Photos & Media

Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their websites.

Why Photos Matter

Customer Engagement

• Photos are the most viewed content on GBP
• Help customers visualize your business
• Build trust before they visit

Rankings

• Profiles with photos rank better
• Photo quantity and quality both matter
• Regular uploads signal activity

Decision Making

• 60% of consumers say images influence their decisions
• Interior photos set expectations
• Product photos drive purchases

Photo Types

Logo

Your business logo displayed on profile.

Specifications:

• Size: 720 x 720 pixels (square)
• Format: JPG or PNG
• Max file size: 5MB

Cover Photo

The main banner image on your profile.

Specifications:

• Size: 1080 x 608 pixels (16:9 ratio)
• Format: JPG or PNG
• Max file size: 5MB

Business Photos

General photos of your business.

Categories:

• Exterior: Help customers find your location
• Interior: Show your space and atmosphere
• Products: What you sell
• Services: Services in action
• Team: Your employees
• Food & Drink: Menu items (restaurants)

Specifications:

• Minimum: 720 x 720 pixels
• Recommended: 1200 x 900 pixels (4:3 ratio)
• Format: JPG or PNG
• Max file size: 5MB per photo

Photo Best Practices

Quality Guidelines

• Well-lit (natural light is best)
• In-focus and sharp
• High resolution
• No heavy filters
• No watermarks or overlays
• No stock photos

What to Avoid

• Blurry or dark images
• Stock photography (Google may remove)
• AI-generated images
• Excessive text overlays
• Promotional banners
• Misleading images

Content Guidelines

• Show your actual business
• Feature real employees (with permission)
• Capture authentic moments
• Update seasonally if relevant

Video Guidelines

GBP supports short videos.

Specifications:

• Duration: Up to 30 seconds
• Resolution: 720p minimum (1080p recommended)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (widescreen)
• Format: MP4
• Max file size: 75MB

Video Ideas:

• Business tour
• Team introduction
• Product demonstrations
• Customer testimonials
• Behind the scenes

Photo Quantity Recommendations

Uploading Photos

From GBP Dashboard

1. Go to your profile
2. Click "Add photo"
3. Select photo type/category
4. Upload and save

From Google Maps

1. Find your business on Maps
2. Click "Add a photo"
3. Upload directly

Customer Photos

Customers can also upload photos. You cannot remove these unless they violate guidelines.

Managing Photos

Monitoring Customer Photos

• Review customer-uploaded photos regularly
• Flag inappropriate content for removal
• Engage positively with customer photos

Removing Photos

You can remove photos you uploaded:

1. Go to Photos section
2. Select the photo
3. Click delete

For customer photos, you can only flag violations:

• Irrelevant content
• Inappropriate content
• Wrong location

Photo Organization

Google auto-categorizes photos, but you can help by:

• Adding photos to specific categories
• Using descriptive file names
• Uploading similar photos together

Photo Impact on Search

Photos can appear in:

• Local Pack results
• Knowledge Panel
• Google Maps
• Image search results
• Google Discover

Well-optimized photos increase visibility across all these surfaces.

Key Takeaways

1. Businesses with photos get significantly more engagement
2. Upload high-quality, authentic images
3. Include variety: exterior, interior, products, team
4. Avoid stock photos and heavy editing
5. Upload new photos regularly