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A14 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
A14 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Quickly skim through the index of questions below. If you see nothing of interest, please skip ahead to the next topic called Perspective.
What is framing?
What is framing?
In this tutorial framing means how you compose your shot:
- Whether you use portrait or the wider landscape orientation.
- Where you position the storefront and store name in your frame.
- And how zoomed in or out you take your shots.
Photographers often use the term framing differently. Like in this photo of the Marble Church in Copenhagen. Here the black chain link is 'framing' the church dome.
It could also be a window frame, a hole in a fence, an opening between some tree branches, or the opening under a bridge. Or it can be something in the background that draws attention to something in the foreground.
Don't be confused by the two meanings of framing.
Why so much focus on storefronts?
Why so much focus on storefronts?
Because exterior shots of storefronts can help map users find and recognize the places. Especially when chosen as the cover pic.
Because Google Maps is very focused on businesses.
Because good exterior shots of storefronts will get you lots of views.
Because you can easily reuse these skills when taking other kinds of shots.
What are cover pics?
What are cover pics?
The very first photo shown on the place's pages is called the cover photo. Every time the place is listed with only one photo this will be the cover photo. Hence, cover pics get far more views than other photos.
Cover pics are chosen automatically by the Photo Quality Algorithm on Google Maps. If you want your photos to become cover pics you need to upload very good photos. And you should try to learn what kind and style of photos are preferred by the Photo Quality Algorithm. And adapt accordingly.
What makes a great cover pic?
What makes a great cover pic?
Google Maps' main purpose is to help people navigate and find places. The cover pic should ideally assist map users to find the entrance and actual store after using the navigation in Google Maps. That's why pictures of storefronts and entrances very often are chosen as cover pics.
If you want your photos to become cover photos, then these size recommendations for cover photos should be observed: 1080 x 608 pixels (minimum 480 x 270; maximum 2120 x 1192) (Source). BTW, this recommended format is 77% wider than tall and not the standard 33%.
The cover photo helps differentiate a business from its competitors
SourceThe cover photo helps differentiate a business from its competitors
Can I see some more examples?
Can I see some more examples?
Sure. Just click/tap: Five extra examples to see how the framing rules and cropping to a wide format can prevent Google's auto-crop routines from ruining your photos.
What are profile pictures?
What are profile pictures?
Profile pics in Google My Business-language is not the same as the cover pictures. Profile pics are the smaller square or round images typically shown next to answers from the place. Local guides cannot suggest images to be used as profile pics. But business owners can.
The blue arrow points to a profile picture.
Are more intelligent cropping algorithms coming our way?
Are more intelligent cropping algorithms coming our way?
As of February 2020, Google started implementing more sophisticated cropping from square and portrait photos to the wider formats. Below you can see examples of this.
In May 2019, I uploaded this image to Google Maps. This was before the framing rules were developed.
Notice 2 problems: It is not a wide format picture, and the store name is not centered, but repeated off to both sides.
This is how the image looks after the automatic crop to a wider format. You have this earlier. Note how the store names are cut. This is not good.
And this is how the automatic cropping to the square format is cutting the store name vertically on both sides. This is certainly not optimal.
Here you see how the new and more intelligent automatic cropping is doing a much better job. Notice how the store name is no longer cut in half. Compared to the original image this crop to a wider format is shifted up to fit the store names in the frame. More is cropped away from the bottom than the top of the image. This is amazing. I guess the new and smarter algorithms look for the store name and shifted the crop up a bit.
And this copy was included in a recent email from Google Maps. Here the shift upwards is even more pronounced. Now the store names are centered vertically.
This example suggests that the cropping for emails might not be that intelligent - maybe just random.
Conclusion regarding more intelligent cropping algorithms
Conclusion regarding more intelligent cropping algorithms
So, it seems that Google currently is rolling out more intelligent algorithms for cropping to wider formats. This is very good news. But even after these new algorithms are fully implemented, you should still follow framing rule #2 and crop to a wider format if you want your images to look perfect in both wide and square formats. More intelligent cropping algorithms can never magically add to the width of any images.
Why should the store name be in the blue area?
Why should the store name be in the blue area?
Please see Justification of Rule #3 on the Rationale page.
Why should I zoom out this much?
Why should I zoom out this much?
Please see Justification of Rule #2 on the Rationale page.
Why always landscape?
Why always landscape?
Please see Justification of Rule #1 on the Rationale page.
This concludes the introduction and explanations related to Framing. The next module is about getting a good and consistent Perspective in your photos for Google Maps. Just hit the "Suggested next page"-button to continue when you are ready.
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