Product Photos in Local Search

Visual search is on the rise. Sixty-two percent of millennials and Gen Z want visual search over any new technology. Similarly, MIT has found that 90 percent of information transmitted into the brain is visual. Visual search is AI technology that helps digital users search through imagery that is paired along with text results. If your multi-location business is not already leveraging visual search, think of all the leads you could be missing.

Product Photos and Local Search

Adding to the importance of visual search, Google is increasingly showing shoppable photos in local search results. These product photos come from the Merchant Center, where multi-location businesses can upload product inventory across store locations. Currently, these photos only appear for mobile searches relevant to specific products, but this will likely expand to desktop searches.

images of cameras in search results on an ipad

When a user clicks on the product photo, it directs them to Google Shopping. The user will then be directed to the business's website to purchase the product. As seen above, Google even shows which products are in-stock and which have limited availability, as seen in the image above.

Types of Photos to Include in Local Search

When determining which types of product photos you should include, consider the following:

High-quality images are a must. They might be the first thing a shopper sees and should accurately reflect what the consumer will get.

Consider what makes your product unique, and highlight this through photos. This will help your multi-location business rank above competitors.

Who is your target audience? What features do they care about? These are things your business should consider when choosing product photos.

By following the tactics outlined above, your multi-location business will be able to help consumers better understand your product and ultimately boost your leads. Photos are also a great way to optimize your local Google Business Profiles and can increase your multi-location business's online visibility. For more tips on what it takes to level up your local search efforts, including product photos on Google, SOCi is here to help! SOCi is the marketing platform for multi-location brands and has the tools your business needs to crush its local search efforts.