Why photos matter
Google's advice on local visibility tells you to add photos and videos to your profile along with accurate hours, address and category. A customer deciding between two cafés often looks at the pictures first. Real photos of your real shop also answer questions before anyone has to call.
The technical rules
From Google's photo and video help page:
- Photos should be JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB.
- The recommended size is 720 pixels tall and 720 pixels wide. The minimum is 250 pixels by 250 pixels.
- Photos should be in focus and well lit, with no significant alterations or excessive use of filters.
- Videos can be up to 30 seconds long and up to 75 MB, at 720p or higher.
Most phone cameras exceed these sizes easily, so you rarely need special equipment. Just clean the lens and use daylight.
Which photos to add
Google names three kinds: a logo, a cover photo and business photos. The cover photo appears at the top of your profile, though Google says it may not always show as the first image. Our suggestion for business photos: the front of the shop with the sign, the inside, your best-selling items or services, your team at work with their permission, and a few customer-friendly details like the parking spot or the lift. Show what a first-time visitor will actually see. Update the set a few times a year, after a renovation, a new menu or a festival display, so the pictures never look older than the shop does.
What gets blocked
Google blocks photos with significant alterations or heavy filters, and any media that breaks its photo and video policies, which shows as Not approved and stays hidden. Uploading the same photo twice can stop it from appearing. Do not use stock images of someone else's shop; customers notice, and it risks a policy problem.
Why your photos may not show yet
Media stays Pending if your profile is not verified, and appears only after you verify. Once approved, it can take up to 24 to 48 hours to appear. A logo shows only when your profile has a name, a valid street address, categories, a phone number and opening hours. If you have ten or more locations, Google offers a bulk spreadsheet upload.
Take five fresh photos of your shop in daylight and upload them.
How this post was made: an AI drafted it from the official pages listed under Sources, every figure was checked against those pages, and the Reveaxa team approved it before it was published. Our own advice is marked as such. If a source changes, we update the post and its date.
Reveaxa guide reference: RVX-B-google-business-profile-photos-guide