Ask An SEO: Is There Any SEO Benefit To Image Geolocation Data? via @sejournal, @HelenPollitt1

Our question contiguous follows good from the one I addressed previously, which is each astir metadata for images.

This time, it focuses specifically connected 1 facet of metadata: “Is determination immoderate SEO payment to representation geolocation data?”

Before I reply this question, it’s important that we each get connected the aforesaid leafage astir what geolocation information is.

What Is Image Geolocation Data?

Essentially, it’s codification embedded successful an representation that gives details astir wherever that representation was taken oregon created.

The astir communal mode of expressing this accusation is done EXIF oregon exchangeable representation record format.

EXIF is simply a information format that includes accusation astir however an representation was captured. It tin see aspects specified arsenic the size of the representation successful pixels, the settings the camera was acceptable to erstwhile it took the image, and erstwhile the photograph was taken.

EXIF information tin besides supply accusation connected where the representation was taken.

How You Can Find The Image Location Data

Not each photograph you instrumentality oregon download volition person metadata. If, for example, you person acceptable your phone’s camera to not stock the determination of the images you take, past that information volition beryllium missing.

However, if you spell to the record accusation of a photo, usually done a right-click connected the representation oregon tapping the paper accessible via the image, you should beryllium capable to spot if a determination has been recorded.

This volition often beryllium successful the signifier of coordinates and whitethorn person a unsmooth municipality oregon metropolis based connected those coordinates.

A warning, though: the determination information tin not lone beryllium deleted but besides edited. Therefore, adjacent if you find the determination information for the image, its accuracy cannot beryllium guaranteed.

In Theory, What Benefit Could Geolocation Data Have?

If we deliberation astir this logically, knowing what we’ve deduced astir how hunt engines work, determination are respective areas wherever we could expect geolocation information to assistance with SEO.

Understanding The Image

In a akin mode to structured information markup, we could expect the geolocation to springiness the hunt engines much contextual clues astir the quality of the image.

For example, if the photograph is of a upland and the geolocation information puts the lensman astatine the basal of Mount Everest, the hunt engines mightiness deduce that the photograph is of Mount Everest.

Relevancy For Landscapes/Location Imagery

By giving the hunt engines much discourse astir the image, it whitethorn assistance them to place its relevance to searches.

For example, knowing that this photograph of a upland was taken adjacent Mount Everest whitethorn marque it much applicable to representation searches similar “Mount Everest photo” and “base campy astatine Mount Everest.”

This would marque logical sense, particularly fixed what we cognize of however the hunt bots often usage an image’s rubric and alt text to find relevancy.

Local Search And Location Profiles

Location accusation would, successful theory, beryllium astir important for section searches and location-specific concern profiles similar Google Business Profile and Bing Places.

Images are often uploaded to these profiles, and arsenic such, geolocation information could heighten the section relevancy of the profiles.

A photograph of the extracurricular of a store successful Seattle with the geolocation information suggesting the photograph was taken successful Seattle would theoretically assistance to reenforce that the store was applicable to searchers successful Seattle.

What Evidence Do We Have That Geolocation Data Makes An Impact On SEO?

When we are considering however optimizations mightiness interaction ranking, crawling, indexing and different aspects of SEO, we request to inquire ourselves if we person immoderate grounds of it being impactful.

In the lawsuit of geolocation information impacting SEO, I tin accidental that, no, unfortunately, determination is nary – beyond anecdotal, that is.

In fact, determination person been a batch of studies into whether geolocation information impacts section rankings and the show of Google Business Profiles. One survey to instrumentality a look astatine is by Sterling Sky.

It appears that Google really strips retired the EXIF information from images posted done Google Business Profile, astatine slightest from nationalist display. Whether it inactive uses the EXIF information it removes from the representation is to beryllium determined.

Google Claims It Does Not Use Exif Data

As acold backmost arsenic 2014, Google representatives, including Matt Cutts, claimed they did not presently usage EXIF information but that they whitethorn good successful the future.

However, reports from the SMX Advanced league successful September 2024 suggest that Martin Splitt of Google reiterated this 10 years aft Cutts.

Can We Trust Google?

A batch of SEO pros volition assertion that Google lies. I similar to deliberation of it arsenic america SEO professionals, possibly not knowing the nuances capable to spot that what a Google typical has said is technically true, but not needfully close to the discourse we comprehend it in.

However, successful enactment with Google’s assertions, we truly don’t person thing beyond occasional, unverifiable anecdotes that geolocation information similar EXIF impacts Google’s crawling, indexing, oregon ranking successful immoderate meaningful way.

What About The Other Search Engines?

Bing does not notation geolocation information astatine each successful its photo guidelines. I can’t find immoderate grounds that Baidu oregon Yandex usage it either, though this is purely done armchair research.

Given that, though, we bash cognize that determination are waves of caller hunt platforms coming online and, indeed, different ways of searching that could arguably autumn nether an SEO’s purview.

Large connection models (LLMs) whitethorn good usage further information points than the accepted hunt engines.

What we don’t cognize yet is if they usage geolocation information arsenic portion of their ways of selecting which pages and brands to show successful their answers oregon hunt results.

So, Is Geolocation Data Something We Should Take Note Of?

I would suggest that adding geolocation information to your images is not thing that should find its mode into your task list. We don’t truly person the information to backmost up claims that it is impactful.

In fact, we person much studies and communications from hunt motor representatives that suggest it isn’t utile successful SEO.

Whereas I don’t deliberation it is worthy the clip and vigor to instrumentality geolocation data, I don’t deliberation it’s harmful to see it. Don’t spell to the grade of altering it oregon deleting it. Just permission it if you person already included geolocation information successful your images.

Perhaps, successful time, it volition go useful. As Google has said, it reserves the close to usage it. We inactive don’t cognize if emerging hunt platforms volition usage it.

Essentially, if you are truly keen to recognize its impact, I would suggest investigating it with your ain images.

Add EXIF information to a acceptable of images and measurement their rankings against a power radical that doesn’t usage EXIF data.

Measure the alteration successful rankings earlier and aft adding the EXIF information and comparison it to the power group.

If determination are akin changes successful the rankings, past it is imaginable the EXIF information had nary impact.

If determination are important increases (or decreases!) successful the rankings of the images with EXIF data, but not the power group, that would suggest they are impactful.

More Resources:

• 12 Important Image SEO Tips You Need To Know
• 14 Most Important Meta And HTML Tags You Need To Know For SEO
• UX & SEO Guide

Featured Image: maxbelchenko/Shutterstock