If GPS metadata isn't the signal, and it isn't, covered in full on our proof-of-proximity pillar page, the real location signals live in the text around the photo, not inside the file. Google's own image SEO documentation names three things directly: the filename, which gives "light clues about the subject matter"; the alt text, which it calls "the most important attribute" for understanding an image, used alongside computer vision and page content; and the surrounding page content, including captions and titles, which Google explicitly extracts subject matter from. None of these require special tools. They require actually naming the real place and the real work in plain words, instead of leaving a photo as "IMG_4471.jpg" with no caption at all.
By the numbers
- Filenames are a documented, if minor, signal. Google's own guidance recommends a descriptive filename like "roof-repair-surrey-bc.jpg" over a generic one like "IMG00023.JPG," stating it gives "very light clues about the subject matter." GOOGLE DOCUMENTED
- Alt text is named as the single most important image attribute. Google states: "Google uses alt text along with computer vision algorithms and the contents of the page to understand the subject matter of the image." Keyword-stuffed alt text is explicitly discouraged. GOOGLE DOCUMENTED
- Surrounding page content, including captions, is a named signal. Google's guidance states it "extracts information about the subject matter of the image from the content of the page, including captions and image titles," and recommends placing images "near relevant text." GOOGLE DOCUMENTED
- EXIF and GPS data get no mention anywhere in Google's own image SEO documentation. This absence, combined with Google's own John Mueller stating there's no need to geotag images for SEO, is consistent with the EXIF-stripping fact already covered on our pillar page. GOOGLE DOCUMENTED
What Google actually reads, versus what people think it reads
The myth and the documented reality point in different directions.
| Signal | Documented by Google? | What to actually do |
|---|---|---|
| GPS/EXIF location data | No; not mentioned in Google's image SEO guidance, and stripped on upload anyway | Nothing. Skip geotagging tools entirely, they don't do what they claim |
| Filename | Yes, a light signal | Name the file for the real job: "furnace-install-surrey.jpg," not "IMG4471.jpg" |
| Alt text | Yes, the most important attribute named | Describe the real photo plainly: what work, at what kind of location, without keyword stuffing |
| Caption and surrounding text | Yes, explicitly named | Write one honest sentence naming the neighbourhood or area the job was in |
Three habits worth building
A camera roll upload usually keeps the generic filename. Renaming it before upload takes seconds and is one of the few filename-level signals Google actually names.
"Plumbing repair" repeated on every photo isn't wrong, but it's also not using the space Google says matters most. A real description of the specific work and area gives computer vision and page content something more specific to match.
A caption is exactly the surrounding text Google's guidance names as a signal. Skipping it isn't just a missed nicety, it's skipping one of the three documented signals entirely.
A simple standard to actually follow
- Rename the file before uploading. Trade, service, and area in plain words: "water-heater-replacement-langley.jpg."
- Write real alt text, not a repeated template. Describe what's actually in this specific photo.
- Add one honest caption sentence naming the neighbourhood or area, tying it to the real job.
- Never bother with geotagging tools or apps. They add a step for a signal Google doesn't document and strips on upload anyway.
This is the same discipline covered on our field crew workflow guide, applied to the labeling step instead of the capture step.
Questions we get
Frequently asked questions
Does renaming a photo file actually help my ranking?
Google's own guidance calls it a light signal, giving "very light clues about the subject matter," not a major ranking lever on its own. It's worth doing because it costs nothing, not because it moves rankings by itself.
What should alt text actually say?
A plain, specific description of what's genuinely in the photo, the real work and setting, without repeating the same template on every image or stuffing in extra keywords, which Google's guidance explicitly discourages.
Is geotagging photos still worth doing, just in case?
No. Google strips this data on upload, doesn't mention it anywhere in its own image SEO guidance, and John Mueller has stated directly that there's no need to geotag images for SEO.
Does the caption next to a photo actually matter?
Yes, per Google's own stated guidance, which names captions and surrounding page content as a signal it uses to understand an image's subject matter.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Google Images best practices: filename, alt text, and surrounding-content guidance, quoted directly.
- Full detail on the geotagging myth and EXIF stripping on our proof-of-proximity pillar page.
- Full detail on the field capture workflow on our field crew workflow guide.
Google does not publish a weighting for filename, alt text, or caption signals relative to each other or to other ranking factors; the guidance here reflects what Google names as real signals, not a ranked or quantified formula.