![]() For a while, before it was algorithm-ised, that option worked unconditionally. ![]() Google’s My Business platform recently underwent a makeover that allowed users to set preferred images. It’s important to remember, however, that these things change all the time. Some other listings that we’ve looked at have pulled the company logo from directories like the Yellow Pages or the White Pages (which is another reason why your listings should be updated frequently). But this defeats the purpose of Google My Business Listings, which is to provide the user with useful information about your business, like what your store or product look like. We can only speak from the data we’ve collected, but what we’ve noticed is that many of those companies have only uploaded their logo. We can already hear you saying, “But Yoghurt, what about my competitor who has THEIR logo first on THEIR listing?” Saying thank you seems like a bit of a stretch. Although your first photo preference is taken into account, there’s no guarantee that your preferred photo will be the first photo on Google.” Pictures of food at a restaurant, for example, tend to rate well. Google determines which photo will be shown first using a number of factors, like how well the photo represents the services or products the business offers. “Recommend the photo that you want your customers to see alongside your business name on Google Maps and Search. Straight from the horse’s mouth, Google writes about this in their guidelines for local businesses : The more relevant the picture is to the nature of your business, the better chances you have to rank higher.” Content of the image, as “Google tends to rank photos of real images higher than logos.In doing so, she outlines several factors that you should probably consider when choosing your preferred image, including: This is supplemented by Natalie Gould, author at Advice Local, who again talks about Google’s insatiable need to enhance the user’s experience. ![]() Mike Blumenthal, author at Local University explains how Google will ordinarily favour images that enhance the user’s map experience stating, “It (Google) will give the image you chose preference … BUT … if it is a logo or a head shot and they have an image that would improve a user’s Map experience (like an exterior view) they will substitute that image for the one that you chose”. Whilst this may seem counter-intuitive to traditional branding practices, what Google is trying to do is serve a consumer with all the tools they need to find your business in real life, providing contextual evidence to build your business up to something beyond a logo. ![]() In true Google fashion, they seem to be completely ignoring the preferences of their customers in favour of simply doing their own thing. As you can see, there’s no logo, which both intrigues and infuriates us simultaneously. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |