Search marketers can now use Google’s VR View, Street View and Cardboard Camera apps to capture, upload and optimize 360 degree videos, virtual reality videos and images for better and easier visibility on search engines with Street View and hence without the need for a native mobile application or virtual reality headsets.
User-created 360 degree and virtual reality images uploaded through the Google Street View camera app and third party cameras such as the Samsung Gear VR and Ricoh Theta also appear in Google organic search results, writes the Director of SEO at Razorfish and a leading authority on Google related SEO issues in a post.
Google Maps, Street View, Google Earth, and third party sites that use embeddable widgets or the Google Maps API and other products and services from Google. Apart from Google VR View, you can also choose to use third party tools such as the WordPress VR View plugin that allows you to directly upload 360 degree videos and images on WordPress websites.
Virtual reality searches and interests have increased by 300 percent globally over the last one year and reached an all time high this last month according to data by Google. More research now says that the use of 360 degrees and virtual reality can increase engagement, interactions, empathy, time spent on browsing web pages, page and video views, shares and subscription.
This means search marketers in any industry can now boldly use virtual reality and 360 degree videos as part of their search engine optimization campaigns and earn more visitors for their websites, page views and increase conversion rates.
Understanding Google VR View
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Google Street View is now full of 360 degree images posted by Google and other individual users
Very few people currently own virtual reality headsets around the world and this is affecting adoption. Many mobile devices are also not compatible for virtual reality content and the fact that Google efforts make it possible to play virtual reality content directly on mobile and desktop browsers will help a lot. With Google Street View for the website, you can now play full 360 virtual reality content with Google Cardboard viewers or without. Street View also supports iOS devices in addition to the Android devices.
Using the Street View, anyone can embed and promote virtual reality media on their website and users can easily find it through search engines and consume it on mobile or desktop browsers. As a search marketer, you can optimize 360 VR content for quick loading on mobile devices and use AMP or similar technologies that support immersive video viewing experiences, according to Ussery.
VR View helps search marketers to embed 360 and virtual reality videos on their websites. You can also embed 360 degree and virtual reality content on native Android and iOS application using the latest Cardboard SDK according to Google Product Manager Nathan Martz in a post.
With the web version, VR View is a default “magic window” iframe that is embedded on the traditional webpage and which allows playing virtual reality content with or without a virtual reality headset. It works like a standard 360 virtual reality content on desktops but on mobile, the video or image responds to the phone’s movement. Users can also view it on partial or full screen on mobile phones. You can also click on the Cardboard icon on the window to view the content with a headset.
You can use 360-degree panoramas and omnidirectional stereo panoramas with VR View. It also supports 360 stills and videos in both mono and stereo as well as PNG and JPEG file formats, although JPEG loads faster.
Users can still to use the Street View application to search immerse in 360 degree virtual destinations.
Capturing and uploading images on Street View
Google allows third party users to publish their own 360 content on Street View according to one of their post. You can use the Street View Camera and Cardboard camera apps that helps users to capture 360 degree videos and panoramas at a low cost.
If you are looking for higher quality images then you should consider taking images with the Samsung Gear 360 camera, Ricoh Theta and other high-end cameras. You can also use software to generate 360 degree and virtual reality images that will be used on Street View, according to a Google developer post.
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At the cost of about $349, both the potable Ricoh Theta 360 camera and Samsung Gear VR camera allow users to shoot, edit, post and share 360 degree images on Street View and other media
Taking a 360 VR photo with Cardboard Camera is the same as taking a regular panorama according to a post by Google. But the Cardboard camera application adds sound and stitches the picture to a more realistic 360 degree image.
Open the application, press the button and follow the arrow that appears — the arrow directs you to take the photo until you have covered 36o degrees. You can view the same photo by placing the phone in a virtual reality headset.
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Capturing a 360 VR image with Cardboard camera is as easy as capturing a panorama
The Google Street has collections of photos uploaded by Google and other people and users can explore and view them easily. You start by create a personal profile, then take 360 degree or spherical images by opening the Street View app and tapping the explore button and then simply tapping the camera button.
A yellow button shows up as you move the phone to take the photo and you should follow it in order to take a 360 degree image and for proper stitching of the image. You can save it on draft as private images then choose to publish on Google Maps or not. The app will stitch the image automatically and make it ready for viewing. Again you can share this on social media. See some of the examples shared by Google here.
Watch a promotional video about Google Street View below:
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Source: hypergridbusiness