Virtual Tours are Getting Noticed More Than Ever
Click the image above or click here to view the virtual tour
written by our photographer Joseph Danzer
To be honest, when I was approached by Google in 2012 to become a Google Certified Virtual Tour Photographer I thought the product life cycle would be between 2 or 3 years and then I would be relying more on more traditional forms of photography to keep a steady flow of business. I could not have been more wrong. It took a little longer than I thought for businesses to take notice of this amazing new feature in Google Search and Maps, but interest and tour requests have steadily rose every year. I kept telling myself that I should accept as many Google Virtual Tour requests as possible, because at some point the demand for tours will eventually level off.
Well, it's now been more than 8 years and demand has never been higher. It has actually increased each year and had more than doubled in 2020. Larger facilities and well-established businesses are requesting virtual tours at an exponential rate and many franchises have started adding all of their business locations. I can only assume that they have seen that the businesses that were early adopters of the program are generating more business and exposure due to the surge in consumers using local search on their smartphones and other devices.
Businesses with a virtual tour attached to their Google Business Profile provide potential customers with an intimate look at their business. Studies have shown that simply having local images of your business creates a competitive advantage when consumers see your business in search next to other businesses in your industry. Businesses who only display a corporate logo or stock imagery in their Google Business Profile do not generate nearly as many conversions or interest as a business who has a full gallery of images and a virtual tour. Google's local search algorithm displays business listing with a virtual tour more frequently than businesses who does not. We have even seen that businesses who continue to update their photos on a regular basis show up higher in search results and appear more often.
This compelling research indicates one thing: the demand for Google Virtual Tours isn't going away any time soon. Advanced Online Insights can help you understand the Google Virtual Tour process and make it as simple and disruption-free as possible. Interested in booking a tour Let us know! You can email sales@advancedonlineinsights.com or visit our website to learn more.
