8. GBP photo audit
businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs. but it's not just about having photos - it's about the right photos uploaded consistently. most businesses uploaded 10 blurry phone pics three years ago and called it done.
"Open Chrome and go to my GBP listing at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each listing, analyze the photo section completely and record: total photo count, estimated photos uploaded in the last 30 days, estimated photos uploaded in the last 90 days, photo types present (team shots, job site photos, before/after, trucks/vehicles, equipment, office/storefront, completed work close-ups), photo quality (professional vs phone shots), whether any look like stock photos, whether photos include people or faces, whether photos show specific neighborhoods or recognizable local landmarks, and average photos per week based on upload frequency. Put this in a spreadsheet comparing me vs each competitor. Then build me a specific 8-week photo upload plan with the exact number of photos to upload per week to beat the top competitor's velocity by 50%, a specific shot list for each week including what to photograph and where and why, which weeks to prioritize before/afters vs team shots vs trucks vs completed installs, a naming convention for photos that includes service keywords and location names, and instructions for geotagging photos to specific neighborhoods we serve: [area1], [area2], [area3]. No generic office photos - every photo should be working as a ranking signal."
why this matters: consistency beats volume. uploading 50 photos in one day then nothing for 6 months tells Google you're not active. uploading 3-5 quality photos every week tells Google your business is alive and thriving. the naming convention and geotagging instructions alone are worth the price of admission - most businesses have no idea photo metadata affects local rankings.