Google's Street-View Goes Inside

Feb. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- In a newly launched multi-city photo program, specially trained Google Trusted Independent Photographers produce 360-degree interactive panoramas of  interiors of businesses. The panoramas are uploaded to Google and seen under business listings on Google Maps and Google Places.  Businesses get higher visibility when consumers search on Google maps for a particular type of business in a geographic area, since the Google Places listings are found at the top of the results page.

Potential customers get a virtual tour of the business, so that they can imagine themselves being at the location to determine if they want to visit in person.  This new program can be found in selected cities and countries.  Currently, photographers are documenting businesses in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, France and the UK.  In the U.S., cities included are: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, the Bay Area, Miami, Denver, Tampa, Orlando, Austin, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Washington D.C., Boston, Portland, Seattle, Atlanta, and Phoenix.

To be eligible, a business must have a Google Place page listing which is free.  Most businesses can participate in this program. Some that have include: restaurants, retail stores, beauty salons, auto dealerships, small dental and medical practices and health clubs such as a yoga facility. Any interested business should ask its local Google Trusted Independent photographer if it is eligible to be photographed.  This is a paid service provided by the photographers.

Businesses who want their location photographed can find a photographer on Google’s website at http://maps.google.com/help/maps/businessphotos/get-start....  More information about this program is provided on the Google site http://maps.google.com/businessphotos.

Google Business Photos photographers also provide a set of "Point of Interest" images pertinent to a business such as store hours, menus, awards, and interesting decor.  Owners of the business may upload their own photos in addition to the ones provided by the Google photographers.  

Google photographers are accomplished independent professional photographers who are participating in this program.  They have been specially trained to produce 360- degree panoramas.

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Karen I. Hirsch is an award-winning professional commercial, editorial and fine art photographer based in Chicago. Her photos have been published internationally in books, magazines, newspapers, calendars and online. She is a Google Trusted Photographer.

http://www.businessphotoschicago.com
http://www.karenihirsch.com