The Photographer's Guide to Google My Business Image Size Requirements

As a photographer - whether it's for work or pleasure - everyone knows the job isn't finished immediately after a shoot.

Between processing, edits, delivery, etc. there's an entire list of tasks that need to be done before a project is actually finished. And one of those tasks often times is embedding said photos to a Google My Business listing.

Thanks to Google's constantly evolving algorithm, it's necessary for all business types to optimize their listings, which means adjusting photo and video requirements to match Google's requirements.

Below is a comprehensive infographic illustrating 2020s image size requirements according to Google.

The non-negotiables

As we mentioned, there’s key information every business must provide on their listing in order to achieve any sort of visibility.

This includes,

• A profile photo
• Industry
• Operation hours
• Phone number
• Address
• Website URL
• Visual Content

Since Google has the last word on search content, and 2019’s number 9 most valuable Google ranking factor was optimized images, it's essential that all listing photos follow this algorithm.

With that being said, here’s our guide to Google My Business image size requirements for 2020 for a listing that stands out.

What types of photos do I need?

As far as what types of photos that have shown to be most valuable on a listing, the most important - if not essential - photos to be of quality and clarity are the cover and profile photos since they’re the first ones seen.

A good thing to remember is that the cover photo should be the preferred photo for your listing. Often times businesses think a profile photo is the one that represents a company, but although the cover photo doesn’t always register as the first users see, it’s actually labelled as the preferred one by Google.

Aside from those two, a good rule to follow is always have a variety.

People gauge whether or not a website/business is worthy of visiting based on the company's listing, so a collection of photos or videos that showcase a good portion of your brand and products can be informative as well as trustworthy.

Google My Business listing image size requirements

Considering the fact that Google listings are fair game for user-generated content, there can - and will - be individuals posting photos of your business online.

The problem is, often times these are low-quality photos that don’t always show your business and community in the best light. And unfortunately, Google doesn’t really prioritize this content, so professional photography is typically a must.

With that being said, here are Google's requirements for images to effectively optimize business listings:

• Size requirements: Between 10KB and 5MB
• Minimum resolution: 720 x 720 pixels (see guide for variations)
• Quality: The most effective photography reflects the actual space, as well as being focused and well lit.
• Format: JPG or PNG

And for those who value video content as much as we do, here are Google’s guidelines:

• Duration: Up to 30 seconds long
• File size: Up to 100MB
• Resolution: 720 pixels or higher