If your Google Business Profile (GBP) features a blurry shot of your parking lot from three years ago (or worse, no photos at all), you are actively handing business to your competitors.
As a small business owner, you know that first impressions are everything for your local SEO.
But in 2025, that first impression rarely happens at your front door—it happens on a 6-inch screen in the palm of a customer’s hand.
Reviewed the analysed data, and the results are clear: Photos aren’t just decoration; they are a conversion engine.
The Data: Why More Photos = More Revenue
Recent research reveals a direct link between the number of photos on a business profile and how customers interact with it.
It’s not just about looking “pretty”—it’s about trust.
Check out this breakdown of customer actions based on photo volume:
Comparison of the average monthly customer actions based on the number of photos in their Google Business Profile.
The numbers tell a powerful story:
Website Visits
Businesses with 100+ photos get nearly 2,500 monthly website visits on average. Compare that to businesses with fewer than 25 photos, which barely scrape by with 20 visits.
Direction Requests
Want more foot traffic? Profiles with 100+ images get 2,370% more direction requests than those with minimal images.
Phone Calls
High-photo profiles generate over 200 calls a month, while those with fewer photos average less than 10.
The Essential Photo Checklist
You don’t need to hire a professional photographer to start seeing results.
According to recent optimisation guides, you don’t need to upload 100 photos right away.
Start small:
Ask your customers: “Hey, if you liked the service, snap a photo and post it to Google for us!” User-generated content is a ranking superpower.
Audit your profile: Delete any blurry or irrelevant photos.
Upload 5 new photos this week: One exterior, one interior, and three of your team, products, or at work (Before and afters do nicely).
Exterior Shots
- Role: Helps customers find you and proves you are a real, established business.
- Best Practice: Take photos at different times of day. Include one that shows where to park—customers love that.
Interior & Atmosphere
- Role: Reduces anxiety. New customers want to know exactly what it feels like to walk in.
- Best Practice: Show the seating, the reception desk, or the aisles. If you are a service business (like a dentist or mechanic), show the clean, modern equipment you use.
The Team
- Role: Humanises your brand.
- Best Practice: Skip the stiff corporate headshots. Post candid photos of your team working, smiling, or helping a customer.
Products & Results
- Role: Proof of competence.
- Best Practice: For retail, use the new Google Product Studio AI tools to clean up backgrounds. For service businesses, “Before & After” photos are gold mines for engagement.
Quick Technical Cheat Sheet (2025 Standards)
Don’t let your hard work get rejected by Google’s upload filters. Stick to these specs:
- Format: JPG or PNG.
- File Size: Between 10 KB and 5 MB.
- Resolution: Minimum 720 x 720 pixels (Quality matters!).
- No Filters: Avoid heavy filters. Authenticity wins in local search.
