Photo A or B- Which one got the most views?

[Rednewt74]

I am working on a write up on how I will decide on how many and which pictures to upload for a POI. Below are four pairs of photos that I uploaded for different POI. The caption below each pair will tell you that one photo got “x” times as many views as the other. Both were uploaded at the same time. None were added as part of a review.

In your reply please list one response for each pair, for example 1A or 1B, etc. Feel free to express any comments about why you chose a particular photo. After a few days (this isn’t going to be very scientific) I will look at the responses and include the info as an update to a series I am working on.

Photo pair 1 The Stone Church

Photo pair 2: Dinosaur BBQ

Photo pair 3: Familiars Coffee & Tea

Photo pair 4: St Margaret of Scotland Church

See the answers here

[Rednewt74]

@tony_b , @AZ_2021 , @Stephanie_OWL , and @EvaBar , :

I’d like to invite you all to cast your votes in this A/B Photo comparison.

Thanks

[Stephanie_OWL]

Seeehr spannend @Rednewt74

Vielen Dank für deine Einladung, sie holte mich aus meinem derzeitigen Schneckenhaus

1A ist das detailliertere der beiden Fotos, dennoch tendiere ich dazu 1B meine Stimme zu geben.

Die Farben sind dynamischer, die Darstellung der Szene einfacher und somit für alle die nur eine Millisekunde Zeit aufwenden um einen Blick darauf zu werfen, das vom Verstand leichter zu verarbeitende Bild.

Bei 2 habe ich meinen klaren Favoriten, also das Foto, welches MICH mehr anspricht, es ist 2B.

Da läuft mir das Wasser im Munde zusammen und die Vielfalt auf dem Teller schaut nach einer Portion für 2 Tage aus

Die Antwort auf deine Frage jedoch ist meiner Meinung nach 2A.

Auch hier spielt die Farbe eine große Rolle, das Signal-Rot des Tellers zieht die Blicke auf sich.

Auch die Perspektive kann entscheiden sein, denn eine mehr seitliche Aufnahme erscheint mir verlockender als die Vogelperspektive.

3B… Klarer Sieger für mich. Einladend, genau auf den Punkt!

Auch wenn ich selbst gerne sehe was die Umgebung zu bieten hat, wenn es um ein Geschäft, Café oder eine Boutique geht, bevorzuge ich tatsächlich den Eingang.

Und zuletzt 4B.

Ich mag sowohl die Perspektive als auch die Abwesenheit von Menschen

Mir gefällt, dass das Auge nicht abgelenkt wird.

Ich bin gespannt, ob ich bei meiner getroffenen Wahl richtig liege und freue mich auf deinen Beitrag der dies aufschlüsselt.

Bitte vergiss nicht mich zu markieren!

Neugierig bin ich selbstverständlich auf andere Antworten auf deine Fragen und hoffe sehr auf rege Beteiligung

[Rednewt74]

@Stephanie_OWL ,

Thank you for playing and especially for your explanations. I will definitely let you know how you did.

[SanjayBDLG]

@Rednewt74 Thanks for the post.

[EvaBar]

Thank you for the tag @Rednewt74 . This is so interesting and I can’t wait to see how I do compared to Google lol

My choices:

• 1B

I think 1A is too busy, although I like it better, I feel like it wouldn’t do good.

• 2B

This time, I like the photo that I am picking as the winner better than the other one. I think it’s more in focus, and I like the higher angle, it shows the food better.

• 3A

I believe Google likes the wider angle better. It just gives us a better picture of what to look for, versus just seeing a close-up.

• 4A

I think the altar is a more important piece to show than the entrance/exit. But I can see Google liking 4B better, so I may be wrong on this one.

Can’t wait to see what the answers are!

[abermans]

@Rednewt74
Oh, the great google map photo evaluation algorithm A-B Testing mystery!
(Or putting the number of views spin on it: What would get my photo featured…)
I think we all tried having a crack at it, but just as you think you have the perfect photo captured and uploaded, maps prefers a poor alternative.
In your cases:

• I assume a human would like the brightness and simple story captured of 1B but I assume 1A will be featured because algorithm picks more details and pixel variety.
• IMO, 2B would be the preference for human or algorithm due to the colour richness.
  The red/brown colour pallet of 2A is not attractive to the eye while on 2B adds green/blue and is lighter.
• IMO 3A tells a full story of the place and has more details - so likely picked by algorithm as well.
  That red train car is stunning but the photo seems taken on a dull weather day.
  Personally, I tend on similar photos to edit a bit extra brightness and contrast (just gentle minor correction).
• This is a tricky one.
  4B is a brighter and shows more of the location so a “better” place for human eye but…
  I noticed in many cases the photo with people dynamically moving in/into a location gets the photo featured.
  I tried several times “with and without” photos upload and most of the time it would be the one “with” that would be featured.
  Usually if people are from the back (no facial features) it works well. Maybe it is because it adds more colour variation in the photo (clothing?)

Thanks for sharing!

[Rednewt74]

@abermans ,

Thanks for participating. Can you please clarify your choice on #4?

My thought behind this is more about accepting that you can’t crack the algorithm. In some of these examples I almost didn’t upload the photo that ended up being more popular. What I am going to continue doing is upload multiple photos, not just the one I think is best, and let the algorithm and end users decide what is most helpful; and then get rid of the ones that are not being viewed.

[Rednewt74]

@EvaBar ,

Thanks for playing. I’ll update you when I get enough responses.

[abermans]

@Rednewt74

“Popular” in maps simply means that the review or photo was “featured” (selected) by the algorithm as “likely to appeal to people” and therefore placed before other reviews/photos. Most people visiting the location on maps are exposed just to the first few photos (or in many cases just the first one) and therefore these are the ones that will get higher views.

The duration of being featured can vary. Some photos may remain featured for a long time, even years, while others may only be featured for a few days or even hours. It’s challenging to predict which photo will be featured, so it’s always a good idea to upload a few good photos, as long as they are not very similar to each other.

Interestingly, many Local Guides (LGs) may remove their photos if they are not featured and receive low view figures. This makes sense when similar photos have already been published by others and the added photos are not selected as featured.

It’s worth noting that sometimes a photo can be featured almost immediately after upload, while in other cases, it may take a few days for it to be selected as featured.

Regarding photo choice number #4, I tried to explain that photos with people, especially when taken from the back without exposing faces, tend to become featured more often. I assume this is because they present a livelier version of the places captured.

So, if you want to increase the chances of your photos being featured, consider capturing vibrant scenes with people in them, showcasing the lively atmosphere of the location.

This would be a sample in a popular place which I took, that is still featured many months later:

Sam

[TerryPG]

Thanks for the invite @Rednewt74 I will try and answer as if I were posting these for google

1B; less busy

2A again less busy

3A ; I like to show thee whole rail car.

4B; Less humans in the shot.

[Rednewt74]

TerryPG,

Thanks for playing. 26 likes so far, but only 4 responses. It’s fascinating to see each guide’s thoughts on this.

I hope more people will jump in with their own thoughts.

[Rednewt74]

@abermans ,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I suppose popular may not be the correct word; maybe ‘likely to be clicked on’ is more accurate.

My star photo has been the cover for 5 years. I also have noticed that it may take a few days before the AI decides where to place your photo. I wonder if the AI is waiting to see how users respond to it? Do you think that if users are skipping over the cover photo to look at ones farther down, that the algorithm responds to that? I too have noticed that photos, that when added, were the cover photo, but only for a short time.

I also wonder if the type of POI or interior vs storefront shot affects the AI’s judgement about people in the image.

I have recently started removing photos that don’t have many views, especially if they have been up for years. The location (a small local business, for example) and whether the photo is in the top 20 affects my decision about deleting them.

[abermans]

@Rednewt74
The mechanics of photo selection is only known to Google Maps product team, the rest of us are trying to guess and use experience to learn what works.
There are many posts in LG connect on the subject with the (truely) fantastic work on storefronts done by our moderator @MortenCopenhagen
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/Storefront-Photography-Series-Index/m-p/3515527#M1309074

I completely agree with your point that the total number of views should not be the sole criteria for removing photos, but rather whether they are featured and potentially beneficial to small businesses. It seems that views are mainly generated in busy locations, where numerous reviews and photos are already available, so the additional value of contributions can be relatively low unless they focus on previously uncovered topics or significant recent changes to the location that affect the business, such as a new chef or a revamped interior.

I’ve personally given up on trying to “hack” the system, as it often seems that the algorithm still favors an outdated and unflattering photo taken years ago. Sometimes, the current appearance of a place is completely different from what is portrayed in the photo, or it may not even be the same branch at all. Despite reporting such issues, it doesn’t seem to make a significant difference, so why bother battling against it?

At the end of the day, my recommendation is to capture a few decent photos of the location, trying to avoid including recognizable people. Take the time to make mild corrections, if necessary, to enhance the overall quality of the photo. Align and crop the image to highlight the main subject, and occasionally make adjustments to the lighting. If the photos are well-received by maps, that’s fantastic. If not, it’s best to move on and focus on other endeavors.

[JustJake]

@Rednewt74 , interesting challenge!

My votes are:

1B - Attempting to think like an image AI, it’s because of the additional light on the wall around the window gives context of what the photo is of.

2B - BBQ should only be served on paper or metal plates.

3A - Maps wanted to do the crop, even though 2 is using some tried and true @MortenCopenhagen techniques

4A - random guess on this one. How many more views did one get over the other?

[MortenCopenhagen]

Not so easy, @Rednewt74

Here are the votes from your Danish jury:

Landscape is better than portrait format. So I would not post any of these two. To work on small screens I think B will work best. Less details and less busy.

I thought you would show two photos of the same dish. The number of views will depend on the popularity of the dishes and how many other quality photos have been shared of the dish. I think A will attract attention better than B. But I really don’t know which the AI prefers.

I’m quite confident that the AI will have chosen B because the business name is shown so prominent. Also, the light is better. But from a helpfulness point of view A is probably best for 1st time visitors.

I think the AI will feature B over A. More light is a strong predictor. There are way too many dark photos on Google Maps.

Cheers

Morten

[Rednewt74]

@MortenCopenhagen & @JustJake ,

Thank you both for playing.

Jake- I did not know about the rules for serving BBQ. Of course this place is in Syracuse, NY, so maybe they don’t either.

And good catch about the missing info on photo 4. I’ve updated it.

“1 photo has 8,498 views which is 32 times the amount that the other photo has.”

So far the overall correct choices are at 38%

[Mikeinthefalls]

This is a fun challenge @Rednewt74 great idea!

I have spent more time than I’d ever imagined in attempt to understand how Google AI works and what it likes, so let’s put it to a test lol

1A - It is darker and that can be a negative, but it has more detail & color and is well centered.

2B - Google likes metal plates at restaurants. Your angle is more elevated on B, will center in a frame nicely for mobile viewing. The red plate doesn’t allow for proper contrast, so I’m certain it’s B.

3B - This one is a little more challenging. Both offer a good representation of the storefront and exterior. A would have been my choice if the restaurant name sign was centered and the color popped more. Get more sky in that shot and I’ll bet it would be the more viewed. B is colorful and the name is easy to read. Again, if the name were centered in frame I’d say you’d be looking at a feature photo.

4A - It’s not as well lit as B, but it’s centered, level and will frame well. B is the better photo but Maps will prefer A.

Interested to see if my predictions are correct, you never know with Google’s AI

[Rednewt74]

@Mikeinthefalls , thanks for playing. In reviewing the photos I thought they had uploaded darker than the originals, but I looked back and they are a pretty close match. I edit everything. I personally like them a little darker but I will work on making them more appealing to the AI. It seems like lately I’ve had to bring up the exposure in almost every photo.

[TravellerG]

Hello fellow LG @Rednewt74 ,

Many LGs have deliberated about this aspect & similar many other aspects - I request our Moderator @MortenCopenhagen to give his views.

According to me, there are algorithms worked by Google which are beyond our imagination.

However, for your question:

As per my selection logics which I have learnt in the past 6 years,…

For the

1st set, 1B will be my selection

2nd set 2A,

3rd set 1B,

4th set 4B.

Wish you all the success for your mission.