The Visual Power of Reviews: How Google My Business Photos Increase Reach, Trust and Sales by Over 100%!

Why Google My Business Photos Are a Must-Have

Your Google My Business profile is your company’s digital business card – and photos are the front door. When potential customers browse Google or Google Maps, it’s the images that first grab their attention.¹

Google itself confirms this: business listings with photos (added by both you and your customers) receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks through to websites than those without photos.² These aren’t just empty stats – they are direct indicators of increased engagement and reach!

Businesses that regularly upload geo-tagged photos report up to a 40% increase in discovery searches and a 25% rise in website visits directly from their GMB profile.⁵ Photos help your business stand out from the crowd, communicate information quickly and build an instant impression – which leads to higher engagement. But the real power lies in the authenticity brought by photos from your customers themselves.

Authenticity You Can Trust: The Power of User-Generated Content (UGC) Photos

These days, authenticity is worth its weight in gold. As many as 6 in 10 consumers consider user-generated content (UGC), including customer photos, to be the most authentic form of marketing content.⁶ That’s crucial, because

88% of customers trust Google reviews as much as personal recommendations from someone they know.⁷

Photos added by customers are seen as more credible and genuine by other users, contributing to a more complete and up-to-date business profile.² Scientific studies confirm that UGC enjoys more consumer trust than brand-created content. Reviews with photos offer objective, visual proof of product or service experiences, showing real scenarios and unfiltered images.⁸

Direct Impact on Purchase Decisions

UGC has a huge influence on purchase decisions. Around 40% of buyers consider UGC “extremely” or “very” important when making a purchase decision. What’s more, 69% of shoppers cite photos taken by other people as one of the most influential types of UGC.

A lack of UGC can be off-putting – 55% of shoppers hesitate to buy if there’s no user-generated content. Furthermore, 92% of customers find filtering reviews by keywords or photos helpful,⁷ highlighting a clear preference for visual content.

Now here’s the kicker: in e-commerce, visitors who engage with user-generated photos and videos convert at a rate of 5.9%, compared to 2.8% for text-only reviews – a staggering 106.3% increase in conversions!⁸ While this stat comes from e-commerce, the underlying principles of trust and visual transparency apply universally to local businesses, where the GMB profile often acts as a “product page.”

Photos in reviews build trust and increase purchase intent.¹¹ The human brain processes and remembers images more easily than words,¹¹ making visual reviews more persuasive and memorable.

Photos and SEO: Longevity and Rankings

Reviews – especially those with photos – are a recognised factor in improving SEO rankings. They provide fresh content, include relevant keywords, and boost user engagement. What’s more, Google often places reviews with photos in the top 10 results for local businesses.⁸

Joy Hawkins’ research shows that reviews with images tend to remain visible in Google local listings significantly longer than those without visual content.¹³ This extended visibility means positive visual testimonials continue to influence potential customers over time.

That gives you a powerful strategic advantage: if you receive a negative review, you can reach out to satisfied customers who previously left positive reviews and politely ask them to add a photo to their existing feedback. This tactic can effectively push the negative review down – or even out of – the top 10 visible results on your GMB profile.¹³

However, remember that photos are just one part of a broader SEO strategy. Searcher proximity, accurate business category, overall GMB profile optimisation, and website authority also play a significant role in local rankings.

How to Use the Power of Photos in Your Business

1. Encourage Customers to Add Photos to Their Reviews

Actively encourage customers who’ve visited your business to include photos with their Google My Business reviews.² You can make this easy by printing cards with QR codes that lead directly to your Google review page – streamlining the process for customers.

Think of it like this: if you sell cars, ask a customer who’s just bought a vehicle to leave a review and upload a photo of their new car, perhaps parked outside their home. That’s authentic proof of satisfaction that resonates with other potential buyers.

Important: Never offer rewards (e.g. free desserts, discounts) in exchange for reviews. Google strictly prohibits this and may remove such feedback.

2. Optimise Your Business Photos (Uploaded by You)

In addition to customer photos, your business should carefully manage the images you upload to your GMB profile.

• Quality and Authenticity: Upload a variety of high-quality images that accurately represent your business, products and services.¹ Make sure they’re well-lit, sharp, and a true reflection of reality – avoid excessive filters.²
• Follow Google’s Guidelines: Stick to Google’s technical guidelines for file format (JPG/PNG) and resolution (recommended 720×720 pixels).²
• Diversity: Use the available photo categories in GMB: logo, cover photo (ideally 1080×608 pixels¹), and a range of business photos showcasing your interior, products, team or atmosphere.²
• Regular Updates: Keep your profile dynamic by regularly updating your photos.¹⁵
• Geo-tagging: Consider adding geo-tags to photos taken at your location to signal hyperlocal relevance to Google’s algorithms.

3. Respond to Reviews (Especially Those with Photos)

Responding quickly and professionally to all reviews – both positive and negative – is essential. Consumers are 63% more likely to buy from businesses that actively respond to their reviews.¹²

Replying to photo reviews starts and reinforces a powerful engagement loop. When you acknowledge a customer’s effort in uploading a photo, you validate their contribution and actively encourage more visual feedback – creating a positive cycle.¹

4. Integrate Photos into Your Broader Local SEO Strategy

Photos are powerful, but their impact is greatest when integrated into a broader, holistic local SEO strategy. Ensure your business’s name, address and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online directories. Regularly use Google Posts to share updates and promotions – keeping your profile fresh.

Summary

There’s no doubt that integrating photos into your Google My Business profile – especially through user-generated reviews – is not just an aesthetic enhancement, but a strategic imperative for digital success. From significantly increasing initial visibility and attracting more engagement, to directly influencing consumer trust and boosting conversion rates, photos offer a tangible, measurable return on investment. The power of authentic visual content – particularly when drawn from real customer experiences – is an undeniable force in today’s digital marketplace.

Start taking action today! Review your Google My Business profile, encourage your customers to share their visual experiences, and watch your business grow!

Our agency has years of experience in managing our clients’ Google My Business accounts, helping them to maximise their online potential. If you have any questions about optimising your GMB profile or need support with managing reviews and photos, book a free consultation with us.