GBP post images appear prominently in Google Search and Maps results — but they display at very different sizes depending on the context. Use the wrong dimensions and your post image gets cropped awkwardly, looks blurry, or cuts off your key message. Here are the exact specifications for every post type and the mistakes to avoid.
All GBP post types use the same image specifications — but they display differently in different contexts. Here's what you need for each.
For restaurants: show the dish, not a stock photo of a generic meal. For gyms: show your actual equipment and space. For clinics: show your actual treatment rooms. Authentic, specific images outperform stock photography significantly for click-through rates on Google Maps listings.
Images shot in natural light with an uncluttered background consistently perform best. Avoid dark, blurry, or heavily filtered images. For product shots, a clean white or neutral background with good lighting communicates quality and professionalism immediately.
GBP post images are often displayed at very small thumbnail sizes — 100×100px or smaller. What looks great at 1200×900 may be unreadable at thumbnail size. Choose images with a clear, single subject rather than busy, complex compositions that lose all meaning when reduced.
Put your text in the post caption, not burned into the image. Text in images: crops unpredictably, becomes unreadable at thumbnail sizes, and may not be indexed by Google's image recognition. Your caption is fully indexed — use it.
Using the same image repeatedly across multiple posts signals low effort. Each post should have a fresh, relevant image. Over time, a consistent stream of new, high-quality images builds your profile's visual authority and signals active management to Google's algorithm.
GBP posts without images receive significantly fewer views than posts with images. Google prioritises visually rich posts in search results. Every post should have a high-quality, on-spec image — it's not optional if you want your posts to be seen.
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