The Low Hanging Fruit is Local Directory
If the business/es you manage is/are local, then Google My Business is a sure-fire way to boost your off-page SEO. Many businesses just aren’t aware of the power of this newer social platform/directory and haven’t taken the time to claim a profile and fill-it-in, never mind optimize it. And they definitely don’t know the secret squirrel tricks to getting a pro advantage. Even if you know tricks like geotagging, let’s put them in perspective.
The Pros Use EXIF data for a Serious Advantage
Fact #1: Digital cameras capture metadata when a photo is taken. A part of that metadata is called EXIF data. EXIF data captures more technical information about the image at the point of capture, such as camera properties and GPS location.
So, in short, photos come with data about the photo. Here’s a photo taken of a Domino’s in Erie, PA:
In the “General” properties of the photo file, detailed information is stored. However, in the “Details” tab, you will find even more information. There’s information on the camera type and the camera settings chosen as the photo was snapped and lots of info on the image in pixels, dots per inch (dpi), bits, and compression which look like this:
Fact #2: There are more data fields in one photo on your Google My Business profile than there are in your entire Google My Business listing! Use that to your advantage.
Here are a couple hidden-gem fields:
*Description Section of the Metadata
Cameras leave these fields blank for later editing but these are awesome keyword opportunities. The titles, subjects, tags, comments, and author are places to reiterate product names, key words, key founder names and more to create depth and intricate associations related to searches.
When these fields are empty, they look like this
Think about it. We know that a photo entitled: img_27395226557562, will never be found in a keyword search for anything so we title photos in order that the photo has the potential to show up in a search. But there are so many more metadata opportunities in every photo to strengthen the metadata and make it irresistible to the search engine.
*Global Positioning System and Geotagging
This pair of points, creates an exact location of topography where the photo was snapped.
Fact #3: Google cares where the photos associated with your profile were shot.
You can demonstrate that photos on your profile are associated with your geographic location by optimizing your photos through geotagging, like this:
Geotagging is the addition of detailed information to photo and video files in the form of location metadata. Google would rather use this geotagged photo of a Domino’s than one without gps data because the gps data makes the photo more reliable. It’s just much more likely to be a realistic picture of an Erie Domino’s if Google can verify that those coordinates jibe with the Erie Domino’s location.
When you geotag your photo, you are able to include its geographical location like the state or city, or add the specific location of your geotagged photo using longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates.
How does geotagging make a difference?
When you geotag photos, the photo’s information is stored in the image’s EXIF data, along with time, date, lens type, focal length and shutter speed which are recorded by the camera.
When you geotag a photo, you will be including relevant information about your business that visitors cannot see.
Search engines can view this information, and it can make your website and business listing more relevant to search engine queries that your target audience may be performing. Therefore, optimized images will help your website or Google My Business listing rank for local search queries, and help the images themselves appear in the SERPs.
Always remember: Google doesn’t have eyes. Yet ????
So, let’s take a look at the two photos below… They look the same, but are they!?
Your geotagging solution.
The process of geotagging photos can be tedious and time consuming, especially for businesses with multiple locations, as geotagged photos would need to be added to multiple business listings. Tools like dbaPlatform save time, effort, and money for your business.
Fact #4: Now an app exists to effortlessly update location data for multiple locations. No more manual EXIF data!
dbaPlatform allows effortless management of local business listings. By using dba Platform, you’ll reduce hundreds of hours managing local business listings, which are quite possibly the single-most important, yet overlooked aspect of SEO in 2018. Don’t wait, start optimizing photos in your Google My Business listing today.