How to Add a Video to Google My Business

Adding a video to your Google Business Profile is one of a local business’s most underrated and powerful marketing moves. While your competitors are still using static photos from five years ago, a dynamic video can stop potential customers mid-scroll, show off your business’s personality, and build immediate trust. This guide will walk you through exactly how to upload videos, give you ideas for what to create, and share the official guidelines to get it right the first time.

Why Videos on Your Google Business Profile Are So Important

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business or GMB) is often the very first impression someone has of your business. When they search for "restaurants near me" or "plumber in [city]," your profile appears right in the search results and on Google Maps. While good reviews and accurate information are fundamental, video elevates your listing from a simple directory entry to a living, breathing advertisement for your brand.

Here’s why it works so well:

• Grab Attention Immediately: In a sea of text and static images, movement instantly captures the eye. A video autoplays (muted) in the photos section of your profile, making it far more engaging than a standard picture. It can be the one thing that convinces a user to click on your profile over a competitor's.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: You can write that you have a "vibrant atmosphere" or "friendly staff," but a 30-second video can prove it. A quick tour of your bustling cafe, a clip of your team at work, or a dog enjoying a "puppuccino" on your pet-friendly patio tells a much richer story than words ever could.
• Build Trust and Authenticity: Videos feel raw and real. A polished, professional photo is expected, but a quick, behind-the-scenes video humanizes your business. It shows there are real people behind the brand, which helps potential customers feel more connected and trusting before they even walk through your door.
• Educate and Inform Quickly: Do you offer a unique service that’s hard to explain with text? A short video demonstrating how it works can communicate its value in seconds. A mechanic can show a quick diagnostic process, a baker can show how a complex pastry is made, or a gym can show a new piece of equipment in action.

Think of it this way: your GMB profile is your digital storefront. Photos are like window displays, but a video is like having the door wide open, inviting curious customers to step inside and see what you're all about.

Understanding Google's Video Requirements (The Nitty Gritty)

Before you hit record, it's essential to know the rules. Google has specific guidelines for videos to maintain quality and relevance on its platform. Uploading a video that doesn't meet these criteria will likely result in it being rejected. Learning them now will save you a ton of frustration later.

Here are the key technical specs and content rules to follow:

Technical Specifications

• Duration: Maximum of 30 seconds long. This is the big one. Your video needs to be short, sweet, and to the point.
• File Size: Maximum of 75 MB. Modern smartphones can create huge video files, so you might need to compress your video a bit before uploading.
• Resolution: 720p or higher is recommended. Anything lower might look pixelated and unprofessional, especially on larger screens.
• Format: Google supports a wide range of formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Sticking with MP4 is usually the safest bet for broad compatibility.

Content Guidelines

• Relevance is Key: The video must be relevant to your business and filmed at your location. Showcasing your space, products, team, or services is perfect. A random stock video isn't.
• Focus on Authenticity, Not Ads: Your GMB video should not be a traditional commercial. Overly promotional content with splashy sales graphics or pushy calls to action can get flagged. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes glimpse, not a Super Bowl ad.
• Keep it Real: Google prefers genuine content. A straight-from-your-phone video often performs better than a super-slick production because it feels more authentic to local searchers.

Creative Ideas for Engaging GMB Videos

Stuck on what to film? The 30-second limit can feel restrictive, but it forces you to be creative and focus on a single, compelling idea. Here are some simple yet effective video concepts any business can borrow:

1. The 30-Second Business Tour

Walk potential customers through your space. Start at the front door, pan across your main area, and highlight what makes your location special. For a restaurant, this could be the cozy dining room or the sunny patio. For a retail store, showcase your best displays. For an auto shop, give a peek into your clean, organized service bays.

2. Meet the Team

Feature one of your team members. It could be a simple, friendly wave from your barista, a brief introduction from your lead mechanic, or stylists working on clients in a salon. Putting a face to your business name makes it infinitely more approachable and builds immediate human connection.

3. A Product in Action

Don't just show a photo of your most popular product - show it being used or created. A chef plating a beautiful dish, a bartender mixing a signature cocktail, a barista making latte art, or an artist crafting a piece. This is far more interesting than a static photo and demonstrates quality and expertise.

4. Customer Testimonials (The Quick Version)

Ask a happy customer if they'd be willing to say a sentence or two on camera about their experience. A genuine, unscripted clip of someone saying, "This is the best coffee I've ever had!" or "They fixed my car in under an hour!" is more powerful than any 5-star review you could get.

5. Before-and-After Shots

This is gold for service-based businesses. Landscapers, house painters, auto detailers, hair stylists, and personal trainers can create compelling videos by showing a quick transition from the "before" to the stunning "after." It's a clear and dramatic way to showcase the value you provide.

How to Add a Video to Your Google Business Profile: Step-by-Step

The process of uploading a video is straightforward whether you’re on a desktop computer or your mobile phone. Follow the steps below, and your video will be live in no time.

On a Desktop Computer:

1. Sign In: Go to google.com/business and sign in to the Google account associated with your profile.
2. Access Your Profile: If you manage multiple locations, select the one you want to update. From your main dashboard, look for the card that says "Add photo." You can also find this option under the "Edit profile" menu.
3. Go to the Video Tab: The media uploader will open, showing options for photos, logos, and cover photos. Click on the "Video" tab at the top.
4. Upload Your Video: You can either drag your video file directly into the upload window or click the "Choose videos to upload" button to select the file from your computer.
5. Wait for Processing: The video will begin uploading. Once finished, Google takes some time to review and process it to make sure it meets their guidelines. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours. You'll see it on your profile once it's approved.

On a Mobile Device (Using the Google Maps App):

1. Open Google Maps: Launch the Google Maps app on your smartphone and make sure you're logged into the correct Google account.
2. Go to Your Business Profile: Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner, then select "Your Business Profiles." Choose the profile you want to edit.
3. Add Media: On your business profile management screen, look for the "Add photo" button or scroll down to the photos section. There, you'll see a camera icon or a '+' sign to add more media.
4. Choose Your Video: Tapping the "Add photo" button will open your phone’s gallery. Navigate to your video file and select it. You might have to switch from the "Photos" album to a "Videos" album.
5. Confirm and Upload: After selecting the video, confirm your choice. The app will upload and process it, and just like on desktop, it will appear publicly once reviewed and approved by Google.

Quick Tips for Awesome GMB Videos

Now that you know how to do it, here are a few best practices to make your videos more effective:

• Shoot Vertically: Most people who find your business on Google will be on their phones. Shooting your video vertically (in a "portrait-style" 9:16 aspect ratio) fills their entire screen and provides a much better viewing experience.
• Get to the Point Fast: You only have 30 seconds. Don’t waste the first 5 with a complicated intro or logo screen. Jump right into the most interesting part of the video.
• Focus on Good Lighting: You don't need a professional lighting setup. Just filming near a window or in a well-lit space can make a huge difference. Avoid dark, shadowy areas that can make your video look amateurish.
• Design for a Muted Experience: Since videos on GMB autoplay without sound, you can't rely on music or voiceovers alone. Use bright visuals, action, or even text overlays to tell your story, assuming no one will turn the volume on.

Final Thoughts

Uploading a video to your Google Business Profile is a simple task that takes only a few minutes, but its impact can be significant. It's a free, valuable piece of marketing real estate that helps you stand out, connect with customers emotionally, and ultimately drive more foot traffic and phone calls to your business.

Managing short-form video is quickly becoming a core part of marketing, not just on GMB but across every social platform. After years of dealing with clunky tools built for a text-and-photo era, we built Postbase from the ground up to make handling video effortless. From scheduling Reels and TikToks in a visual calendar to seeing all your performance data in one place, our goal is to give you a simple, reliable platform that just works for today's content.