Cover/Logo GMB Photos Won't Show in Search

[ash-grin]

Is there any way to "force" Google to show the cover/logo photos chosen in the identity photo section for a GMB listing? I know photos were delayed for COVID, are they still? But also in general I seem to have issues with photos showing in search even though they are added in the backend dashboard.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Usually, Google uses the cover photo from GMB for the Knowledge panel but these are cases where they won’t:

1. It’s a logo
2. It’s very pixelated
3. They’ve decided they hate your photo for some obscure reason

The best way to fix it is to add a new picture to the cover photo section in GMB.

Tips:

1. Pick an image that looks good in both landscape and a square layout.
2. Pick an image that has most of the image in the top half (not the bottom half).
3. The image should be a close-up and not have a ton of background detail.
4. An image of an exterior is generally preferable to the algorithm.
5. Use the dimensions 1332 x 750 for the cover photo.

 

[Claire Carlile]

Hi Ash - sometimes Google populates the primary photo in the business profile on a desktop using Google image search - which country are you searching in?

 

[Nicole Basham]

Conan:

Does the algorithm prefer images of the building exterior even for service-area businesses or is that primarily for bricks and mortar businesses?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Conan:

Does the algorithm prefer images of the building exterior even for service-area businesses or is that primarily for bricks and mortar businesses?

I think it's more about representing the business as it exists in the real world. So for a pure SAB you could swap an exterior photo for a photo of the business owner inside or standing beside the service vehicle with the logo..etc

 

[ash-grin]

Hi Ash - sometimes Google populates the primary photo in the business profile on a desktop using Google image search - which country are you searching in?

The United States. The photos aren't showing up at all in the actual map listing, so that was the main goal as people aren't normally using Google image search.