Google Now Identifying Businesses in Street View

Google has now made it easier to view businesses in Street View on Google Maps. When a user conducts a local search, the bubble that pops up on business results will show a Street View link.

Users can click on that link and see the business marked with a 3D marker in Street View, just like the one you’d find on the map. When you click the marker, details about the business are shown right within Street View.

"We use the position of the business on the map to approximately display it as a 3D marker in Street View," Google says. "We are continuously working on improving the quality of the underlying map, and this will result in more and more businesses being positioned with high accuracy in Street View over time."

A couple weeks ago Google introduced a Street View Partner Program, which lets organizations and businesses apply to have their property featured in Street View for Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Maps for Mobile.

Google said that they would not accept every property, but they do have a "Street View Trike," which is able to ride down narrow paths to get imagery that the regular vehicle cannot get.

To apply to have your business on Street View, you have to be the owner or authorized property manager. If you can get it in, it would be a nice way to increase your visibility (literally) in local searches.