How 360° Virtual Tours Improve Your Local SEO

Including a 360-degree virtual tour of your business is a fantastic way to improve your business’s local SEO success. This is because Google sees the tour as legitimising your business both visually and via GPS location data. Consequently, Google will assign your business a higher trust rating and be more likely to push your business up the search rankings. Oh, and customers love them too! Plus, virtual tours feed directly into your Google Maps Street View and your Google My Business (GMB) listing. It’s a win-win.

Getting it done is easy. Our professional videographer will create the Virtual Tour at your premises with a minimum of disruption. You choose what to feature, and we make it happen.

What’s a 360° Virtual Tour?

A 360-degree tour is a user-controlled look around your premises. They can turn to face any direction, move backwards and forwards, and really feel immersed in the experience. Virtual tours are produced using a sophisticated 360-degree camera and are an amazing way to introduce your business.

The Benefits Are Real

Virtual video experiences provide a unique insight to customers who have no other way of visiting your business. For example, how would you describe the inside of Sydney Opera House to someone who hasn’t been there? Virtual tours fill that gap.

How Do They Improve My SEO?

Virtual tours positively impact your SEO in several ways:

Dwell Time

The longer visitors stay on your site, the more Google sees your site as engaging and relevant. So, Google considers “dwell time” (the time a user spends on your site from a Google search) a critical ranking factor. In fact, tours can increase dwell time up to 10 times!

Multimedia

A balance of photos, videos, audio, and virtual tours helps your pages climb up Google’s ranking ladder. (It isn’t only about fast page loading times!)

RankBrain Knows All

Google’s AI-powered algorithm, RankBrain, also assesses how users engage with your page content. Tours, therefore, signal to Google that your site has engaging and relevant content for viewers to explore, ultimately enhancing your SEO.

Using Streetview

Google’s Street View is another powerful tool to unlock your SEO potential. It helps create interactive, 360° tours for your business from an exterior perspective. So, by connecting people with places, it can certainly give your local visibility a significant uplift.

Here is an Interactive Example of a 360° Virtual Tour on Google My Business (GMB)

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That’s a Wrap

The age of virtual reality is here. Utilising virtual tours improves SEO dramatically, transforming perceptions about your brand.

Is it time you turned to virtual tours to boost your local SEO? Contact F1RST today and explore this exciting addition to your website’s success.