Google Business Photos (now called "Indoor Street View") is a virtual tour service started by Google. It uses the same photography technique used in Google Street View in order to offer 360˚ interactive panoramas inside businesses.[1] Once the virtual tour is published by Google, the link to the tour is displayed directly on the search results page. The tour is also published on Google+ Local (now just called Google+) pages and Google Maps.[2] A user visiting a business published virtual tour can navigate inside the business in the same way a user of Google Street View can navigate roads, streets and highways.[3][4]

History

Google Business Photos first established by Google in April 2010, and at first was available in approximately 30 cities across the US, Australia, and Japan. By January, 2013, 100,000 businesses had arranged for Google Maps users to tour inside their premises.[5] Google re-branded Google Business Photos to Business View in 2014.[6] In 2015, Google announced that they are again re-branding Business View to Street View.[7]

At the Street View Summit in May 2016, Google announced several changes to the program. In order to become Trusted, photographers must publish 50 high-quality maps-approved photo spheres that are 14MP or larger, without any significant stitching errors or artifacts.[8]

Photography

The virtual tours are photographed by Google Trusted Photographers or Google Trusted Agencies. These photographers are independent contractors and are not employed by Google.[9] Google has certified them because they meet Google's standards of quality for taking the feature pictures and panoramic pictures.[10] Businesses pay the photographers to take the interior photos.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Google Business Photos give Ottawa shoppers inside look" Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine. Metro, By Trevor Greenway
  2. ^ "Hotels team up with Google to give virtual tours". Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY December 23, 2013.
  3. ^ "Google Street View offers interior views of Toronto businesses". Toronto Star, Alyshah Hasham Staff Reporter, November 05 2012
  4. ^ "Google Puts Interior Business Photos On The Map". Search Engineland. Matt McGee on September 18, 2012.
  5. ^ " Google Business Photos Used By 100,000 Businesses". Web Pro News. By Chris Crum · January 16, 2013
  6. ^ "Google Re-Brands Business Photos To Business View". 11 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Google Map". Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Google Street View – What it Takes to be Trusted". Google Street View.
  9. ^ "Google Business Photographer Explains How He Shoots Street View Indoors". PetaPixel, August 30, 2013 by DL Cade
  10. ^ "Take a Closer Look at Google Business Photos". By Angela West, PCWorld, Feb 8, 2012
  11. ^ May, Kevin (July 21, 2014). "Free for a while – Streetview guides by OTAs in prime spot on Google Maps". Phocuswire.
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