Short answer
Add real, well-lit photos that show customers what to expect: the outside of your premises so they recognise it, the inside, your team, your products or finished work, and your logo. Take them on a phone in daylight, avoid heavy filters and text on images, and add a few new photos every month. Stock images and edited promotional graphics work poorly on a profile.
What photos do for a local business
Customers use profile photos to answer practical questions before they visit: what does the entrance look like, is it clean, how big are the portions, will my car fit in the parking? Photos also make your profile look cared for. A profile with only customer uploads, some blurry and years old, tells a story you did not choose.
The shot list
- Exterior: the shopfront from across the road in daylight, and one close enough to read the signboard. Add one from the direction most people arrive.
- Interior: the main room from a corner, the counter or reception, waiting area or seating.
- Products or work: your popular items, a finished job, before-and-after where it is honest and allowed.
- Team: staff at work, with their permission.
- Logo: a clean square version that is easy to read when small.
- Cover photo: one strong image that sums up the business. Google may still choose another image to show first.
Shooting on a phone
- Use daylight. Open the shutters, switch on all lights, avoid harsh midday shadows outside.
- Clean the lens and tidy the space first.
- Hold the phone level and step back; wide, straight shots look more professional than tilted close-ups.
- Skip beauty filters and heavy edits. Simple brightness and crop are enough.
- Keep text, phone numbers and offers off the image. Put those in posts instead.
Images likely to be rejected or ignored
- Stock photos and images copied from other websites.
- Graphics that are mainly text or adverts.
- Very small, dark or blurry pictures.
- Photos of people who did not agree to be shown, or children without a parent's consent.
- Anything misleading, such as a photo of a bigger branch or a different shop.
Keeping photos fresh
Add a handful of new photos each month: a new menu item, a festive decoration, a recently finished project. Remove your own photos that no longer reflect the business, such as an old interior after a renovation. You cannot delete customer photos, but you can report ones that break Google's rules.
How AI Marketing Master helps with images
Creative Studio can clean up product photos with plain backgrounds and prepare images for profile posts, using credits. The media library records the rights for each image (owned, client supplied, licensed, AI generated or unknown) and whether people shown gave consent, and flags images with unknown or expired rights. For the profile photo gallery itself, real photos of your actual premises work well, and you add them in Google's own Business Profile tools.
What it does not do
- AI Marketing Master does not upload photos to your profile's photo gallery; add those in Google's own tools.
- Creative Studio image work uses credits.
Questions people ask
Can I use AI-generated images on my profile?
For the photo gallery, use real photos of your business. Customers want to see what is actually there. AI-made graphics are better kept for clearly promotional posts, if at all.
How many photos should I have?
Enough to cover the shot list above, then keep adding a few each month. Quality and freshness matter more than a big number.
Why is Google showing a customer photo first instead of mine?
Google chooses which image to show in some places. Adding clear, relevant photos of your own gives it better options.
Should I add photos of my menu or price list?
A clear photo of a menu helps restaurants and cafes, as long as it is current. Replace it when prices or items change so customers are not misled.
We only describe what the product really does today. Results depend on your business, your market and many things no tool controls.