Where to position the store name in your frame

[MortenCopenhagen]

This is part 13 of 19 in the Storefront Photography Series. Click/tap here to see the Series Index.

When shooting storefronts for Google Maps we always want the business name to be very visible, well-lit, and readable. This is to be helpful to both Maps users and also business owners.

If the store name is easy to read, then the AI selecting the photos to be featured will pick this up. And your chances for a high photo ranking are much better. In turn, this will give you more views.

Marketing professionals agree that it’s a waste of precious exposure if the cover pic does not repeat and clearly shows the business name. Photos speak louder and can attract attention and evoke feelings much better than plain text.

Maps users might not recognize the business from the name on a list of search results, in this case, a good cover pic can be really helpful.

Where should the business name go?

Most cameras can show two horizontal and 2 vertical grid lines on top of your image. “Assistive grid” is another name for grid lines. They make it a lot easier to make great storefront photos, so please turn them on. Googler Christina-NYC has also shared some tips about gridlines on Connect. Even if your camera does not have gridlines, you should imagine them to know where to position the store name.

In the image below you can see what I consider the optimal position of the store name when shooting storefronts for Google Maps.

Best position = On or slightly above the top vertical gridline and centered horizontally.

As discussed in part 5 How to crop perfectly for Google Maps this will give you some cropping space on all sides of the storefront to allow the later perfection of the framing when cropping your images for Google Maps.

I almost always shot storefronts with the intent to crop them before uploading them to Maps. This allows for getting more plumb vertical lines as discussed in last week’s post, and it ensures the freedom to make the cropping so they will survive both when Google Maps need a wider and a square version of the photos.

In the 4 first replies below you can see how a storefront can lose its name if the name is located higher than recommended. This happens when Google Maps automatically and unintelligently crops your image to a wider format. There are parallel issues when Google auto-crops to a square image.

That is why I normally share quite wide photos (normally about 3 times wider than the height) always with the storefront centered. Feel free to browse my storefront photos for examples of this.

If you prefer to take storefronts slightly from the side, please pick the left in areas where text is read from the left. This will make it easier to read than photos from the right.

Lastly, try to keep the horizon level (the gridlines can also be very helpful on this) and never take tall photos in portrait orientation when shooting storefronts.

Cheers

Morten

PS: Next week I will share some tips on where to take perfect storefront photos from.

[MortenCopenhagen]

Reply 1

This is a storefront photo where the business name is located higher than recommended. Compare with the gridlines shown in the image above.

[MortenCopenhagen]

Reply 2

Our photos often get cropped automatically (and unintelligently) by Google Maps when a wider image is needed as shown here:

This left the store name completely outside the frame. This problem could have been prevented by positioning the store name as recommended on or slightly above the top vertical gridline.

Or it could have been fixed by removing some of the pavement/sidewalks in front of the shop to make the store name come down relatively.

[MortenCopenhagen]

Reply 3

This is how I prefer to crop this storefront prior to uploading:

Notice how the store name is now positioned higher. This is perfectly okay after cropping. The recommendation “On or slightly above the top vertical gridline and centered horizontally” only applies while shooting and not after cropping. After cropping it is okay to have the store name closer to the top edge.

[MortenCopenhagen]

Reply 4

This is how the store will look when the image in reply 3 gets auto-cropped to the square format by Google Maps. The store name is perfectly positioned. And this image will stand out compared to most other businesses because the store name is very visible and big. Also, auto cropping to a wider image will not cause any problems.

[StevenBerlin]

thx for the post and series Mort. Two things I always try to do as you can see here is slightly include another store, so it actually shows the store I am at, rather than any fragrance outlet, and 2nd I try if possible to include the address.

I think the rule of 1/3rds makes for a nice picture anyways. Putting the store name in the top 3rd of the frame makes it stand out.

I actually just try and take interesting photos lol. I never thought of how Maps might interpret the image as for putting it at the top of list.

[JustJake]

Great point, @MortenCopenhagen . I keep failing to consider how the cropped image will show up once Maps does it’s thing with it. Additionally, you’re making the image more aesthetically and naturally pleasing by applying the Rule of Thirds to the shot. I know there’s much debate about whether artistic expression has any place on Maps, but this rule of thumb applies to every design and art medium.

[Cercis]

@MortenCopenhagen Thank you for a great article summarizing information that some googlers, like myself, have learned by trial and error.

Here are two of your presented facts that I applaud and are essential for beginners.

1. “If the store name is easy to read, the AI selecting the photos to be featured will pick this up. And your chances for a high photo ranking are much better. In turn, this will give you more views.”

It took me some time to analyze and learn this little-known fact. But what a difference it makes in view numbers.

2. “I almost always shot storefronts with the intent to crop them before uploading them to Maps. This allows for getting more plumb vertical lines as discussed in last week’s post, and it ensures the freedom to make the cropping so they will survive both when Google Maps need a wider and a square version of the photos.”

The grid lines are one of the reasons why I love my phone camera. I’ve found that since using my phone camera, for map shots as well as other compositions, I’ve developed a mental file system for remembering grid line positions for many situations.

BTW, one piece of advice I learned from @AdamGT , is to shoot horizontally and crop map photos at 16:9. Learning how to shoot and crop for 16:9 took well-invested time.

Thank you for a well-written and fact-filled article.

[Cercis]

@StevenBerlin

To me, receiving high numbers of views for photos and reviews is like a non-financial reward for a job well done. It means that “yes,” someone in the wide world is taking the time to look at my offerings. Welcome, you are someone new in my world. Enjoy yourself!

[tony_b]

Very good summary of the article @Cercis And thanks for bringing in the reminder about 16:9 ratio as well.