Want to optimize your Google My Business profile?
Using professional-quality images is essential. High-quality photos make a strong first impression and attract more online visitors. Our Google My Business photo guide walks you through the steps to add, remove, and optimize your Google My Business images.
Types of Google My Business Photos
- Google My Business Profile Photos: Help current and prospective patients recognize your medical practice on Google.
- Google My Business Cover Photos: Showcase your profile’s personality through your Google My Business cover photo. Adding a cover photo automatically sets it as your listing’s preferred photo. This action doesn’t guarantee it populates as the first image for your practice, but it does tell Google you prefer to display this photo. Individuals often mistakenly believe the profile photo is the preferred image. This is not the case!
- Additional Google My Business Photos: Add additional photos to spotlight features of your medical practice that patients consider when making healthcare decisions.
How to Add Google My Business Photos
- First, claim your Google My Business listing.
- Then log into your Google My Business account.
- Navigate to the Photos tab in the left-hand column.
- Select the type of photo you wish to add, and then walk through the wizard.
Your photos will look best on Google if they meet the following standards:
- Google My Business Profile Photo Size: 250 x 250 pixels (minimum 120 x 120; maximum 5200 x 5300)
- Google My Business Cover Photo Size: 1080 x 608 pixels (minimum 480 x 270; maximum 2120 x 1192)
- Format: JPG or PNG
- Size: Between 10 KB and 5 MB
- Minimum Resolution: 720 px tall, 720 px wide
- Quality: The photo should be in focus and well lit. It should have no significant alterations or excessive use of filters. In other words, the image should represent reality.
How to Delete Photos from Google My Business
Both profile administrators and visitors to your practice have the ability to add images to your Google My Business profile.
You can easily remove any photos you’ve uploaded yourself under the Photos tab in the left-hand column. However, if you wish to remove photos that patients uploaded, you will have to flag them.
You will only be able to flag the photos if they violate Google My Business’s strict guidelines. According to the guidelines, the photos must be relevant and taken by users at the practice location. Stock imagery is not allowed and may be removed.
If you notice that a photo uploaded by a patient violates the Google Maps photo policies, you can request for it to be removed. If you have additional questions, you can always contact us at rater8 or contact Google My Business directly.
Note: If you’ve come across content on Google that may violate the law, let Google know. They’ll carefully review the material and consider blocking, removing, or restricting access to it.
Flagging Photos in Your Google Account
Desktop
- Sign in to Google My Business.
- If you have multiple practice locations, open the location you’d like to manage.
- Select Photos from the menu.
- Find the photo you’d like to flag, then select the flag icon in the top-right corner.
Mobile
- Open the Google My Business app.
- Tap the menu
, then tap Photos.
- Find the photo you’d like to flag.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon
in the top-left corner, then tap Report photo.
Google My Business Photos Best Practices
Businesses invest a lot of time and money into their website. The same principles should apply to your Google My Business profile!
Within Google photos, highlight your building, office, and people, which adds a personal touch. Remember that it’s worth investing in professional-quality headshots. Low-quality photos do not reflect well on your practice or providers. A team photo with all your physicians and patient-facing staff is also a great idea.
Important: Your Google My Business photos are often the first thing patients see when searching for healthcare solutions online. Remember that online visitors may not even make it to your website. Your Google profile may be your only chance to shine and make a lasting impression, so be sure to make it count with high-quality images.
Once your Google photos are optimized, it’s time to take a closer look at the rest of the profile.
Is your Google My Business profile filled out completely and accurately? Most importantly, how are your online reviews and ratings? After all, poor ratings and a low number of reviews often deter prospective patients from selecting your practice. Learn more about Google My Business profile best practices and how the rater8 team can help optimize all your listings on our listings optimization page.
