Where to start
- Show the real place, people, process and outcomes
- Use descriptive filenames and accessible alt text on the website
- Publish current Google Business Profile photos
- Do not rely on geotagging as a ranking shortcut
Create images that answer buyer questions
A storefront photo helps visitors recognize a location; process images explain how work happens; product or project images support comparison. Start with the evidence the customer needs.
Avoid generic stock images when first-hand photography can demonstrate the real business more credibly.
Optimize website images for people and performance
Resize and compress images, use modern formats and reserve dimensions to reduce layout shifts. Write alt text for the image's purpose, not as a place to repeat target keywords.
Use descriptive filenames and captions where they genuinely clarify the subject or location.
Maintain a trustworthy Maps photo library
Upload current exterior, interior, team and service imagery to Google Business Profile. Remove outdated owner-uploaded images where the interface allows, while recognizing customer photos are managed differently.
Photo quality supports customer confidence, but no image technique guarantees a map ranking.
Prepare for multimodal discovery
Keep products, services, business details and visual subjects consistent across the website, Maps and social profiles. This gives search systems better contextual evidence.
Monitor how visual assets influence profile actions, assisted enquiries and branded searches instead of treating views as the final goal.
Build a photo brief before a publishing calendar
List the visual questions a customer needs answered: which entrance to use, what the workspace looks like, who will provide the service and what an actual finished project includes. Capture those subjects with permission and label the files clearly. Use current material when the premises, team or service changes.
For website delivery, export an image near its displayed size and provide responsive alternatives for smaller screens. Reserve its width and height. Load the main visible image promptly and defer images farther down the page. Give meaningful images concise descriptions and decorative images empty alt text. Measure the resulting page; changing a file extension alone does not establish a performance improvement.