Do You Use GeoTagged Images for your Local Listing?

[mborgelt]

While completing the optimization process for a Google+ Local listing, we have found that it?s quite beneficial to upload images that aren?t just alt tagged but geo tagged as well. This is not a new concept for many local search professionals, for more info read an old blog from Blumenthal: http://blumenthals.com/blog/<wbr>2009/02/10/local-seo-tip-<wbr>google-maps-loves-panoramios-<wbr>geotagged-images/.

At my company, our optimization process isn?t 100% completed until we have 10 geo tagged images and 5 videos. We continually see positive ranking movements with this process.

Recently we have been using more image sharing sites (pinterest, photobucket, flickR, etc.) to build image citations. We?ve actually have seen some influence in the rankings with this tactic as well.
Anybody else using image sharing strategies and if so, have you experienced encouraging results?

 

[Marie Ysais]

I have just recently started geo tagging the images. So I can't provide any data yet but soon. What service are you using to geotag the images?

 

[localsearchguy]

I've used them on a pretty large scale with minimal success. I did find that uploading the images to Flickr with a Business Name City State name was almost immediately effective for image search.

Make sure you verify the geo-coding works on each site you send the photo to, from my experience there must be multiple image properties that can be read for geo-tags. If anyone has insight on the details of geo-coding requirements for universal acceptance that would be appreciated.

 

[mborgelt]

A good free geotag software is GeoSetter. GeoSetter

 

[Nick Rink]

Agree with the above post from @mborgelt that GeoSetter is a pretty simple way to geotag images ... and it's free.

Never quite sure just how much impact geotagging images has, but like everything else in this biz it's an accumulation of little things that can make a big difference overall.

 

[mborgelt]

localsearchguy,

When creating FlickR accounts with Business Name City State, have you had any accounts go under suspension? I believe there is a violation in FlickR's guidelines for using a business name for the name of an account, as we've had a few FlickR accounts go under suspension. Now, we try to create accounts with the owners name. Just wondering if you have had similar issues?

Lately we've preferred Business.Pinterst. http://business.pinterest.com

 

[Marie Ysais]

Thanks everyone! All of the tips has helped me get started and moving forward.
I agree it is a combination of many stars aligning but I love learning new ways to obtain citations and ways to create new links.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

We had a vendor geo tag images for us for one of our clients. We didn't see any improvement in ranking. Small sample size though.

 

[KungFuBacklinks]

I find the geotagging so easy to do, so I always do it. Every little bit helps.

I used to use Flickr and Panoramio. Panoramio accounts got deleted left and right. I got some warnings for Flickr, but didn't get the axe with any clients that I know of.

I appreciate the tip on renaming the Flickr account. Additionally, the images I create have business name and number on the images, so it's clear that the images are for commercial use.

Lately I use Picasa Web only. I can geo-tag, add regular tags and Picasa captures the citation info added to each image file nicely. It's hard to quantify the impact this has on overall rankings, but again... easy to do and I'm sure every piece makes a stronger whole.

 

[mborgelt]

Will said Kung Fu!

However, have you experienced any deleted accounts with using Picasa?

 

[KungFuBacklinks]

Nope. No problems. I don't expect any either, since Picasa Web seems to feed right into the G+ interface. I'd be surprised if they censored anything there.

 

[MattCheah]

So what is everyone's process when using Geosetter and/or Picasa/Flickr/Panoramio?

Do you believe that adding meta information including lat/long and keywords etc. to images BEFORE adding them to GPLACES via the dashboard has any effect on placement?

Otherwise should we just treat Picasa/Flickr/Panoramio like another "directory" but just upload client images there as opposed to or as well as Gplaces?

 

[mborgelt]

Hard to directly answer your question as the answer would be debatable among most Local Search Specialists.

Yet we do know that a large combination of processes are what help move the rankings and this is just one of them.
This process may be arguable with absolute results... But it is one piece of the puzzle.

 

[Travis Van Slooten]

I've been geo-tagging and multi-tagging images (i.e. tagging with keywords, author name, address, etc. etc.) for a long time. I honestly can't say it's helped. It certainly doesn't hurt and since I also use Geosetter, the process only takes a few minutes so it's standard protocol.

Travis Van Slooten

 

[Chris Ratchford]

I probably am spinning my wheels, but I optimize clients' G+L images using Photoshop's XMP tool. Here's a screenshot:

 

[David Deering]

I use Photoshop to do the same, Chris. It just takes a few minutes and as everyone says, it can't hurt.

For those who have Photoshop, just in case you don't know how to get to the tool that Chris showed in the above screenshot, just go to File--> File Info and it'll pull right up.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hey guys, there was just another new Google+ Business update. Wanted to share it here, since related. http://localsearchforum.catalystema...3848-new-google-update-geotagging-photos.html

 

[freerunr]

By way of resurrecting this conversation, my teammate Alex discovered that images we had geotagged then uploaded to Google+/Places were stripped of the geo information. Obviously we can use the new option in Plus to have the images geotagged (http://localsearchforum.catalystema...3848-new-google-update-geotagging-photos.html), but we were curious if anyone else was experiencing this. The tool we used to check was Jeffrey's Exif viewer. Obviously, if geotagged information is removed from an image upon uploading it, there is no reason to continue the practice, but rather use the option Linda wrote about back in March.

Bing also seems to strip geo-data from images.

Thoughts?

 

[Linda Buquet]

By way of resurrecting this conversation, my teammate Alex discovered that images we had geotagged then uploaded to Google+/Places were stripped of the geo information. Obviously we can use the new option in Plus to have the images geotagged (http://localsearchforum.catalystema...3848-new-google-update-geotagging-photos.html), but we were curious if anyone else was experiencing this. The tool we used to check was Jeffrey's Exif viewer. Obviously, if geotagged information is removed from an image upon uploading it, there is no reason to continue the practice, but rather use the option Linda wrote about back in March.

Bing also seems to strip geo-data from images.

Thoughts?

Kerry, so sorry, I totally missed your last comment and am not familiar with this issue, but sounds important. So I'm bumping this thread and Tweeting it to see if we can get more feedback.

 

[mploy]

What about businesses serving customers at their location(hvac, plumbers, etc).
Should we geo tag videos/images?

Does it give any edge? Let say if the image taken at customers location i won't geo tag it. But lat say logo image or company commercial - does geo tagging helps?

And main important won't it hurt?