The short answer
A Google Street View tour puts your showroom on Google Maps in 360 degrees. Shoppers can walk your floor, see your room settings and get a feel for your style before they drive over.
What a Street View tour shows shoppers
Furniture is something people want to see before they buy. A tour gives them a first look from home: how big the showroom is, how the room settings are styled, and what kinds of pieces you carry. Someone deciding between two stores can walk through yours first.
That matters most for shoppers who'd have to drive a while to reach you. A tour that shows a big floor full of the style they want is a good reason to make the trip. It also helps couples who shop together decide where to go before they head out.
The tour uses the same 360-degree view as Google Street View, but inside your store, and it appears with your Google Business Profile on Google Maps and in Search.
Questions a tour answers before shoppers visit
- Do you carry my style? Farmhouse, modern, traditional: they can see it on the floor.
- Is the store big enough to be worth the drive? A tour shows the full floor, not one corner.
- Where do I park, and where's the pickup door? Handy for anyone bringing a truck or trailer.
- Is it a store I'd enjoy shopping in? Lighting, layout and room settings say a lot about the experience.
An example
The photo above is from the 360 shoot we did for La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Decor in Germantown, Tennessee. You can walk through it and our other tours in the virtual tour gallery.
What to show
- The full floor: enough stops that shoppers can move through every area
- Room settings: your best-styled living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms
- Your range: the styles and collections you're known for
- The front of the store: the entrance and parking, so people can find you
Where shoppers will see it
- On Google Maps and in Google Search, with your Business Profile
- On your website, embedded on the home page or a "Visit the showroom" page
- In social posts and emails
- In a text to a shopper who asked about a collection: "Here's the showroom, the sectionals are on the left as you walk in"
Embed it on your website for "stickability"
On your website, a tour gives shoppers something to explore: they wander from the living rooms to the bedroom sets instead of hitting the back button. That's what we call stickability. Google has confirmed in court testimony that it uses how searchers interact with results, such as clicks, as a ranking signal. It hasn't said time on a website counts directly, so we don't promise a ranking boost. What we can promise is a page that keeps shoppers looking at your furniture instead of a competitor's.
How to get the showroom ready
- Style your best room settings the way you'd want them in an ad
- Turn on every lamp and light fixture on the floor
- Clear the aisles of boxes, carts and delivery tags
- Close off the back: the warehouse, the loading dock and the break room don't belong in the tour
- Skip holiday decor and sale banners. The tour stays up for years, and "Labor Day Sale" signs date it fast
Pair the tour with the rest of your Google profile
A tour works best on a listing that's kept up. That means new photos as new collections come in, Google posts about what's new, and replies to your reviews. Keeping your profile current is part of the weekly Google Business Profile management in both of our plans. Here are 5 ways to get more Google reviews too.
Keep it current
Showrooms change. When your layout, room settings or signage no longer match the tour, it's time for new photos. Here's how to tell when to refresh a tour.
How to get started
John shoots tours for showrooms and businesses in Hot Springs, across Arkansas and beyond. A Street View tour is a one-time project, shot by a Google Street View Trusted Photographer, then edited and published for you. Learn more about Google Street View and virtual tours, or book a free visibility check.
Questions
Do shoppers need an app to view the tour?
No. The tour opens in Google Maps, in a web browser or the Google Maps app, and it can be embedded on your website.
Is a Street View tour the same as Street View outside my store?
It uses the same 360-degree view as Google Street View, but it shows the inside of your store and appears with your Google Business Profile.
Is a Street View tour a monthly service?
No. It is a one-time project, quoted on your free visibility check.
Should we shoot the tour during the holidays?
It's better not to. The tour stays up for years, so holiday decor and sale signs make it look dated fast. Shoot it with your everyday room settings.
Do I need a tour for each store?
Yes. Each location has its own Google Business Profile, so each store gets its own tour.