Stop Ignoring Your Google Business Profile – Let’s keep your photos, video, and 360 tour up to date.
Most business owners claim their Google Business Profile, fill out a few fields, and never look at it again. But here is the reality: if your profile is stagnant, customers may assume your business is inactive or outdated.
A well-maintained profile can improve visibility, build trust, and help convert searchers into customers. I have been helping businesses add quality photos and 360 virtual tours to their Google Business Profiles for over a decade.
In 2014 Google selected me as one of the original Google Trusted Photographers in Houston. That role required extensive training and experience working with Google Business Profiles, Street View technology, and virtual tours.
Over the years, I’ve worked with businesses throughout Houston (and nationally) creating photography, virtual tours, and visual content designed to help them stand out online. Because of that background, I’m frequently asked to help diagnose why one business is thriving in local search while another seems invisible.
While there is no magic formula for ranking in Google Maps, there are several foundational elements that consistently make a difference, and a few that have changed over time that can impact your Google Maps visibility.
The first is where I can help – Photos, Videos, and Google 360 Virtual Tours
Photos, Videos, and Google 360 Virtual Tours
I have been helping businesses add photos and Google 360 virtual tours to their Business Profiles for more than a decade.
Professional imagery helps potential customers understand who you are, what you do, and what they can expect before they ever contact your business. Whether it’s showcasing your location, introducing your team, highlighting completed projects, or displaying products for sale, visual content helps build trust before the first conversation ever happens.
A Google 360 virtual tour takes that one step further. Instead of looking at a few static photos, visitors can explore your business for themselves. Restaurants can showcase their atmosphere, retailers can show off their showroom, and professional offices can help first-time clients feel comfortable before they arrive.
Photos, videos, and virtual tours also encourage visitors to spend more time interacting with your profile. Customers view photos, explore tours, click through products, request directions, visit your website, and call your business directly from the profile.
While Google doesn’t disclose every signal it uses, one thing is clear: active profiles that generate engagement tend to perform better than stagnant profiles.
This is where many businesses stop. They add some photos, claim their profile, and never touch it again.
To get the most from your Google Business Profile, you also need to make sure Google clearly understands your business and that the information on your profile remains accurate and current.
Here are a few things to check on your Profile
First the basics have not changed with the Name, Address, and Phone along with the primary Category.
Name Address Phone (aka NAP)
Your business Name, Address and Phone should be the same between different social media profiles, directory listings like Google Business Profile, Bing, Yelp, and your website. These should be identical everywhere on the web to support trust for your brand. I have heard from some Google experts that Google is not as strict anymore, but I would keep everything matchy-matchy anyway!
Use Your Legal Business Name
One thing that really works well is using a name that matches your keyword. For example, you are a Houston Headshot Studio, using the name Houston Headshot Studio for your profiles. You really improve your chances of ranking well in Google Maps in this scenario. The catch is this needs to be your official name and match your website and other listings on the web, not just something you picked for your profile. Google may request copies of your paperwork during verification of profile, so do not try to game the system and stick with your legal name.
Make Your Primary Category Specific
The primary category plays a significant role in your ranking. The larger the category, the harder it is to rank. Consequently, you should pick the most specific category you can to improve your chances of ranking. Here are a few examples:
Not Lawyer, pick Family Law or injury lawyer
Not Photographer, pick portrait photographer or event photographer
Actively Manage Your Services
At the beginning of 2026, I noticed Google was adding services to my profile. I had no idea where it was getting this information from. There were duplicates, things I really did not do, and some things were just worded strange. I deleted the duplicates and the ones I did not do, and a week later, the same weird ones were on the list again.
What I figured out is that Google was pulling these services from my website. I had tiles on my home page that linked to each of my service pages, and the titles of these tiles were shortened to fit my visual layout. These were the services Google was finding on my website and automatically adding to my Google Business Profile.
The fix
I changed the fine-tuned SEO optimized service names to match the service names on the home page of my website. This reduced the auto addition of the duplicate services.
Don’t forget to add the service descriptions
After you add a service on the Google Profile, be sure to add the description. You cannot add the description at the same time you add the service. You have to save the service and then select edit, and then add the description.
Services on our Google Business Profile expand what your business is about far more than just your about section on your profile. What you list here should match what you have on your website to maintain the trust factor with your listing.
It’s OK to delete some of what Google adds as a service, but if Google keeps adding duplicate things, take a look at how you have it worded. If Google keeps adding a service back, it may be finding that wording repeatedly on your website or other sources across the web.
Products
Products on your Google Business Profile can add some photos and take up more real estate on the search results. They are more visible than the services section, and they have buttons for people to interact with potentially buy online. If you need help with product photography for your business, contact me to discuss your needs.
Services can be highlighted in Products also
If you have a particular service that can be purchased or scheduled online with a definite cost, this may be an area for you focus on. Lifestyle images are good for this type of product listing, where you or your employees are performing the service. We can capture unique, non-stock images to highlight your business. You can see more about branding photography here.
Reviews are still a big deal
But Google has gotten a little picky of late. You want a steady drip of reviews coming to your GBP. Not waves when you go on a campaign to gather them.
Avoid the “Ask for Reviews” link
I know, Google has finally made it easy to give people a link to go straight to the review form, and it seems like that should be the logical link to use when asking for a review. But there are reports that Google has removed reviews from people that have not interacted directly with your GBP.
These review links bypass the GBP, and go straight to the review form, thus not interacting with your profile. Google apparently thinks this is spammy behavior and decides not to show all the reviews. I have a couple of photographer friends that have been using the reviews link, and they have seen this happen without understanding why. Some local SEO practitioners have reported this behavior as well, and the Sterling Sky podcast mentioned this in their episode 2026 Google Business Profile Review Trends You Can’t Ignore.
The FIX :
- Send your client the link to your Google Business Profile and ask them to leave a review. This will add the interaction Google is looking for before they write your review.
- Keep a steady flow of reviews by incorporating asking for reviews in your normal course of business, versus going on a big push to add them all at one time.
Keep Your Profile Active
One of the biggest mistakes I see is businesses treating their Google Business Profile as a one-time setup project. They claim the profile, add a few photos, and then forget about it for years.
Google rewards businesses that demonstrate they are active and engaged with customers.
You do not need to post every day, but you should maintain a steady flow of activity. Consider adding:
- New photos of your business, team, projects, or products
- Occasional video content
- Google Business Profile updates
- New products and services
- Customer reviews
If your profile looks exactly the same as it did two years ago, it may be time for an update.
Final Thoughts
Your Google Business Profile is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your business. Before they visit your website, call your office, or walk through your front door, they are evaluating what they see on Google.
Make sure your profile accurately represents your business today, not the business you were three or five years ago.
Keep your information current. Add new photos regularly. Showcase your products and services. Encourage reviews from real customers. Consider adding a Google 360 virtual tour to help visitors explore your business before they arrive.
Small improvements made consistently can have a significant impact over time.
If you need help updating the visual side of your Google Business Profile, including professional business photography, branding photography, product photography, or a Google 360 virtual tour, I’d be happy to help.