Google Now Lets Business Owners Control the Order of Their Profile Photos
What happened
Google has introduced owner-controlled gallery sorting for Business Profiles, rolling out in May 2026. Business owners can now manually arrange which photos appear first on their profile, rather than leaving it to Google's algorithm.
Previously, Google's system decided which images to surface — often putting blurry customer uploads or outdated photos front and centre. The new feature gives owners direct control over their visual first impression.
The change applies to the photo gallery on your Business Profile. Your cover photo and the first three gallery images are what most potential customers see before deciding whether to tap through or keep scrolling.
What this means for tradespeople
This is a practical improvement for any tradesperson who takes pride in their work but has been frustrated by Google showing the wrong photos.
If you're a kitchen fitter, you can now make sure your best completed kitchen appears first — not a dark photo someone uploaded of your van. If you're a landscaper, you can lead with that pristine garden transformation instead of a random shot of your tools.
For trades where visual proof of quality matters — builders, bathroom fitters, painters, landscapers — this is particularly useful. Homeowners often decide whether to enquire based on photos before reading a single review.
The timing matters too. Google has also been displaying review photos in a vertical "story" format similar to Instagram and TikTok on mobile, making the visual presentation of your profile more important than ever.
What to do about it
- Open your Google Business Profile and go to your photo gallery
- Upload fresh, high-resolution images: storefront or van, your best completed work (3-5 projects), and a team photo if you have one
- Arrange them in the order you want — lead with your most impressive completed job
- Remove or push down any blurry, dark, or irrelevant images
- Check back monthly and refresh with recent work — stale photos send the same signal as stale reviews
TapReview is a £9/month tool that helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews with one tap. Pair your best photos with fresh reviews and your profile does the selling for you. Try it free →
Source: iCreateBrand