Best Image Size for Google+Local Listing?

[Greg]

Hello all,

Just about to do a new Google+Local listing and wondered what you use as the ideal image size for the 10 images?

Best regards


Greg

 

[Phil Rozek]

By no means have I got the hang of the new, oversized images on Google+Local pages. But I do know you should go larger than 110 x 110, because that’s the size of the 5 thumbnails that show up at the top of the page, and you don’t want those to get blurry. It’s fine if they’re not square dimensions. 110 x 110 is pretty small; I’m sure your photos were going to be bigger than that anyway.

Greg Gifford also had a handy template that he included in the great presentation he did at our SMX West panel last month; check out slide #13:

How to Kick Ass on Google+ Local When You're All Out Of Bubblegum

 

[Greg]

Hi Phil,

Crazy that Google can't provide guidelines...

I picked up some info here:

Photos, videos, and reviews - Places for business Help
When adding a photo to your listing, keep in mind the following guidelines:

• Photos must be in one of these formats: JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF, BMP.
• Each photo must be smaller than 1MB.
• Each photo must be bigger than 256 x 256 pixels, but under 1024 x 1024 pixels.

Regards

Greg

 

[Phil Rozek]

Ah, I think I was mistaken about the minimum dimension: 256 x 256 sounds like what it's been all along. Thanks for the reminder, Greg.

 

[Linda Buquet]

This post may help too: http://localsearchforum.catalystema...google-local-images-after-display-update.html

That also has a direct link to Greg's image template and big post about the image changes - BUT NOTE that's for the 'merged' G+ pages, not the regular G+ L pages. I don't believe anything has changed with image sizes on the regular G+ L pages.

Except now you need to be sure your 1st image will look good cropped as a small circle, so pick image that does not have something important in the corners.

 

[localsearchguy]

I've found the key to not getting distorted is to use a square image. If you don't have a square image you can mask a background to make it square. Here's an easy web app to help. Square Image Generator

As far as size goes, as long as it's square, and in the 256x256 to 1024x1024 range you should be good to go.

PS - for your 'profile pic', if it has text near the edges make the background mask a little larger to give some buffer. The circular 'profile pic' format can take a few pixels off the bottom.

 

[Greg]

Thanks Linda,

Google has a way of keeping us all guessing....

Just as a matter of interest, is it easy to change images after publishing when you find that they no longer look right after Google makes changes?

Regards

Greg

 

[Linda Buquet]

As far as I know if you don't like one or the order, you have to delete all and start over, can't just replace one or change the order. (At least if you are still in the old dash.)

Plus new images can take up to 6 weeks to show up. So you want to take your best shot and try to get it right the 1st time if possible. Image uploads are just kinda funky. Hopefully some of those issues will get better once we all have the new dash.