Want to rank your business on Google and the search engines? Better get some good pictures.
Most local business owner’s (and marketing pros) don’t realize how important pictures are for ranking on Google. Pictures are now one of the MAJOR ranking factors.
Why does Google care about your pictures? Because they show you are a real business doing real work. These days Google likes REAL.
In the past, ranking on search engines it was all about keywords and tricks and loopholes. Those days are quickly fading away due to new “smart algorithms”. All that means is that Google is getting smarter and starting to look at websites and rankings as humans do. Google wants to rank those businesses that can prove they are what they say they are and do what they say they do.
What kind of pictures does Google want?
1. Work Being Done: This includes original pictures of real people doing the work that your business provides. That also means no stock pictures purchased online or nabbed off the Internet. For example: if you register your business as a carpet cleaner then you should have pictures of yourself or employees cleaning carpet. If you own a sports bar then you should havepictures of people serving drinks. Notice I said people NOT carpet cleaning equipment or fancy pictures of cocktails. Remember, Google wants it to be REAL. People are real. Google can actually detect if there are faces and bodies in your pictures.
Like I said they are getting smarter.
2. Branding: In addition to pictures of real people doing work Google wants to see that those people are actually part of your business (including yourself). To do this simply make sure the business logo is displayed on shirts, hats in the background, on vehicles, etc. Yes, Google can detect your logo and match it to the logo you upload when setting up your account.
3. Location: Google also wants to make sure you are doing business in the city you say you are located. So, if you register your business address in Los Angeles, California, then make sure you take your pictures in the city of Los Angeles, California. Always make sure you do this with a Smartphone because it will automatically tell Google exactly where the picture was originally taken. Did I mention that Google is getting smarter?
Check out this picture I recently uploaded to my Google Account
Joe Burnich (real person)
Doing Internet Marketing (work being done)
Wearing Big West Marketing Hat (branding)
At the Office in Missoula Montana (location)
Check out Part 2. Click Here!
