Google+ Business Images in the Local SERPs - New and HOT for Local!

[Linda Buquet]

Hot off the press, new Google+ Business images just spotted in the Local SERPs. I'm posting as soon as I discovered it. Have not analyzed markup or anything yet. Will leave that to you guys, because I have a consultation with a local search consultant that needs my help. So I'm just sharing really quick.

Not sure yet if this is a limited test or rolling out now...

Search Term: los angeles chiropractor
Website: West Los Angeles Chiropractic?-Top Los Angeles Chiropractor
Upon quick glance it looks like this is image is coming from a merged Local Google+ Business page

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Search Term: phoenix dentist
Website: Cosmetic dentist - family dentistry - Phoenix Arizona
Upon quick glance it looks like this is image is coming from an UN-merged Local Google+ Business page

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(Note: they dropped out of the pack, I think due to dupes, so just rank in organic, but based on the Chiro example above, even if they ranked in blended I think they would retain the image.)

Hat tips, for putting me on the scent to find the above screenshots, go out to:

Mike Wilton on G+ Google is starting to test showing Google Plus company images

Ross Hudgens: Google Testing Company Google Plus Photos in Search Results - Siege Media

Are you guys seeing this? Mike Wilton said he could not see Ross's examples.

Please share other examples, especially if you find some in the pack. And let us know what you discover about the type of markup used. I didn't have time to read Ross' article in detail but I think in one of his examples he said there was no markup just a link to the G+ Business page.

 

[Phil Rozek]

I see what you're seeing, but I don't think there's any change here. The profile picture on their "personal" G+ page (https://plus.google.com/113027164884557240059/about) is the same as the one on their business page (https://plus.google.com/113075624109211497692/about). So, as far as I can see, it's just authorship working as it always has (and it's shown up in the local results for quite some time now).

 

[DanLeibson]

These are beautiful local results, I would love to do a CTR/eye tracking study to see how dominate those business are withing their pack.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I see what you're seeing, but I don't think there's any change here. The profile picture on their "personal" G+ page (https://plus.google.com/113027164884557240059/about) is the same as the one on their business page (https://plus.google.com/113075624109211497692/about). So, as far as I can see, it's just authorship working as it always has (and it's shown up in the local results for quite some time now).

Phil, would this not be different than normal author mark-up due to the fact that it's linked to the verified Local G+ page instead of the G+ Profile page?

 

[Scott Rawlins]

I echo Colan's statement. I assumed author mark up only works for G+ personal profiles?

 

[Phil Rozek]

Phil, would this not be different than normal author mark-up due to the fact that it's linked to the verified Local G+ page instead of the G+ Profile page?

Hmm...that is weird. What's also weird is that the profile pic is no longer showing up in the SERPs, from what I can see.

---------- Post Merged at 06:21 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:18 PM ----------

@Rawly

That was actually my point; I think Colan's saying that that doesn't appear to be the case here, which I'd have to agree with

 

[Linda Buquet]

Was in a rush, also meant to preface with... maybe this is not what it looks to be at 1st blush.

I read the stories I linked to. Scrambled to try to find some results. Was late for a meeting. Shared what I found.

But from what I read and what I thought I was seeing, the images are coming from G+ business pages not personal profile pages. I didn't catch that the Chiro had the same image on the profile page though. Does the Dentist as well?

PLUS typically in the past for regular author markup Google would only show a clear head shot, not a group photo like that. So that's what lead me to believe it was pulling the image from the business page as well as opposed to a profile page. But I could be wrong. Have been many times before...

 

[Linda Buquet]

The other telltale sign these are coming from the Business page not the profile is the names. It would say by John Tooth DDS if it was a profile page, not by Westwind Dental.

These are the traditional profile pics we are used to seeing.
phoenix cosmetic surgery
Head shots and personal names - not business images and business names.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

The other telltale sign these are coming from the Business page not the profile is the names. It would say by John Tooth DDS if it was a profile page, not by Westwind Dental.

These are the traditional profile pics we are used to seeing.
phoenix cosmetic surgery
Head shots and personal names - not business images and business names.

Right, and if you click on the link it takes you to the verified Local G+ Page, not the G+ "personal" profile page.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I'm not seeing the photo for the Chiropractor anymore. Anyone else still seeing it?

 

[Scott Rawlins]

Not seeing it either.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Yep gone for me too. So is pea.com

But the Dentist is still showing.

Barry posted about this yesterday too and said now the images are gone in the examples they looked at too. Google Displaying Company Google+ Logos In Search Results With & Without Rel Publisher

 

[Daniel C Berman]

Probably was an A/B comparison test, but maybe we made to much noise about it.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Just picked up a tidbit that may help the images show???

Google Tests Google+ Company Logos In Search Snippets

See comment from Stephen Slater

"I have found with a few clients that if you verify their G+ page and associate it with their website in Webmaster tools you can achieve this result. I have also found that this helps to improve information found in the knowledge graph."

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Just picked up a tidbit that may help the images show???

Google Tests Google+ Company Logos In Search Snippets

See comment from Stephen Slater

"I have found with a few clients that if you verify their G+ page and associate it with their website in Webmaster tools you can achieve this result. I have also found that this helps to improve information found in the knowledge graph."

I suspected this. It's basically like the equivalent of verifying your e-mail address in the contact section of your G+ "personal" page. As long as the e-mail is on the same domain as your content.

https://plus.google.com/authorship

 

[Phil Rozek]

I do hope that was just a test - and a short-lived one. We don't need more non-authors getting their mugshots to show up in the search results (just by virtue of having a G+ for Business page).