Our Google Business Profile photo guidelines give clients advice on capturing images that tell a story.
You don’t need professional photography or expensive equipment. In most cases, a clear photo taken with a modern smartphone is perfectly fine.
Photo Guidelines That Help Customers Choose Your Small Business
The goal isn’t to impress people with fancy editing. The goal is to show customers who you are, what you do, and what they can expect when they hire your business. Images can tell a story without careful reading. A person with low technical skills scrolling on a phone will instantly understand what services you offer…if you capture the right images.
What Photos Should You Send?
Every business is different, but the following types of photos are helpful for most home-service businesses.
Your Team
People like doing business with people.
If you’re comfortable sharing them, include photos of yourself and your employees working, helping customers, or representing your business professionally.
Natural photos are almost always better than stiff, posed group shots.
Work in Progress
Show your business doing what it does.
Customers appreciate seeing real projects, real equipment, and real craftsmanship.
Examples include:
- Lawn maintenance
- Landscaping projects
- Plumbing repairs
- HVAC installations
- Roofing work
- Painting projects
- Pressure washing
- Tree work
- Electrical repairs
- Remodeling projects
Finished Projects
Completed work helps customers picture the results they can expect.
Before-and-after photos are especially helpful when appropriate, but even a single photo of quality workmanship adds credibility.
Vehicles and Equipment
Your trucks, trailers, equipment, uniforms, and branded vehicles all help tell the story of your business.
Customers often feel more comfortable hiring a company when they can see that it is established and professional.
Business Location
If customers visit your location, include photos of:
- Building exterior
- Entrance
- Reception area
- Office
- Signage
If you’re a service-area business and don’t receive customers at your location, you can skip this section.
What Makes a Good Photo?
The best photos are simple.
Try to send photos that are:
- Clear and in focus
- Well lit
- Current
- High resolution
- Taken horizontally or vertically without unnecessary cropping
- Representative of your actual business
Most importantly, send photos that accurately represent the work you do today.
Photos to Avoid
Some photos don’t help customers understand your business.
Please avoid sending:
- Blurry photos
- Dark or poorly lit images
- Heavy filters
- Images covered with text or graphics
- Screenshots
- Stock photography
- Photos that no longer represent your business
- Duplicate images
If you’re unsure whether a photo is worth using, send it anyway. I’ll help you decide.
FAQ on Photo Guidelines
How many photos should I send?
Quality matters more than quantity.
For most projects, 10 to 30 good photos provide plenty of options. If you have more, that’s perfectly fine. I’ll review them and recommend the strongest images for your Google Business Profile.
How should I send my photos?
The easiest option is to upload your photos to a shared Google Drive folder or another file-sharing service and send me the link.
If you only have a handful of images, email may also be appropriate.
If you’re unsure which method is best, just ask.
Do I need a professional camera?
No. Today’s phones have good resolution and are usually nearby. It’s better to snap a good photo with a handy tool like your than to procrastinate until you remember to lug around a higher quality camera.
Does Google Business Profile accept videos?
Yes! Short videos can be very effective, as long as you are telling the world about your business.
One Last Thought on These Google Business Profile Photo Guidelines
Don’t wait until everything is perfect before taking photos.
Customers appreciate seeing a real business with real people doing real work.
A current, authentic photo almost always does a better job than an outdated professional photo from five years ago.
If you’re ever unsure whether a photo is worth including, send it along. I’d rather help you choose the best images than have you leave out something valuable. Feel free to contact me anytime.