Google Street View Trusted Photographer Program Ends December 31, 2024

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Published virtual tours will not be affected.

You read that right. Google Street View Trusted Photographer Program Ends December 31, 2024 Let’s start with the memo that Google is displaying to the Google Trusted Photographers support platform.

You read that right. Google Street View Trusted Photographer Program Ends December 31, 2024

Google has decided to wind down their Trusted Photographer program, which I’ve been part of since 2015.  The good news is for all virtual tours that have been published. Nothing changes. So if you’re a client of mine or of any other virtual tour photographer that was part of the Street View Trusted program, you have nothing to be concerned about. Your virtual tour will continue work as it always has. So the question is then, why would Google shut this program down that has been operating for over 12 years? I can only speculate.

What I think may have driven this decision was that 360° photos are so common now and so well loved by users that it no longer needs a ‘special’ status photographer attached to it. In fact, if you want to take your own 360° photos (also known as photospheres), you can buy a consumer camera such as the Insta360 X4 for well under $800 Australian and produce a commercially acceptable result. That said, anyone who’s ever worked with a professional photographer will tell you, it’s not about the gear. It’s the knowledge, experience and skill that you hire a professional for. It should be a given that they have the right equipment to do the job.

What’s Really Changing? Not much.  

Let me start by saying what is changing. You won’t find me or any other virtual tour photographer using Google branded materials to convince you to do business with us. Or, at least, that’s what the honest ones will do. So if anyone ever claims to be calling from Google, or suggests some form of special permission that’s been authorised by Google, it’s just not true. Not anymore as of December 31, 2024. That’s really the only thing that’s changing. And you could argue that this is a good thing, since there are plenty of times that I’ve heard people say that they got fooled by someone pretending to be ‘from Google’. Problem solved.

Now for the stuff that stays the same…

1. Business as Usual: I’ve always created virtual tours both within and outside of Google’s ecosystem. That’s not changing. Your tours are safe and will continue to work as they have been.

2. You won’t be able to look for a Trusted Photographer on a Google site because that’s going to be shutting down. That means, selecting the professional you want to work with should be based in the same way you would hire any other photographer with a special niche skill; look at their portfolio of work and read their reviews. Ask a friend or colleague for a referral.
3. All customer support that I would have had in the past from Google (and I can tell you it wasn’t much since the first big shift back in 2016) is also shutting down. So that means that if you’re hiring me to help you with Google related support case, I’m like any other agency that has developped the skills and knowledge to help solve complex or confusing issues, like removing old photos, dealing with a review problem or figuring out why a photo keeps being removed by Google even though you know there’s nothing wrong with it.

The Things That Always Change – It’s Business As Usual

We’d have to have our heads buried in the sand to not realise that all things in marketing change in terms of tactics, tools and strategies. The principles are the same though. Finding the best way to help people make decisions that lead them to do business with you, and keep coming back. On a bigger note, Google’s current court cases in the United States should be telling of just how much the world of online search could change in the next few years. What if Google gets broken up? Does that mean that you’ll have to spread your marketing across myriad of platforms? Probably, yes. In fact, I recommend you start thinking in terms of alternatives to Google now. Consider just how much more Apple Maps is being used now. It’s grown to over 14% of mobile map usage in Australia.

Here’s a few other factors that changing the search landscape that you need to consider:

1. There’s a growing number of people trusting Reddit even after having dong a Google search.

2. AI is now replacing a lot of the search traffic, especially for what is referred in the SEO world as ‘long tail’ search. That means when people want something very specific, they tend to use a lot more words in their search. This is where AI that better understands context often gives far better results. I’ve tested this across a number of AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and others. I’m often far more satisfied with the results I get with AI as a search tool. I’ll still double check it and reference it against what I find in Google or Bing though. But I have to say, I’m convinced that AI search will shift the marketing landscape massively over the next 2 to 3 years.

3. Authenticity Matters More Than Ever: In a world where AI-generated content is becoming more common, real, authentic representations of your business are crucial. That’s what our virtual tours provide – a genuine look at your space. So even though AI is the way of the future for a lot of content, whatever you do, don’t replace ‘real’ photography, virtual tours and video with AI generated content. The risk of using AI in this space is simply not worth it. You can’t own or have copyright on AI generated images so that means a competitor could literally use what you generated wit your prompt and you have no recourse. My advice is , don’t do it.

What Matters to You and Your Business

If you’re a current client or considering becoming one, here’s what you need to know:

• Your existing tours are still valuable assets. They’ll continue to show potential customers what your business is really like.

• We’re not limited by any single platform. We can focus on creating tours that work best for your specific needs and goals.

• As search evolves, having authentic, visual content like virtual tours becomes even more important to stand out online.

Looking Ahead  

I’ve always believed that my role is to help local businesses thrive in the digital world by showcasing who they really are. That hasn’t changed, and if anything, it’s more important now than ever. In the coming weeks, I’ll be reaching out to chat about how we can continue to make sure your business shines online. But please, if you have any questions or thoughts, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always happy to chat about how you can make the most of your visual marketing assets. I look at this as an opportunity to reinforce the authentic, local nature of your business in an increasingly digital world.

Thanks for your continued trust. I’m looking forward to seeing where this next chapter takes us.

All the best,

Marc Charette

P.S. If you know any other local business owners who might be wondering about these changes, feel free to pass this on. We’re all in this together, and I’m always happy to chat.