How to Add Photos to Your Google Business Profile (and Remove One)
By Clay Lawrence, Review Harvest · · 3 min video
The short version
Log in to Google with the email that manages your Google Business Profile, type your business name into the search bar, and on the Your business on Google page click Photos, then Add photos. New photos show as pending for anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours while Google processes them. You can delete photos you uploaded yourself, but a photo that came from a customer's review can only be removed by reporting that review.
Do this, in order
- 1
Log in with the email that manages your profile
Make sure you are signed in to Google with the email that manages your Google Business Profile. If you are in the wrong account, the management page will not show up.
- 2
Search your business name on Google
Type your business name into the search bar. The Your business on Google page should pop up, where you can manage the profile and add photos.
- 3
If it does not show up, try the other two ways in
Type "my business" into the search bar and see if it pops up then, or click the nine dots and click Business Profile. If you still cannot find the Your business on Google page, you are probably logged into the wrong email.
- 4
Click Photos, then Add photos
Choose a photo from your computer and add it.
- 5
Wait for the photo to finish processing
The photo will be marked pending. It normally takes anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours, while Google checks that you are not uploading something it does not want listed on a profile.
- 6
Upload in smaller batches
If you upload 30 or 40 photos at a time, Google might not take all of them and may only take a couple. Upload fewer at once and give it time so they all get listed.
- 7
Delete a photo you uploaded and no longer want
Click Photos, scroll through to the photo, and delete it. This works for photos you added yourself, including one Google has picked as your cover image.
- 8
If the unwanted photo came from a customer review, decide whether to report it
A photo a customer left in a review cannot be deleted from your Photos. Technically you can report the review: click Read reviews, click the small emblem on that review, and report it as off topic, spam or similar. If it is a positive review, you probably do not want to do that.
Where do you add photos to a Google Business Profile?
You add them from the Your business on Google page, which appears in Google search when you are signed in with the right account.
- Log in with the email that manages your Google Business Profile.
- Type your business name into the search bar.
- On the Your business on Google page, click Photos.
- Click Add photos and choose a photo from your computer.
If the page does not appear when you search your business name, there are two other ways to get to it. Type “my business” into the search bar, or click the nine dots and click Business Profile. If none of the three works, you are probably logged into the wrong email.
How long do new photos take to show up?
A new photo is marked pending, and it normally takes anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours to be processed. Google is checking that the upload is not something it does not want listed on a profile.
Do not upload everything in one go. If you add 30 or 40 photos at a time, Google might not take all of them, and you may find only a couple went through. Add them in smaller batches and give each batch time.
How do you remove a photo you do not want?
If you uploaded the photo, click Photos, scroll to it, and delete it. That includes a photo Google has chosen as your cover image.
The harder case is a cover photo you never uploaded. One business spent thousands of dollars on professional photos of its beach bonfires, and Google still chose a different photo as the cover. It turned out to be a photo a customer had left in a review, which Google was treating as the most relevant image.
There is really nothing you can do about that from the Photos section. Technically, you can report the review:
- Click Read reviews.
- Find the review and click the small emblem on it.
- Report it as off topic, spam or similar.
When the review is a positive one, you probably do not want to report it, so the practical answer is to leave it.
Do photos help you rank higher on Google?
No. Photos are not a ranking factor, so adding them will not move you up. They are a conversion rate factor. Someone comparing your profile with a competitor’s is more likely to choose you if you have high quality photos and videos and the other business has stock photos or nothing at all.
Adding photos is also a good way to keep your profile fresh.
Common questions
How do I add photos to my Google Business Profile?
Log in to Google with the email that manages your profile and type your business name into the search bar. On the Your business on Google page, click Photos, then Add photos, and pick a photo from your computer. It will show as pending until Google finishes processing it.
Why is my Google Business Profile photo pending?
Every new photo is marked pending while Google processes it. That normally takes anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours. It is Google's way of making sure nothing is uploaded that it does not want listed on a profile.
Why can't I find where to manage my Google Business Profile?
You are probably logged in to the wrong email. Sign in with the email that manages the profile, then search your business name. You can also type "my business" into the search bar, or click the nine dots and click Business Profile.
Can I remove a photo a customer added to my Google Business Profile?
Not directly. You can delete photos you uploaded by clicking Photos and deleting them, but a photo left in a customer's review is part of that review. The only option is to report the review as off topic or spam, which you probably do not want to do to a positive review.
Do photos help a Google Business Profile rank higher?
No. Photos are not a ranking factor. They are a conversion factor: with high quality photos and videos on your profile, people are more likely to choose you over a competitor that only has stock photos or no photos.
Why did Google not accept all the photos I uploaded?
If you upload 30 or 40 photos at a time, Google might only take a couple of them. Upload in smaller batches and give each batch time to process so they all end up listed on your profile.
