Photo is one of the most important elements to pay attention to when utilizing Google My Business.
Perhaps some people might be thinking, “I don’t know what kind of photo I should put on my page” , or “Taking a photo is such a troublesome thing to do”, or maybe “Uploading these photos must be complicated and time-consuming.”
There are many business owners out there who are facing these kinds of concerns, and numerous individuals have come to us to ask for advice regarding this issue.
If you are also having the same concerns, then this article is for you! We will introduce to you some simple but effective tips about photos in Google My Business.
This article will briefly explain the importance of photos in Google My Business, examples of good photos, and things that you should pay attention to when uploading photos to Google My Business.
This would only be a 5 minute read, so please stick with us!
Contents
The importance of photos in Google My Business
Examples of good photos
Things to pay attention to when uploading photos
The importance of photos in Google My Business
Some of you may be asking, “What is a Google My Business photo?”
We will now briefly explain what it is all about.
Photos in Google My Business refers to photos that are displayed on your business/store profile, for example in Google Maps. Third parties and general users such as your customers can upload photos that they take, but you as the business owner can also upload photos using the available feature in Google My Business.
This feature will allow you to highlight and show off the attractive points of your business, such as the interior decoration, the store exterior, the menu, and so on.
For a better idea of how it works in action, try visiting the profiles of other businesses in Google My Business. Many businesses are already using this feature to get more customers!
As for why photos are considered important in Google My Business, this is in line with Google’s principle of “providing useful data for the users”. Photos are considered to have a significant weight in influencing a user’s decision.
Below is a statement from Google regarding the effect of photos for businesses.
Interact with customers
You can read and respond to reviews from your customers. Post photos that show off what you do. Businesses that add photos to their Business Profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps, and 35% more clicks through to their websites than businesses that don’t.
About Google My Business - Google My Business Help.
As we can see, a photo is an important decision-making factor that could make a customer decide whether they will visit your store or not.
This is why uploading photos is essential for your business. Business owners should aim to upload and update more photos on their page.
Examples of good photos
Now that we know why uploading photos is important, we can almost hear you asking, “So what kind of photos should we upload?”
We will now explain about what can be considered a “good photo”.
To begin with, let us pose a question. When you are in the process of deciding which store to visit, do you look at the photos they have?
If you do, what kind of photos do you usually see?
Usually we look at photos of a store’s interior, photos of the menu that a restaurant serves, and other photos to help us decide.
However, there is a difference between photos that can be used as a reference and those that can not.
For example, let’s have a look at these photos.
We often see this kind of photos in restaurant menus for a special occasion, such as a dinner party.
Have you ever seen the actual food that comes out from this type of menu?
Oftentimes, the actual food is very different from what we see in these photos.
In important events such as an office party or dining with a client, this kind of difference can cause you trouble.
This is why we usually look for places that serve their menu exactly as how they look in the photos. For example, places where the photos uploaded by customers are not much different from photos uploaded by the business.
We will now show some examples of such photos from an existing business.
From Yakiniku Yoin, Ebisu.
These are the photos that the business owner uploaded.
At first glance, these photos look very appealing, but then you may start to think “If I go there, the actual meat can’t be this big, there’s no way it’s really this thick! I won’t be fooled again!”. And then you start to look for other photos for further reference.
Subsequently, you find these photos uploaded by their customers.
Huh? They look almost the same as the photo uploaded by the owner.
Moreover, you may start to think that these photos from customers actually look more appealing to you than the photos that the business owner uploaded.
The first photo shows what it looks like if we flip the meat over. Wow, it looks delicious!
This is just an example of an experience from someone who later actually went to eat at the shop.
In conclusion, if there is a huge difference between what is shown in the photos and the actual product, people will be disappointed.
We know you are giving your best for your business, so it would be a shame if your hard work is viewed negatively just because you choose the wrong photo.
Therefore, we recommend to upload photos that fulfill the below requirements:
“Real” photos
Well-balanced photos
Please carefully consider these 2 points!
What is a “real” photo?
Basically, the goal is to minimize the difference between your photos and the actual product.
Someone who has purchased your product before will know what to expect, but someone who is just about to make their first purchase will only have the images that they see from your Google My Business photos as their reference.
When the actual product turns out to resemble the image they had previously seen, people will be satisfied.
It is great if you put a lot of effort to take a photo that looks good (such as coordinating the photo composition and lighting), but make sure that the photo doesn’t turn out to be too different from the actual product!
What does “well-balanced photos” mean?
This refers to balancing the types of photos that you upload.
For example, you might only upload photos of your menu without photos that show what your store looks like, or the other way around, only uploading photos that shows what your store looks like but not your product. This unbalanced approach could lead to customers losing their interest in your business.
Google has compiled a number of tips regarding what types of photos you should consider uploading to your Google My Business page.
Business Specific Photos – Google My Business Help
Things that you have to pay attention to when uploading photos
Lastly, we will touch on some important points that you must pay attention to when you upload your photos.
If your photos don’t follow these guidelines, no matter how attractive your photos are, they will not be useful to you.
Guideline for photos
Your photos look best on Google if they meet the following standards:
Format: JPG or PNG.
Size: Between 10 KB and 5 MB.
Recommended resolution: 720 px tall, 720 px wide.
Minimum resolution: 250 px tall, 250 px wide.
Quality: The photo should be in focus and well lit, and have no significant alterations or excessive use of filters. In other words, the image should represent reality.
Google My Business Help - Add photos or videos to your Business Profile
Maps User Contributed Content Policy Help - Prohibited and Restricted Content
Maps User Contributed Content Policy Help - Format Specific Criteria
These are the guidelines from Google that need to be followed. Business owners should check and confirm to make sure their photos fulfill these requirements.
In other words, the photos should look great and also have the correct size. Of course, you should also not use low resolution or low quality photos for your business.
Follow these rules and let us utilize the photos feature in Google My Business to maximize its potential!
And thus, we have briefly explained to you the importance of photos in Google My Business, examples of good photos, and things that you should pay attention to when uploading photos to Google My Business.
Ultimately we can clearly see that photos are essential for businesses. Great photos will directly affect the number of customers your business will receive.
If you are someone who has never uploaded a photo of your business before and is currently planning to start doing it, there is no better moment than now!
A single photo that you upload might acquire you some new customers.