with better GMB rankings for you.
I am the founder of Citation Builder Pro. I have been in the SEO and content marketing industry for 15 years and have a lot of experience in public relations and online marketing.
I started Citation Builder Bro to help businesses of all sizes create high-quality citations for their websites. My team and I are dedicated to providing our clients with the best possible services.
