Google Gives Businesses More Photo Control With My Business Upgrade

Google is giving businesses more control of photos displayed with their search and map results, today announcing an update to the Google My Business product.

From the Google blog post introducing the change:

Starting today, you can tell us which image you’d like to appear when customers search for your business on Google. Just log in to Google My Business on the web or in the Android or iOS apps, and visit the Photos section. While you’re there, you can also give your business a fresh look online by updating your profile, logo and cover photos.

The new photo interface walks business owners through six categories of images — identity photos, interior photos, exterior photos, photos at work, team photos and additional photos. The dashboard includes explanatory hints for each category (sample: “Interior photos help your customers get a feel for the ambiance and decor of your business. Capture photos that truthfully show what it’s like to stand inside your business as a customer.”)

From the identity section — the profile, logo and cover photos — a business manager can select which image he or she wants displayed on search and map results. Clicking the three vertical dots displays the dialogue box:

My Business Locations Get Primary Categories

Google My Business also announced this week that businesses can set a primary category for locations within its organization.

“Please note that all locations of a business must share the one category that best represents the business,” wrote Jade Wang, Google’s community manager for Google My Business, in a help forum post Monday. “If you have multiple types of locations (e.g. sub-brands, departments, etc), this rule only applies within each of these sub-groups. Please visit our Help Center for more information.”

About The Author

Martin Beck

Martin Beck is Third Door Media's Social Media Reporter, covering the latest news for Marketing Land and Search Engine Land. He spent 24 years with the Los Angeles Times, serving as social media and reader engagement editor from 2010-2014. A graduate of UC Irvine and the University of Missouri journalism school, Beck started started his career at the Times as a sportswriter and copy editor. Follow Martin on Twitter (@MartinBeck), Facebook and/or Google+.