Blog Post

Why Your Google My Business Listing Should Be Packed with Photos

Amber Blevins • Aug 08, 2019

As a local business owner, there’s a good chance you’ve already claimed your Google My Business (GMB) listing. If not, you should – You're undoubtedly missing out on customers without it. (Need to learn more about Google My Business? Click here .)

You may think your GMB listing is little more than the modern version of an old-school Yellow Pages entry. Sure, it helps people get your phone number and find your website, but there’s not much you can do to boost its customer-driving power, right? Wrong!

There’s an easy way to turn your GMB listing from a simple business directory entry into a customer magnet: Photos. Yep, that’s it. Photos. Lots of high-quality photos.

More GMB Photos = More Searchers Finding Your Business

SEO firm BrightLocal recently performed an in-depth study into the correlation between GMB listing photos and user behavior. Their findings were pretty startling. Take a look:

Businesses with more than 100 images get 520% more calls than the average business, while those with just one image get 71% fewer.

Businesses with more than 100 images get 2,717% more direction requests than the average business, while those with just one image get 75% fewer.

Businesses with more than 100 images get 1,065% more website clicks than the average business, while those with just one image get 65% fewer.

Before you ask – Yes, these figures are accurate and no, there are no typos. 520% more phone calls, 2,717% more direction requests on Google Maps, and 1,065% more website clicks... just by adding 100 or more photos to your Google My Business listing. Can you imagine this kind of increased traffic to your business?

But What About Businesses in the Service Industry?

Business owners in the service industry may be wondering how they can post 100+ photos on their GMB listing without getting redundant. How many home remodeling or autobody photos are too many? Selecting the photos you post requires some critical thinking and a bit creativity.

Of course, you absolutely should include high-quality photos of your completed projects. After all, your customers want to see a slick remodeled kitchen, a freshly landscaped yard, or newly constructed deck. But that’s not all they want to see.

Consider what your customers are really searching for. Certainly, they’ll search for your business by name and with select keywords like, “kitchen remodeling in my area.” But don’t forget the (slightly) less frequent searches that include brand names and specialty services. For example, “Thermador range” or “custom built cabinets.” Increase the chances of appearing in Google’s search results and attracting potential customers by loading up your GMB listing with photos of the brands you work with and the specialty services you provide.

While you may be tempted to share photos of your staff, GMB isn’t really the place to do it. Instead, dedicate a page on your website to share the human element of your business and highlight your team. Google gets picky when photos don’t add any value, so for GMB listings they’re really looking for your projects and products, your brands, and most certainly your customers. Is your business involved with customers in the community? Load up pics of customers at your recent fundraiser or company-sponsored little league game.

Where Am I Supposed to Get All These Photos?

Service industry professionals usually have a good portfolio of images displaying their work. If you don’t, consider making it a habit to get some high-quality before and after photos of your projects.

Posting photos to your GMB listing doesn’t have to fall solely on your shoulders, though. Your customers can also upload photos to your listing. This goes hand-in-hand with leaving a review for your business, so it’s a win-win. Encourage your customers to take photos of their newly completed projects, invite them to take a photo with the team who completed their project, or ask them to share the photos they may have posted on their personal social media.

More Phone Calls, More Requests for Directions, More Website Clicks

If the stats above didn’t convince you to beef up your GMB photos, here’s one more. It’s an oldie but a goodie: Back in 2014, Google conducted a study which found “ 50% of consumers who conducted a local search on their smartphone visited a store within a day.” This study was completed five years ago, so it’s a safe bet that number has increased by now. If your Google My Business listing is not helping you appear in search results, not drawing clicks and site visits, there’s little chance those consumers will be visiting your shop or showroom.

Need to learn more about Google My Business and how it can attract more customers? Locallogy is here to help! We’re local marketing experts and we’d love to walk you through the process of claiming your GMB listing.

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