Why Google Business Profile May Reject Your Photos

You’ve decided to jazz up your Google Business Profile with pretty pictures. Much to your chagrin, though, Google unceremoniously rejects your photos. What’s worse, it doesn’t always tell you what, if anything, you’ve done wrong.

“Why are my Google Business Profile photos being rejected?” you ask. “Aren’t they good enough? How can I fix this problem?”

Below, we outline the most common reasons you may be getting that dreaded “photos not approved” message and how to overcome it. For all your Google Maps marketing needs, reach out to us at Relentless Digital today.

Here’s Why Uploading Images to Your Google Business Profile (GBP) Is a Smart Move

Before we dive into the reasons why Google might reject your images, let’s take a moment to talk about why photos are so awesome for small businesses and their profiles. Your profile is one of the first things customers will see when they search for your business name. You don’t necessarily need images to complete your profile, but they certainly do a lot of heavy lifting!

Images do a great job of telling customers about your services. If you build houses, for instance, you could add photos showing various stages of the building process, plus images of completed projects to help users visualize themselves in a new home. If you do pest control, you might upload images of raccoons and other critters you’ve caught.

The right image connects your business with users on a personal level. Customers can see your crew in action and imagine what it might be like to work with them.

Quality photos also make you look more legit, which builds serious trust if you’re the new kid on the block. By adding quality images to your business listing, users will feel as though they can trust you.

Now that you know the importance of uploading photos to your Google Business Profile listing, let’s jump into why Google might reject your images.

Why Are My Google Business Profile Photos Being Rejected?

Normally, Google accepts images sent to your profile pretty quickly, but sometimes, it’ll send you an irritating image rejection message. Google can reject photos uploaded to your listing for all kinds of reasons, from violating Google’s policies to having a too-new account. Luckily, most of these issues are easy fixes.

Your Images Are Inappropriate for All Viewers

You’re a contractor, so you’re probably not uploading wild images of illegal activities to your Google Business Profile. Still, it’s worth going through your pictures to ensure the images meet Google’s policies on inappropriate content.

Per these policies and guidelines, your images can’t contain any depiction of nudity, terrorism, hate speech, or violence. Essentially, all your image content must be rated “G” for general audiences.

That means you can’t post photos of:

• You or customers holding weapons
• People fighting
• Someone wearing very little clothing or none at all
• Racist symbols or gestures

Your photos also can’t contain any text that could be construed as hate speech. For example, avoid posting political rants or comments about race.

If you’re unsure whether an image is inappropriate, analyze it with the Cloud Vision API “SafeSearch” tool. This evaluation shows the likelihood of an image being flagged for inappropriate content.

The Images Feature Irrelevant Content

You’re running a contracting business, so your images must accurately represent what you do. Images of you or your employees cutting down a tree or painting a house, for instance, are okay as long as your business does those things. Random photos of your dog or kids are not.

Additionally, having images with special characters, excessive text, misleading information, or phone numbers could seriously boost the chance of a rejection. Per the guidelines, your images can include some text, but it shouldn’t take up more than 10% of a picture. Place any text at the bottom or top of an image, not in the center. You don’t want to block the subject, after all.

Sometimes, Google is a little heavy-handed when it comes to determining irrelevant content. For example, it might issue a photo rejection because it spots one of your client’s cats in the picture. In such cases, contact Google support and explain why the picture is relevant to your business. Screenshots of your business’s website can add more credibility to your case.

Your Photos Contain Copyrighted Content

Google strongly frowns on duplicate content and goes to great lengths to protect copyrighted images. That means you can’t simply snag a pretty picture off the internet and post it on your Google Business Profile as if it’s your own, even if it perfectly depicts your type of services. That includes stock photos. Stock photos are fine for your site, but on your profile, Google guidelines say you must have original images.

If you didn’t take that picture yourself, you could be violating copyright laws without knowing it. To determine whether you’re using copyrighted images, run them through a reverse image search. Google will show you other places where your photos appear on the web.

You’re Using Low-Quality Images

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it’s upsetting when Google rejects photos because of quality issues. But Google isn’t trying to insult your artistic sensibilities when it rejects for image quality. It simply wants its users to have a good experience and get an accurate depiction of your services from your listing.

Google Business Profile photos must be well-lit and sharp to pass the image quality test. Don’t bother uploading images that are blurry, too dim, or otherwise of low quality. Also, avoid using filters that significantly alter your images. Using a filter to improve the lighting is fine, but placing cat faces on your employees, while funny, is not.

You’re Uploading Photos in the Wrong Image Format or File Size

“Why are my Google Business Profile photos being rejected?”

Using the wrong file size or image format is among the most common reasons for photo rejection. Before uploading, ensure that your images are in JPG or PNG format. Any other format will be swiftly rejected.

Image sizes must range from 5KB to 5MB for acceptance. If your images are larger than 5MB, Google will automatically compress them, which could negatively affect their quality.

In addition to format and size guidelines, your images must meet the minimum resolution for your Google Business profile listing. The minimum resolution for photos is 250×250 pixels, and the maximum is 5,200×5,300 pixels. Try to post images that measure 720×720 pixels.

Your Google Business Profile Is in Time Out

Is your Google Business Profile in the penalty box? If so, you’ll need to wait for reinstatement. You can’t upload photos until that happens, which can take anywhere from a couple of days to a week or more.

There are two types of penalties to watch out for: a soft suspension and a hard suspension. A soft suspension is akin to a warning message. Your Google Business Profile will still appear as usual, but you won’t be able to upload photos or do anything else with it.

You might incur a soft suspension for accidentally breaking Google’s guidelines in some way, such as changing your business hours or name. Adding extra words to your business name can earn you a penalty, too. For example, suppose your business name is “Joe’s Pest Control.” You can’t amend your listing to “Joe’s Pest Control, Best Bug Destroyer in San Diego.”

The second and worst penalty is the hard suspension. If you’re hit with a hard suspension, your entire profile, along with any images, will disappear from the search results and Google Maps. This can be incredibly devastating if the bulk of your business comes from Google.

Fortunately, hard suspensions are pretty rare. You would have to do something egregious to get one, like knowingly including false information in your Google Business Profile or making multiple listings for the same business.

If Google has shut down your profile, you can try filing an appeal. You’ll typically need to wait about three to five business days for Google to respond.

Your Google Business Profile Isn’t Fully Verified

If your Google Business Profile is brand-new or you haven’t changed your profile in a long time, Google may mark your listing as “unverified.” This means that Google isn’t sure whether the listing belongs to a real business, and you won’t be able to add any images.

Sometimes, users might complain to Google that your profile isn’t accurate. For example, maybe your address or phone number is wrong. In such cases, Google might mark your profile as not fully verified.

If your business profile is unverified, it’ll still appear in the search results, but you can’t upload images or make other changes. Naturally, you’ll want to fix the issue ASAP. The simplest way to do that is by clicking “Get Verified” and then choosing “Email,” “Phone,” or “SMS.” You can provide proof by sending screenshots of or links to your business’s website.

You can also verify your business via live video chat. To do that, click or tap “Live Video Call,” “Next,” and then “Start Call.” You can then show the representative anything that validates your business, such as:

• Shots of outdoor signage
• Your business operations, tools, equipment, and offices
• A video of you unlocking the door to your business
• Your access to employee-only areas or items, such as a storage room or cash register

Once you’ve gone through the process, it may take up to five days for Google to verify your business profile before you can add photos. Google will send you an email notifying you of verification.

You Need To Play the Waiting Game

In some cases, that “photos not approved” message isn’t due to anything you have or haven’t done. For instance, small businesses with very new profiles can’t immediately upload photos per Google’s policies. You’ll need to wait two weeks before adding Google Business Profile photos to your listing.

Occasionally, there are bugs that affect images uploaded to Google. One such bug marks images as rejected, but they’ll appear in your profile if you simply wait for 24-48 hours. If you’ve waited for a couple of days and are still having trouble with uploaded images, contact Google support and ask about technical issues that may be impacting photos.

How To Fix the “Photos Not Approved” Message in Your Google Business Profile Listing

Still not sure why your Google Business Profile photos aren’t showing up? Follow this handy checklist for Google’s image guidelines to get your GBP listing back in working order.

• Ensure that all image content is relevant to your business and its services. Don’t include photos of other businesses or subjects that have nothing to do with your business.
• Don’t upload duplicate content or copyrighted images. All images on your Google Business Profile must be original and not a duplicate of any other content on the web.
• Use the correct format for uploaded images. Remember that Google only accepts images in JPG or PNG format. The images will be rejected automatically if you do not use JPG or PNG.
• Only use high-resolution images. To play it safe, stick with images that are 720×720 pixels.
• Avoid including excessive text or too many special characters in your photos, or you’ll get a photo rejection. You’ll have the same issue if text takes up more than 10% of the space in your images. Also, remove watermarks and logos from your photos.
• Upload quality photos with adequate lighting and sharp focus. Well-lit, sharp photos allow users to see the subject clearly.
• Flesh out your Google Business Profile with details so Google knows you’re a legitimate business. Include your business’s address and contact information so potential customers can get in touch with you in a flash.
• According to Google’s image guidelines, your Google Business Profile photos must not show hate speech or illegal activities. Use the Cloud Vision API tool to determine whether your images contain hate speech or anything else that Google deems inappropriate.
• Check your GBP listing to ensure that you haven’t received a suspension. If you have, fix the issue and then contact Google support to file an appeal.
• Verify your Google Business Profile if you haven’t done so yet. You’ll need to do this before you can post images. You can verify your listing by email, text message, or phone call.
• If your images do not violate Google’s guidelines, a bug may be causing the problem. If so, you’ll need to wait for Google to fix it.