What Photos to Add to Your Google Business Profile

30 June 2026·4 min read

Quick answer: Start with a one-hour "starter shoot" in this order — logo and cover, exterior, interior, team, product/work, then a couple of "in action" shots — using your phone, natural light, and images at least 720×720px (landscape works better for your cover photo). After that, top up with one or two new photos most weeks. This post gives you the shot-by-shot checklist, real examples by business type, and the sizing basics that trip people up. 🤍

Knowing you should add "good photos" to your Google Business Profile is easy advice and not very useful on its own — what actually helps is a shot list you can follow in order, on your phone, in about an hour. Here's exactly what to shoot, what specs matter, and how to keep it going after day one. 💖

First, what most people get wrong

Uploading whatever's already on their phone — random old photos rarely cover all the bases a profile actually needs.
Ignoring image size and shape — a tiny screenshot or an odd crop looks unprofessional next to a clean, properly-sized photo.
Ignoring the cover photo specifically — Google surfaces whichever photo performs best as the cover, but starting with a strong, landscape-oriented option gives it a head start.
Doing it once and stopping — a starter shoot is a foundation, not a finished job.

The one-hour starter shoot checklist

Shoot in this order: 1) Logo — square, clean background, min 720×720px. 2) Cover photo — landscape, roughly 1200×900px, your single best exterior or interior shot. 3) Exterior — 2–3 shots, different angles, in daylight. 4) Interior — 3–5 shots showing layout and atmosphere. 5) Team — 2–4 shots, real people, mid-task where possible. 6) Product/work — 5–10 shots, well-lit, no heavy filters. 7) In action — 2–3 shots of you or your team actually working. Shoot in natural light wherever you can, turn location services on so shots carry accurate location data, and skip filters — Google (and customers) can tell. Once the starter set is up, add one or two new photos most weeks.

What this looks like for real businesses

Accounting firm: Starter shoot is quick — office signage out front, a tidy meeting room, the actual accountant clients will deal with, and a privacy-safe desk setup for "in action." A simple monthly top-up (a new team member, a refreshed office corner) keeps it current without needing anything new to "sell."

Hair salon: Has the easiest ongoing supply — every finished style is a potential product shot. The starter shoot covers the shopfront, styling chairs and waiting area, the stylists, and a few finished looks; after that, a fresh finished-style photo most weeks (with the client's okay) keeps the profile constantly current.

Electrician/tradie: Starter shoot is the branded van, the tools or van interior, a clear photo of the person turning up to a job, and before/after shots of recent work. New "in action" or completed-job photos get added most weeks straight from the job site — no extra shoot required.

DIY phone photos vs a professional shoot

A phone in good light genuinely covers most of what a Google Business Profile needs — exterior, interior, team and general "in action" shots don't need a professional behind the camera. Where it's worth considering a proper shoot is product photography for businesses where the product itself is the sell — food, retail, trades showcasing finished work — because lighting and composition make a bigger difference there. Even then, a professional shoot is a one-off top-up, not a replacement for the regular phone photos that keep the profile looking lived-in. The honest limit: no amount of great photography fixes a profile with the wrong categories, no reviews, or an unverified address — photos support a strong foundation, they don't build one.

💡 Heads up: Check your phone's location services are switched on before you shoot. Photos that carry accurate location data reinforce that the images genuinely belong to your business and its address, which matters more than most people realise when Google is deciding how much to trust a profile.

Mistakes that undercut an otherwise good shoot

Shooting everything vertically — great for Stories, but your cover photo and most gallery spots work better landscape.
Heavy filters or over-editing — it reads as inauthentic and can make colours (like food or product shots) misleading.
Compressing images too hard before upload — a blurry, low-res photo undoes an otherwise good shot; upload closer to the original file size where possible.
Forgetting consent — get a quick okay before featuring identifiable customers or team members in photos.

Frequently asked questions

What size should Google Business Profile photos be?

Google recommends photos of at least 720×720px, saved as JPG or PNG under 5MB. Your cover photo specifically tends to perform better landscape-oriented (around 1200×900px), since that's the crop most surfaces use.

What order should I add photos in?

Start with logo and cover, then exterior, interior, team, product/work, and finally "in action" shots — that order covers first impressions before it moves into supporting detail, which mirrors how people actually click through a profile.

Do I need a professional photographer to start?

No — a phone in good natural light covers the starter shoot completely. A professional shoot is worth considering later for product photography specifically, if photos are central to what you sell.

How do I keep the photos current after the first shoot?

Set a recurring reminder to add one or two new photos most weeks, and do a quick quarterly check to remove anything outdated and confirm each category still has recent coverage.

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

Work with me ✦