Too few photos on your Google listing? What to shoot and how to add them

People look at your photos before they decide to visit. If your Google listing has one dark photo, or none, it says very little about your shop. Add clear photos of the outside, the inside, your products and your team. You can do it from your phone in one short visit to your own shop.

Anand runs a bakery on a long market road. Breads, cakes, biscuits, all baked fresh in his own oven at the back.

One evening his daughter looked up the shop on Google Maps. There was one photo. A customer had taken it at night. The shutter was down. It was dark and blurry.

"Papa, this is the first thing people see," she said. "It looks like a closed garage."

Anand had a counter full of good things. Not one of them was on his listing.

This is an example, with a made up shop and name.

Google suggests at least three photos of each of these (Google):

• Outside. So people know your shop when they reach it. Stand across the road. Get your board and door in the photo.
• Inside. So people know how it feels to walk in. Shoot from the door, then from the back.
• Products. The things you sell. One clear item per photo is fine.
• At work. Your service being done. A tailor at the machine. A mechanic at a bike. These go well next to your services list on Google.
• Team. You and your staff. Ask each person first.

If you serve food or drinks, Google suggests at least three photos of those too.

Anand's first set was simple. The shopfront in morning light. The shop from the door. A cake, a tray of bread, a jar of biscuits. His baker at the oven. Himself at the counter.

You do not need a big camera. Your phone is enough.

• Use daylight. Morning light is often soft and clear.
• Hold still. Tap the screen to focus before you click.
• Clean first. Clear the counter. Pick up boxes from the floor.
• No heavy filters. Google says photos should be in focus, well lit, and without big changes, heavy filters or AI edits (Google).
• Show the real shop. A customer should see the same thing when they walk in.

These are the steps Google gives for the Google Maps app on Android (Google):

1. Sign in with the Google account that manages your listing.
2. Open the Google Maps app.
3. Tap Business at the bottom right.
4. Tap More, then Add photo.
5. Pick your photos. You can pick more than one.
6. Tap Done, then tap Post.

You can also add a Cover photo and a Logo from the same More menu.

On a computer, search your business name and city on Google Search or Maps. Click Photos, then Add photos.

Google lists these rules (Google):

• JPG or PNG.
• Between 10 KB and 5 MB.
• 720 by 720 pixels is suggested. 250 by 250 is the smallest.

You can add short videos too. Google allows up to 30 seconds and up to 75 MB.

Google says photos can take up to 24 to 48 hours to show. Your listing also has to be verified first (Google).

Setting a cover photo does not mean it will always show first. If your cover is low quality, Google may show a customer's photo instead (Google). That is one more reason to add good photos of your own.

• Your listing has clear photos of the outside, inside, products and team.
• The outside photo shows your board in daylight.
• Nothing is dark, blurry or old.
• Ask a friend to open your listing on their phone. They see your real shop. Then check the rest with what people see when they search for your shop.

Good photos do not promise you a higher spot on Google. They help the people who already found you know what to expect.

Do not use photos from the internet. Use photos of your own shop and your own work.

Do not post a customer's face without asking. The same goes for your staff.

A customer's photo of my shop is bad. Can I remove it?

Google says you can ask for a customer photo to be removed (Google). Adding good photos of your own helps too.

How often should I add photos?

When something changes. New stock, a new board, a fresh coat of paint. A new photo every week or two is a good habit. You can also share a photo in a weekly post on your Google listing.

Can my staff add photos for me?

Yes, if you add them as a manager of your listing. Check what they add.

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