The photo types Google looks for
Profiles can hold several named types: logo, cover photo, exterior, interior, at work, team and product images, plus general photos. Fill each that fits your business. A mobile service business may have no storefront, so focus on work in progress, vehicles and team members.
The logo and cover photo appear most prominently, so give them extra attention. Use a square, uncluttered logo that stays legible when small.
Shooting with a phone
A modern phone camera is enough. Clean the lens, turn off filters, and shoot in daylight when you can. Hold the phone steady and frame the subject with a little room around it, since views crop images differently.
Take a set rather than a single shot. For an exterior, capture the approach from the street, the entrance, and the signage. For work photos, show before and after of the same angle. Ask customers for permission if they or their home appear.
Show people and process
Customers choose people. A friendly, honest picture of the owner and crew builds more confidence than a polished stock image. Show your uniform, your truck, your tools, and the finished job.
Avoid images with text overlays, heavy collage layouts, or promotional banners, which Google tends to discourage in profile photos. Keep them natural.
File details and housekeeping
Use JPG or PNG files of reasonable size, not tiny thumbnails. Google lists minimum dimensions in its help pages, and those can change, so check the current guidance before bulk uploads.
Descriptive file names are a harmless habit but not a ranking trick. Do not worry about adding location data to the file. What matters is that the image is real, clear and relevant to your business.
Keeping the gallery fresh
Add a few new photos every month or two. Recent images signal that you are active, and customers like seeing current work. Review the photos that customers upload and flag any that are inappropriate or wrong.
Remove outdated images such as an old logo or a storefront you no longer have. If a stranger uploads an unflattering but real photo, respond professionally rather than fighting it.
A simple monthly photo plan
Make photos part of the job rather than a separate chore. Ask crew members to take two or three pictures at the end of each visit, with the customer's permission and with no faces or house numbers showing. Collect them in a shared folder and pick the strongest few each month.
A balanced month might include one team photo, two work-in-progress shots, one finished result, and one image of the vehicle or storefront. Upload them in one sitting rather than all at once on different days.
Keep a short rule sheet for the person who uploads: no blurry shots, no private information, no screens with passwords, no pictures of minors. This protects customers and keeps your gallery something you can be proud of when a prospect scrolls through it on their phone.
Visitors can upload their own pictures, and you cannot block them. Check the customer photos section now and then, and report any that show another business, contain offensive content, or reveal private information.
Common questions
How many photos should my profile have?
There is no magic number. Aim for a varied set of real images that covers each photo type you can, then add steadily.
Can I use stock photos?
It is better to avoid them. Stock images add no trust, and customers can tell. Use your own work instead.
This guide is general information. Search engines change how they work and their guidelines; check Google's current documentation for your situation. Nobody can guarantee a ranking.