The photos on your Google Business Profile are doing more selling than you realise

Quick one to start: when was the last time you actually looked at the photos on your Google Business Profile? Properly looked, like a stranger would. A lot of people haven’t touched theirs in years, and it’s costing them customers.

Here’s why it matters so much. Someone in Radcliffe searches for what you do, your profile pops up, and before they read a single review they’ve already glanced at your photos. That’s the first impression, formed in about two seconds, and it happens before your lovely reputation gets a chance to speak for itself.

What people are actually judging

When people look at the photos on your Google Business profile, they’re not judging your photography skills, thankfully. They’re asking themselves a much simpler question: is this a real, decent place I’d be happy walking into? Photos answer that faster than any amount of written description.

A clean, well-lit shot of your shop front, your workspace, or you and your team at work tells someone “yes, this is legit, this is cared for.” A blurry photo taken in 2015, or worse, no photos at all bar your logo, tells them the opposite. Not because you’re bad at your job. Because there’s nothing there to prove otherwise, and people don’t hang about to find out.

I think this catches out good businesses more than bad ones, if I’m honest. The trade who does brilliant work but never thinks to photograph it. The salon in Bottesford with stunning results and a profile that’s just the logo and an address. All that quality, and none of it visible to someone scrolling past on their phone.

What actually works

Real photos beat stock photos every time, no contest. People can tell, even if they couldn’t say how. A slightly imperfect photo of your actual premises in Radcliffe on Trent will always outperform a polished stock image of a generic shop that could be anywhere.

Show the place. The outside so people recognise it when they drive past, and the inside so they know what they’re walking into. Show the work, whether that’s a finished job, a plate of food, or the product on a shelf. And show a friendly human face here and there. People buy from people, and a photo of you or your team doing the job builds trust faster than words can.

Update them. A profile with photos added last month looks active and alive. One that hasn’t changed since 2019 looks like nobody’s home, even if you’re rushed off your feet.

The bits that put people off

A few things are worth avoiding. Watermarked stock photos, because they scream “this was downloaded, not taken.” Dark, blurry, or badly cropped shots, because on a phone screen they just look like a smudge. And photos that don’t match what you actually do, like a generic tool image on a plumber’s profile when a photo of an actual finished job would tell people so much more.

One more thing. Keep your best, most recent photo as your main profile picture. That’s the one that shows up small next to your name in search results, so it needs to work hard even at that tiny size.

Where to put them

Your Google Business Profile first, since that’s often the very first thing people see. Then your website, ideally as real photos rather than stock. If you’re near Cropwell Bishop, Newark, Grantham, or anywhere across the Vale of Belvoir, and your website is full of generic images that could belong to any business in the country, that’s worth fixing before almost anything else.

You don’t need a professional shoot to start. A decent phone camera, good daylight, and a tidy space will get you most of the way there. Just take the photo when things look their best, not on the one chaotic Tuesday.

A few questions people ask me about this

How many photos should I have on my Google Business Profile? There’s no magic number, but I’d want to see at least ten to fifteen good ones covering the outside, the inside, the work, and your team. Fewer than that and the profile feels thin. More than that is fine too, as long as they’re all earning their place.

Do I need a professional photographer? Not to start with. A decent phone camera, good natural light, and a tidy space will get most local businesses further than they think. A professional shoot is worth it later on if photos really matter to what you sell, like food, interiors, or anything visual, but don’t let the lack of one stop you posting anything at all.

How often should you update photos on your Google business profile? Little and often beats one big batch a year. Even adding one or two new photos a month keeps the profile looking active, which Google and customers both notice. If nothing’s changed since 2019, that’s the sign to go and take a few new ones this week.

Can I just use stock photos if I don’t have good ones yet? I’d avoid it if you can. People can spot a stock photo, even a nice one, and it quietly undoes some of the trust you’re trying to build. A slightly imperfect real photo of your actual premises in Bingham or Bottesford will do more for you than a polished generic one ever will.

Does it matter what my main profile photo is? Yes, more than people expect. It’s the one that shows up small next to your name in search results, so it needs to be clear and recognisable even at that tiny size. Your logo or your best, most current shop or team photo both work, just make sure it’s sharp and not too busy.

The point of all this

Nobody scrolls past a business and thinks “great copy.” They think “that looks like a proper place” or they don’t, and photos are doing most of that thinking for them. It’s one of the quickest wins available, and it costs nothing but a bit of time with your phone.

If you’d like a second pair of eyes on how your profile and website actually come across to a stranger, that’s exactly what my free visibility check looks at. I’ll take a look and send you a plain one-page report on what’s working and what I’d change first.

Becky Halls. Websites, Google profiles and AI visibility for local businesses across Nottinghamshire. beckyhalls.com