Have you heard of Geotagging and wondered what it is or how it works? Or perhaps you know a little about it but are not yet aware of how it can boost your business.
In this short guide, you’ll learn how Geotagging works, some simple strategies for using it to support your online business success, as well as some important things to note if you’re thinking of getting started with Geotagging.
What is Geotagging?
So, what exactly is Geotagging? Here’s a simple definition:
Geotagging is the practice of attributing ‘geotags’ (location data from geographic coordinates using as latitude and longitude), to digital media e.g. images and videos.
By assigning geotags or location coordinates to an image or video, it’s possible to track and monitor where the content is created. These geotags can include the geographical coordinates of your media, or they can include specific place names. Location data from GPS systems is created using satellites to determine the coordinates of the device creating the content.
Why is this useful? Geotagging has become popular for a number of reasons, largely because it enables content consumers to identify specific locations using the geotags and coordinates.
In terms of boosting your online marketing, geotagged photos can help to make your business more visible, reach more local search users, and improve your rankings in search engines.
Geotagging & SEO Benefits
The location data included in Geotagging can improve the visibility of digital content in search engines. This can be particularly beneficial for local businesses, especially those looking to attract more mobile users.
Becoming more relevant and noticeable in search results can help to improve your click-through-rate, resulting in more traffic and leads to your website.
Another SEO benefit is how Geotagging works so well for mobile search users. Given the massive increase in the use of mobiles for search enquiries, the location-specific data involved in Geotagging can improve the user experience for people on their smartphones looking for local results or businesses.
The use of precise location details and keyword-rich metadata can also help your marketing become more efficient and cost-effective. Through the careful and intentional use of relevant geotags, you can help your content to rank for more precise search terms, helping your business attract more targeted potential customers who are more likely to buy your products or services.
How are Geotags Useful for Businesses?
Adding location metadata to your digital content can make your online presence more engaging, appealing and valuable. When users are able to pinpoint the precise location of an image or video, it can create a stronger connection and a higher level of engagement with your content. This is how Geotagging can elevate your online marketing and boost your brand or your business.
The vastness of the global internet can sometimes lead to a sense of disconnection online. Geotagging helps to reconnect disparate web users by pinpointing the location of the content, especially if they have a connection or interest in the place or area. By attributing a more specific and personal layer to your online content, you can form deeper connections with your audience which can translate into improved results for your business.
One aspect of online marketing that can take advantage of Geotagging is social media. By including the extra step of adding location specific information to your posts, you can open your profile up to increased brand reach and connection with social users, both those in your existing audience and new users who find you via the location data.
Geotagging can also help your business to appear or rank better in location-based image searches, as well as the many photo-sharing sites that are becoming increasingly popular for online users.
When you geotag photos, you’re helping to establish your company as a stronger presence in that local area, in a way that boosts visibility, engagement, and reach. This is why so many businesses are becoming more interested in how they can tap into the benefits of Geotagging.
How to Use Geotagging
If you’re wondering about the best ways of geotagging photos with their physical location, here are a couple of options to get started.
Google My Business & Geotagging
One of the best ways to harness the benefits of Geotagging for SEO is to tag the images you include in your Google My Business (GMB) profile. Optimising GMB content with relevant geotags will help to boost your rankings in local or location-based searches.
Having a stronger presence in local SEO searches can also help to strengthen your overall online presence, maybe even boosting your rankings for non-location-based search terms. Combining Geotagging with your GMB profile can add another layer of visibility and connection online, helping your local business reach more relevant search traffic by identifying your location.
Geotagging & Schema Markup
Another SEO strategy that can benefit from Geotagging is the use of schema markup. For local businesses, it’s possible to optimising the structured data of your website to include location information, as well as things like customer ratings or reviews. These can boost visibility and engagement in the search results pages, and when combined with Geotagging, can create a more appealing and impressive experience for search users, leading to more clicks through to your site.
Creating Geotagged Images Or Videos
Before you can start using well-tagged and optimised content in your online profiles and websites, you first need to create the content and attribute the relevant location data. There are a few ways you can do that:
• GPS + Smartphone: Perhaps the simplest way to begin geotagging your content is to activate the GPS and location settings on your mobile device. For many modern smartphones, this is all you need to do, as many apps or devices can automatically assign location data to your images and videos as you create them. (If you’ve ever searched your photos using the location feature, this is how smartphones are attributing geotags or geographical metadata to your images.)
• External GPS devices: An alternative method is to connect a peripheral GPS unit to your camera. This can be a good option if your device doesn’t automatically add location data. It can also be preferable to using the in-built smartphone GPS because these can drain the battery much more quickly than usage without the GPS activated.
• Post-production: It’s also possible to assign location metadata to content after it was created. So, if you have old content you want to tag, or you’re unable to use your GPS while creating content, you can still benefit from Geotagging later in the process by editing the metadata. Once again, smartphones are making it easier than ever to include this extra layer of information in your content. Don’t forget to also include alt text and keywords to really maximise the SEO potential.
Geotagging: Precautions & Considerations
While there are undoubted benefits to Geotagging, it’s also important to bear in mind that there are some potential risks and considerations. For example, online privacy is becoming a key part of modern marketing. When using Geotagging for your business, it’s vital that you adhere to both legal and ethical privacy practices, in order to protect both sensitive details and maintain the trust of your audience.
If geotagging your business images or videos may compromise the privacy of your customers or clients, any SEO or visibility benefits may be outweighed by the potential negative impacts. Recent years have seen a growing range of privacy laws and best practices, and most ethical businesses are keen to respect these.
While some of these regulations are based on personal privacy preferences, there are more serious consequences of violating these laws and practices, such as identity theft, fraud, stalking and other crimes that take advantage of the information made available online. This is why it’s vital that any business making use of geotags and location data always respects the privacy, safety, and rights of their customers or clients.
Additionally, it’s important to take care with your location metadata to ensure it is accurate. Not only will this lead to better SEO results and potential business benefits, but it also prevents confusion and inaccuracies online that can affect the credibility of your company, brand or content.
Geotagging for Business Success
When used well, Geotagging can deliver a range of benefits to your business. From improved SEO, increased engagement, brand awareness and customer connections, the simple addition of location data can help you to connect with more of your target audience.
As long as you bear in mind the legal, ethical, and personal implications of sharing geotags and location metadata, Geotagging can be a new way for you to reach more of the right people. It can also help you to establish a stronger presence for your company, both in the local area and in the global community online.