Search engine optimization, or SEO, relates to all the things you do for a website or company to show up on the first page of Google.
Google is important these days because it’s more than a search engine. “Googling” has become part of the modern purchase process.
Doubt that? Consider that consumer Google searches are soaring. In 2014, there were roughly 3.5 billion Google searches per day. “Search Engine Land” recently reported that for this year, by comparison, there are more than 5.5 billion Google searches per day. That’s approximately 65,000 Google searches per second.
Few consumers try or buy anything new without “googling it” first. People even follow up word-of-mouth referrals with an Internet search. If prospects can’t find your business quickly on Google, or if your website is dated or unprofessional, you might be losing more referral business than you realize.
For small businesses today, there is one universal truth: If you want to grow your business, you can’t ignore Google.
How to Get More Google Visibility and Leads For Local Businesses
With Google Search playing such an important role in small business growth, business owners and marketers are constantly looking for ways to get better visibility.
Fortunately, there is a powerful and affordable local SEO tactic that can significantly improve your Google-driven leads and sales. In fact, Google explicitly states that 360 Virtual Tours lead to a 100 percent increase in business listing interest. At our agency, we’ve seen this as high as 1,000 percent or more when coupled with a local SEO strategy.
This new way to showcase your business online not only has the “wow factor” that buyers and business owners love, it also establishes trust immediately with Internet users, because they can see you are a real, credible business as soon as they click on your business listing.
What Kind of Businesses Benefit From Google 360 Virtual Business Tours?
Almost any business with a physical office space will benefit from a high-definition Google Virtual Tour:
> Restaurants
> Banks
> Medical offices
> Hotels
> Car dealers
> Corporate offices
> Storefront businesses
> Retail businesses
> Manufacturing facilities
> Any business with a showroom
For an example of a 360 tour, visit www.kcseopro.com/google-360-street-view-virtual-tours/
How Do You Get a Google Virtual Tour?
The “catch” is that in order to get a Google 360 Virtual Tour, you have to get one through a Google Trusted Photographer or Agency. Google only allows individuals and agencies enrolled in this program to upload these panoramic tours directly into Google Maps.
The only problem is that most photographers, even Google-certified photographers, are not SEO specialists. In order to get the most out of a Google 360 Virtual Business Tour, you should optimize your Google My Business/Google Maps listing so that you can get the best return for this investment.
By optimizing your Google My Business listing while adding a 360 Virtual Tour, you can substantially increase your visibility potential on local Google searches.
Kansas City SEO® is enrolled in the Google Trusted Photographer program. We have also invested in the Iris360 Immersive Reality Imaging System, a device that was developed jointly by NCTech and Google. This technology enables our agency to quickly and affordably shoot high-definition 360 images that meet the Google Street View quality guidelines.
