Google Launches Greatly Enhanced Business Photos - Google My Business Update

Google just released an exciting new, long awaited update.

Uploading images to your Google Local listings just got at least 10 times better with several new features and enhancements added.

Image uploads are now divided into easy to understand categories, with descriptions and examples.
AND you can now select the image you prefer to feature in search and the knowledge graph.

Here is the official announcement:
Better than 1,000 words: introducing new photo tools to help you show off your business on Google

Google gave us a sneak peak before launch so I've had the upgrade in my Google test account to play with for a couple days. Below is a screenshot in case some of you don't have the update yet.



BUSINESS PHOTO CATEGORIES

✔ Identity photos - 3 Sub-categories: Profile | Logo | Cover
✔ Interior photos
✔ Exterior photos
✔ Product photos
✔ Team photos
✔ Additional photos

NOTE: The different photo cards (categories) inside the GMB photos dashboard don't affect where the photos show up live on the listing (except for cover or profile images.) So the cards for interior, exterior, product, staff photos are just to help the owner organize photos.

I wanted to point out a couple important benefits that are subtle and could be overlooked.

CHOOSE PREFERRED IMAGE - Select which image you "prefer" to show up when people search for them on Google. (NOTE: Not guaranteed, but it's a way to signal Google which image you prefer.)

With the usual overly subtle GMB UI, this feature is easy to miss. On the "Identity Photos" card, see 3 small almost invisible dots at top right? That's where it offers the chance to "Select the photo you recommend to show first on Google Maps and Search." So you can select Profile, Logo or Cover.

CLICK AND DRAG TO REORGANIZE - Like I said, the different sections don't affect where the photos show up live on the listing - it's just to help you stay organized.

Initially all or most of your existing photos will be dropped into "additional photos". So just drag them to a different card if you like. I had an existing picture of a polar bear in additional photos for Linda's Snow Shop. I just dragged it up to "Staff Photos".

LOGOS - Now Google allows, even encourages you to add a logo. (In the past they didn't really like you to upload logos to your local listing.)

So all in all some VERY much needed and long awaited improvements to the image experience in GMB!

Don't you love it???

Any questions?
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Love the profile image I just added for Linda's Snow Shop?


I didn't do a whole lot with images on that page, just added profile and cover photos.

But check out my reviews. Jade and Joy and Keenan picked my little business apart!

FYI - That's a test account Google set up for me a couple years ago - not a fake business listing I set up for myself. Would I do that???

Anyway... what do you think of the update.

Totally AWESOME, right???

I have to admit, I do like this new feature. Pretty cool.

BTW, I do love those reviews Linda. Especially Joy's! LOL

Thanks for Sharing Linda...

You're welcome Scott and Justin.

So does everyone have the update already?

Weigh in and let us know and tell us what you think!

I have only checked 3 or 4 brick and mortar businesses, but they have it. Not sure about SABs though. Anyone checked any SABs?

All the TCs got this update in advance yesterday. So we had a chance to play with it, work with some images and put our posts together.

Wanted to share the other Top Contributor's posts which highlight additional information.

Here is Mike's detailed post:

<a href="http://blumenthals.com/blog/2015/02/24/google-my-business-upgrades-business-photos/">Google My Business Upgrades Business Photos</a>

And here is Joy's post:

<a href="http://imprezziomarketing.com/seo-blog/google-my-business/google-my-business-adds-new-photos-dashboard/">Google My Business Adds New Photos Dashboard | Imprezzio Marketing</a>

Hi Linda,

Great news!

Do you know if the business owner can now remove photos uploaded by a Google Trusted Photographer under the Business View project?

That is a much needed tool. If it isn't there, perhaps you can ask your contacts to add it.

Regards,
Jim

Scott Rawlins said:

I have only checked 3 or 4 brick and mortar businesses, but they have it. Not sure about SABs though. Anyone checked any SABs?

Click to expand...

Scott - I checked an SAB - They have the product photos and team photos. They don't have photos at work (since these are supposed to be at the physical location) or internal or exterior photos.

Thanks Joy. That certainly makes sense.

whitesell said:

Do you know if the business owner can now remove photos uploaded by a Google Trusted Photographer under the Business View project?

That is a much needed tool. If it isn't there, perhaps you can ask your contacts to add it.

Click to expand...

Hi Jim,

I think that would be a totally different interface. Actually even though I've written about BV a ton and am a big fan, I've never seen what it looks like inside the account.

I would assume it's uploaded through a different interface by the Photographer and you need to contact him/her to make edits?

That seems like the only way and only reasonable. Seems like if a business owner could just delete BV photos willy nilly it could mess things up and cause problems. Seems to me it would be best to have the photographer do it?

Please start a new thread to discuss or explain, so we don't take this important update thread off topic.

Linda Buquet said:

Hi Jim,

I think that would be a totally different interface. Actually even though I've written about BV a ton and am a big fan, I've never seen what it looks like inside the account.

I would assume it's uploaded through a different interface by the Photographer and you need to contact him/her to make edits?

That seems like the only way and only reasonable. Seems like if a business owner could just delete BV photos willy nilly it could mess things up and cause problems. Seems to me it would be best to have the photographer do it?

Please start a new thread to discuss or explain, so we don't take this important update thread off topic.

Click to expand...

Hi Linda,

I just checked some client's accounts I manage (and that have a BV tour and photos) and the pictures uploaded through the BV channel are not available to the business owner (as before).

So this new improvement is absolutely great for the photos uploaded by the business owner, but doesn't change anything regarding the photos uploaded by Google photographers.

I'll post more specifics in a new thread regarding some of the minor issues with the BV photos...

This is such an awesome update, I take back all my complaining about GMB India from the last month, at least

LOL Colleen. Glad you like it... that much!

whitesell said:

Hi Linda,

I just checked some client's accounts I manage (and that have a BV tour and photos) and the pictures uploaded through the BV channel are not available to the business owner (as before).

So this new improvement is absolutely great for the photos uploaded by the business owner, but doesn't change anything regarding the photos uploaded by Google photographers.

I'll post more specifics in a new thread regarding some of the minor issues with the BV photos...

Click to expand...

Business View Photos can only be altered by Business View Photographers or the Business View team at Google. Owners can only see them on the public side and they do not populate within the dashboard.

It is worth noting that there's a minimum requirement of 10 photos that needs to be shot by the photographer in connection to the BV Tour. Because that is the case, a photographer can only replace (not remove) photos if only 10 photos had been uploaded. If the photographer upload 15 then he/she can remove up to 5.

Second note worth mentioning, If you get a tour re-shot by the same photographer or another photographer, if they upload another 10+ photos it will override the original 10+.

Also something to keep in mind is when a BV photographer uploads photos it will be annotated as "uploaded by Google" instead of "uploaded by Owner"


As a side note... another feature that was updated today is, the Link in the dashboard to get a virtual tour is now a "photographer finder" it sends a quote request to the nearest photographer to the business address.

This also happens upon registration of a new My Business account. Only available to US, Canada and UK

Just had a play with it and discovered one quirk. Of the 3 identity photos, only logo files must be uploaded. The others can be from your albums or photos tagged of your business.
I'm sure there's a reason why they've done it that way...

Louis Nava said:

Business View Photos can only be altered by Business View Photographers or the Business View team at Google. Owners can only see them on the public side and they do not populate within the dashboard.

It is worth noting that there's a minimum requirement of 10 photos that needs to be shot by the photographer in connection to the BV Tour. Because that is the case, a photographer can only replace (not remove) photos if only 10 photos had been uploaded. If the photographer upload 15 then he/she can remove up to 5.

Second note worth mentioning, If you get a tour re-shot by the same photographer or another photographer, if they upload another 10+ photos it will override the original 10+.

Also something to keep in mind is when a BV photographer uploads photos it will be annotated as "uploaded by Google" instead of "uploaded by Owner"


As a side note... another feature that was updated today is, the Link in the dashboard to get a virtual tour is now a "photographer finder" it sends a quote request to the nearest photographer to the business address.

This also happens upon registration of a new My Business account. Only available to US, Canada and UK

Click to expand...

Awesome thanks for those BV details Louis. We really appreciate your knowledge.

They are asking about this in the Pro Community too, so I'll share your info there.

I started a new thread regarding the BV photos so as not to hijack this one, following up on Louis' comments above:
http://www.localsearchforum.com/goo...b-photo-updates-more-bv-photos.html#post57736

Regards,
Jim

Just had way too much fun playing around with this weee!

whitesell said:

I started a new thread regarding the BV photos so as not to hijack this one, following up on Louis' comments above:
http://www.localsearchforum.com/goo...b-photo-updates-more-bv-photos.html#post57736

Click to expand...

Thanks so much Jim!

rossicone said:

Just had way too much fun playing around with this weee!

Click to expand...

Rachel - glad you are having fun! I think it's really awesome and wish I had a bunch of client accounts to play with too! Kinda bored playing with Linda's Snow Shop. Haha