Library·SOP·SEO
Choose a genuine logo, cover, and one or more useful business photos, upload each to its role, and check what Google shows.
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Clarity, structure and references reviewed in this version. This is not a test in a live account.
Choose a genuine logo, cover, and one or more useful business photos, upload each to its role, and check what Google shows.
This SOP covers:
This does not cover:
Use images that help a customer recognize the real business or understand what it sells or does.
Sign in to Google Search or Google Maps with the Google Account that manages the profile. Search for the business name and city, then confirm the displayed name and location match the business you are updating.
From the profile you just opened, use Google’s verification-status tool while signed in to confirm that this profile is verified. Google shows profile photos to customers only after verification. If the tool says verification is needed or the result is unclear, stop before uploading; follow the linked existing-profile verification procedure, then check the status again.
Choose the business’s current logo and one cover image that accurately shows its real products, service, team, or work. For fictional Willow Lane Garden Care, an eligible service-area business, that could be its real logo and a photo from a garden job it completed with the customer’s permission. Do not invent a storefront or show a place customers cannot visit. Google may choose another image to display first; a cover selection does not guarantee it will appear first. See Google’s photo guidance for the logo and cover roles.
Choose one or more useful photos that show actual products, services, staff, or work. For fictional Willow Lane Garden Care, choose a genuine photo of its crew doing a real garden job or a finished result it has permission to show. Add another photo only when it shows different real work or another genuine offering; do not pad the selection with duplicates or invented scenes. Google suggests at least three photos for photo types that fit the business, but that is a recommendation, not a requirement for this update. See Google’s business-photo tips.
Check each file on your computer before uploading. Google accepts JPG or PNG files from 10 KB to 5 MB; each image must be at least 250 by 250 pixels, and 720 by 720 is the recommended resolution. Choose a sharp, well-lit image without major edits or heavy filters so it still represents the business accurately. See Google's image requirements.
Open the intended business profile and use the separate controls for profile branding and customer photos.
Use each role-specific Photos editor below separately. Check the image preview and role before completing that upload.
In Photos, choose Add a logo or Change logo. Select the logo file, check its preview in the logo editor, and finish the upload using Google’s on-screen control.
In Photos, choose Add a cover photo or Change cover. Select the cover file, check its preview in the cover editor, and finish the upload using Google’s on-screen control.
In Photos, choose Add photos of your business. Select the one or more useful ordinary photos you chose, review each preview, and finish the upload using Google’s on-screen control.
An upload can take time to process. A Live status or the exact image on the public profile confirms that customers can see it.
After uploading, check each logo, cover, and ordinary photo in Photos. Google’s photo guidance defines Live as visible on Search and Maps, Pending as uploading, processing, or awaiting profile verification, and Not approved as flagged and not shown. Record a status only when Google displays it for that image. If the page shows only a role thumbnail or view count, do not infer a status; use the fallback in the next step.
Use the matching action for each displayed non-Live status. If Google shows no status, use Check an image with no visible status; do not guess.
If an image is Pending, give Google time to process it before checking again. Photos can take up to 24–48 hours to appear. If the exact image appears on the public profile sooner, this check is complete. Avoid uploading the same file again while it is processing.
If an image is Not approved, read Google's photo and content rules and choose a different image that follows them and accurately represents the business. Repeat the matching upload action above for the same role, then check the new file's status in Photos.
If an uploaded image seems missing, check Photos for the same image before you upload it again. Google warns that duplicate uploads may not appear as expected.
If Google shows no status for an uploaded image, do not assume it is Live or rejected. Check whether the exact image appears in the public profile. If it does not, allow Google’s stated 24–48 hours for media to appear and check again. If it is still missing or its status remains unclear, open Google’s photo and video guidance and check for the same image in Photos before considering another upload.
