Image Assets vs Location Assets
In short: Both add non-text real estate to a search ad, but one is a file you control directly and the other is data pulled from an external, verified source. Image assets are photographs you upload, showing the same picture to every searcher regardless of geography. Location assets pull address, distance, and hours from a linked Business Profile and vary by the searcher's position, with a clickable map or directions link. Image assets fail on visual-policy grounds you can see and fix; location assets fail on account-linking grounds that produce no visible error. Pick an image to show what you're selling, and location assets when where you are is part of the sale.
By the AdFlint research team · Fact-checked against current Google and Meta platform behavior · Last reviewed July 2026
Image Assets
Adds a square or landscape image to a text search ad, shown mainly on mobile results alongside the headlines and description.
Previously image extensions, these attach visual inventory to an otherwise text-only search ad, and Google serves them when it predicts a lift. Images must meet size rules and cannot be collages or carry heavy text overlays and corner logos. The mistake is uploading marketing banners, because text-laden creative gets rejected in review, while a plain product or service photograph passes and renders cleanly beside the ad.
Full definitionLocation Assets
Pulls address, map pin, and distance from a linked Business Profile so a search ad can surface your nearest storefront.
The asset links your Google Business Profile to the ads account, and Google shows the branch closest to the searcher along with hours and a directions link, which can also feed store-visit reporting. Use it whenever the physical location matters to the purchase. The mistake is broken plumbing: unverified or mismatched Business Profile locations simply stop the asset from serving, silently, with no obvious error surfaced.
Full definitionSide by side.
The differences that actually change what happens in your account.
| Image Assets | Location Assets | |
|---|---|---|
| What it adds | An uploaded photo. | Address, map pin, and distance pulled from Business Profile. |
| Source | Files you upload, or Google auto-selects from your site if none supplied. | Data pulled live from a linked, verified Business Profile. |
| Varies by searcher | No, the same image shows to everyone. | Yes, shows the nearest branch and live distance. |
| Clickable | No separate action, purely visual. | Yes, toward a map or directions. |
| Setup dependency | None beyond a compliant file. | A verified Business Profile correctly linked to the ads account. |
| Failure mode | A banner-style or text-heavy image gets rejected in review. | An unverified or mismatched profile silently stops it from serving. |
| What it's proving | What the product or service looks like. | Where to find you physically. |
What actually separates them.
Image content is a file you control directly; location content is pulled live from an external, verified Business Profile you don't type into the ad itself.
Location assets vary by searcher, showing the nearest branch and live distance; the same image asset shows to every searcher regardless of geography.
Image assets fail on visual-policy grounds you can see and fix - overlay, collage, logo; location assets fail on account-linking or verification grounds that produce no visible error, just silent non-serving.
Location assets are clickable toward a map or directions; image assets carry no click of their own beyond the ad's normal destination.
Google can auto-select an image from your site if you leave the field blank; there's no equivalent auto-fill for location data, since it either comes from a properly linked profile or the asset doesn't serve at all.
Which one should you use?
Use Image Assets when
- A photo builds trust or shows appeal in a way words alone don't.
- Your product or service is visually differentiating from competitors.
- The purchase has no meaningful physical-storefront relevance.
- You don't want a dependency on Business Profile verification.
Use Location Assets when
- You run a multi-location or storefront business.
- A physical visit is genuinely part of the conversion.
- Your Business Profile is already verified and current.
- You want directions and store-visit estimates showing up in reporting.
Common questions.
Can I run image assets and location assets together?
Yes, they're unrelated slots and frequently paired for local businesses - the image builds appeal, the location asset drives the visit.
Why isn't my location asset showing even though I set it up?
The most common cause is a verification or linking mismatch between the Business Profile and the ads account - a name or address that doesn't line up cleanly. There's no visible error for this; the asset simply stops serving.
Do I need a Business Profile to use image assets?
No, they're unrelated - images are files you upload directly, with no dependency on a linked profile of any kind.
Can I use a photo of my storefront as an image asset instead of setting up location assets?
You can upload one as a photo, but it won't add a clickable map, directions link, or nearest-branch logic - it's a static picture, not a substitute for the data-driven behavior built into location assets.
Or stop choosing between them.
AdFlint picks the setting, writes the ads, and keeps optimizing inside the Google and Meta accounts you already own.
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