Business photos on Google: It Makes a Difference
This is what happens when you make great pizza
Mike Blumenthal recently posted about an upgrade to photos in the Google My Business dashboard. It’s one of series of recent dashboard upgrades and another indication that Photos could should be a priority for local businesses.
The highlight of Mike’s post:
“In a recent case study, I found that 70% of web based actions leading to a sale occurred on Google, either in the Knowledge Panel, Maps or the search result. Photos seem to play a huge role in both the first impression and the subsequent user action. Google research has indicated significant click through improvements on listings with photos vs those without:
Having great photos is one controllable step that can facilitate that initial client interaction. With this improved interface there is no reason not to take advantage of this bump.”
Good Photos Attract Customers
While working with Yelp reps last year on a chain of restaurants, I was “encouraged” to add images along with additional attributes. The average image count went from <10 to >80 for each location and we saw a very tangible 20% increase in visibility and clicks in the Yelp business dashboard. More photos appeared to both improve rankings on Yelp and click-through visits & phone calls. The photos added had optimized file names with “keyword + city” (always a good practice) so that may have helped.
Your customers can upload their own photos of your business on Yelp and now on Google too. Sometimes those are the best and most engaging images.
What Makes a Good Business Photo?
The best photos are ones that show interactions of people and your business. Logos and random photos don’t compel anyone to do anything. People want to see humans enjoying themselves in your establishment or with your products. Stock images will never do. Smiling faces and action interior/exterior shots are the best.
You may need a professional business photographer if you are struggling with coming up with your own awesome photos. It will likely be a great investment for your website and you can use those images on Google and Yelp and anywhere you want. And that’s why Ramblin Jackson now offers business photography. Because it works!
What about you? What type of photos compel you to like, or visit a business? What moves you to click? Let us know in the comments.
If you saw a bunch of photos of a line down the block out front of a pizza place, what would you assume about their pizza? I’ve been in that line at Pepe’s. It was worth it!