Geotagging Photos and Search Rankings: What the Data Shows
Introduction
Recent analysis by Sterling Sky challenges a common belief in the SEO community: geotagging photos may not significantly impact search rankings—neither organic nor local pack results. This blog post breaks down the key findings, expert insights, and recommendations from their study.
Key Findings
- Geotagged photos added to Google My Business (GMB) listings or websites showed no measurable increase in rankings over several weeks of observation.
- Other GMB fields (e.g., categories, business name, website URL) had a more direct impact on rankings than geotags.
Expert Insight
Joel Headley, a noted SEO expert, emphasized that metadata tagging upon upload “doesn’t matter” for GMB, suggesting geotags are irrelevant for ranking purposes. This aligns with the study’s conclusion that geotagging photos is not a priority for local SEO.
Recommendation
The study advises against prioritizing geotagging photos for local SEO. Instead, focus on high-impact factors like:
- Optimizing GMB fields (categories, business name, URL)
- Implementing UTM tracking for campaign analysis
- Ensuring technical SEO best practices
Conclusion
Geotagging photos is unlikely to influence search rankings. Prioritize other SEO strategies (e.g., categories, website fields, UTM tracking) for measurable results. For further details, refer to the presentation shared at the LocalU event in August 2021.