Customers can now virtually stroll through your lobby or entrance with the help of Google’s virtual tours.  As we mentioned in our previous post, branded search terms that match exactly with your Google Places listing will result in a SERP with a Places page preview including thumbnails of your photos and 360° virtual tours. No longer will someone have to take that next step and click into your page to view photos, tours, or reviews. Let’s use Riviera Palm Springs as an example, to demonstrate the SERP display and virtual tours. You can see the thumbnails in the SERP and once someone clicks on a thumbnail they are directed to the virtual tour.

We know it’s challenging for many businesses to balance their marketing budget and maintain current photography, a cool website, social media campaign, the list goes on and on. Google Photos and Virtual Tours are an economical and cool way for your business to receive added exposure on Google without the pain of an expensive photo shoot. At the moment, Google is still expanding their business photo shoot locations but right now are they available in select cities in the US and other countries. Below is an example of the Virtual Tour that is created by Google.

You simply have to apply for a Google photo shoot of your business. We encourage you to fill out the short application even if you aren’t in one of the current select cities, so we can show Google where they should go next.

Photo shoots can be overwhelming and sometimes things go awry, but hopefully with proper planning it will go smoothly and result in a beautiful product.

Here are some general suggestions in the hopes that your shoot will be stress-free:

• Schedule the shoot when you expect to have little or no traffic through the areas you have selected for the shoot
• Alert any clients/guests that may be present during the shoot
• Inspect each area of the shoot – make sure everything is displayed perfectly in that area and in any peripheral spaces such as the patio outside which is seen in the background of the photo
• Assign a liaison to be present with the photographer. He/She can assist the photographer with any questions or needs, as well as talk to any guests or customers that weren’t aware of the shoot
• Inform your staff of the shoot so they can double-check their areas pre-shoot and they can be prepared to answer questions from customers and guests.

Remember that you want this to be the very best representation of your property and a realistic one too. It can look like you’re trying too hard if you add bouquets of flowers or new items to the areas that aren’t normally there. This is encouraged for an advertising photo shoot for use in your website and collateral materials; however with virtual tours and photos from a third-party such as Google it is more journalistic in nature.

If you aren’t lucky enough to be in one of the major cities that Google has selected to qualify for their business photo shoots, you can always add your own photos to your Google Places listing. This will enhance the relevancy of your listing and add those lovely little thumbnails to your listing in branded searches. SEO is an important part of your marketing strategy and these little details come together to help your business succeed in a virtual world.

On May 5, 2010, Google changed the way people use the Internet. They have combined all the elements of Universal search, images, videos, webpages, blogs, etc., into an easier way to harness all the online knowledge they hold available. With their new three column UI (User Interface), Google gives the searcher the ability to sort their organic results by images, videos, blogs and news, etc. and then take it a step further by then drilling down deeper within that particular aspect of ‘Universal search’. The question arises, how will this new UI affect the hospitality industry and how can the hospitality industry take advantage of it?

The biggest effect will be how searchers use the internet. While not new – just a lot more obvious to users – these enhanced ways of sorting organic results will allow searchers to explore new angles of a subject. In the hospitality realm, this means searchers will be looking for you in many new ways such as through blogs, pictures, videos, and maps. This new UI will also expose hotels or resorts that have not invested in videos or other forms of social media. The ones that did will be in a great position to harness these new streams potential search organic traffic, while the others might begin to fall back.

If you are one of the unlucky ones that did not invest in developing online videos or in other forms of universal search, you can still get in the game and take advantage of this new Google UI. Some of the ways you can do this is by developing various videos illustrating the many facets of your hotel or resort and posting them on YouTube or your favorite online video site. Another way is to claim your local business listing and develop it with your coupons, pictures and videos. This will ensure your business will have the opportunity to show up in the local listings and on Google maps. Another way is to have plenty of pictures on your website that have proper alt tags. This will allow them to be found easier and with the targeted organic search terms you are going after. As for blog and news sort feature, that can be developed through press releases or even putting a blog on your own site.

Whichever way you look at it, the new Google UI will provide the hospitality industry the ability to gain a lot more exposure through previously under exposed search channels. If your website is older or you have not been investing in a universal online marketing plan, you can still take advantage of the many new features Google is offering with this new UI. Universal search is where the Internet is heading and the sooner the hospitality industry understands and takes advantage of it, the more profit there is to be made.