Using Images in Google My Business to Boost Your Online Presence

Google My Business listing allows you to provide local audiences with easily accessible key information about your business. We’ll guide you through setting up images for your Google My Business profile.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you have used Google My Business (GMB). When you search for a restaurant, store, or any other kind of local business it’s the short snippet that comes up in the top right corner in your Google search.

This snippet contains the most important business information like website address, contact information, working hours, driving directions and a short description of what you do. A GMB listing can also include several photos, like your logo and additional photos of your place of business, products, etc.

Below, we’ll explain how to add business photos to your Google My Business page, what the size and format you should use and what types of photos will best represent your local business.

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How to add photos to your GMB listing

After setting up a business Google account you can head over to google.com/business or download the Google My Business app and click “Manage now”. On your profile, you will be able to fill out key information such as your business location, name, service area, business category and contact information.

Remember that your business name might come up in the search in case your customers have already created a GMB listing (it usually won’t be verified).

After that you will be able to verify your business: either by phone, email (available to select business), or by getting a verification code through the post.

Photo guidelines for Google My Business

Before you get to the point of uploading your selected photos to Google My Business, make sure that they comply with these specifications:

• Format: JPG or PNG.
• Size: Between 10 KB and 5 MB.
• Recommended resolution:  720 x 720 px
• Minimum resolution:  250 x 250 px
• Maximum resolution: 5,200 x 5,300 px

Remember to use high-quality photos: good resolution, well lit and in focus. You can use design tools like Photoshop to improve image quality, however, remember that GMB photos shouldn’t have significant alterations or excessive use of filters. In other words, the image must represent reality.

Types of Google My Business photos

There are several kinds of photos you can use to boost your online presence. Apart from the aforementioned rules and specifications, it’s important to highlight that you should avoid using text (the pictures are meant to “speak for themselves). In addition to that, you mustn’t use any graphics, such as illustrations (of course your logo is an exception).

Profile photo: business logo

Your Google My Business logo should be set as your profile photo. This will appear when you, for example, respond to people’s comments or online reviews, so it’s best to use a simple, clear picture like a business logo.  

Cover photo: Exterior photos

This type of photo is a perfect way to attract potential customers, especially in the hospitality industry. A storefront photo is always good as it also helps people to find your business, as these photos will also show up on Google maps.

People who are looking for a place to eat, have coffee or a drink with friends are probably almost equally interested in what’s on the menu as well as what kind of place it is. A beautiful interior photo can help people get a sense of the “vibe” of your place (perhaps even suppose the rough price range).

I recommend setting up an exterior photo as a cover photo in your Google My Business profile. A cover photo is the one you prefer to come up as the first image in Google search.

Additional photos: Product photos

If you run a store or a restaurant, a high-quality product photo can really tempt new customers. It’s always good to use high-quality photos, but if you haven’t got the budget for a professional photographer, social media can be a wonderful resource.

Scour Facebook and especially Instagram for photos your customers might have taken and see if there’s anything you can use. Of course, make sure you contact them and ask for permission to use the photos.

Remember that Google My Business photos are supposed to represent your business honestly. So if you do opt for an image found on social media, don’t pick one which uses loads of filters, as this may seem like you’re trying to hide what the product really looks like.

Personalize further with team photos

Adding photos of your team is a great way to give your online presence a more personal touch. You can opt for high-quality headshots or photos of the team in action (selling, talking to customers, making products, etc.)

Of course, it’s never advisable to use team photos as a cover photo. Unless they’re stalking your staff, potential customers aren’t likely to visit a local business because of a good looking team.

Add videos for a more dynamic look

If you want to step up the visual game on your GMB profile, it’s also possible to use a short video to showcase all the features of your business in a more dynamic and interesting way.

Video file size should be up to 100MB with a resolution of 720p or higher. Videos must be up to 30 seconds long.

Remember that you’re only allowed to use photos/video footage and not illustrations or other graphics. You can create an explainer video (perhaps featuring the business owner talking about what they do), a presentation video (showing what you do), or a video tour of your store/business.

Spread the local love with Google My Business photos

We hope this short guide gives you all the information needed to create a perfect Google My Business account to showcase your business in any search engine.

Make sure to use high-quality photos that truthfully represent your business. Don’t make significant alterations to photos and avoid excessive use of filters.

Remember that  Google My Business profile is a very specific form of marketing. It’s mostly supposed to help you stand out in local search results, meaning that people who look it up already have a vested interest in visiting your business. Don’t try to oversell: provide key information and let them know what to expect.