How Google Plus Pages Can Boost Your Business

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Just recently, Scoop.it announced that Scoop.it curators will be able to connect their personal profiles for the purpose of Google Authorship, and at the same time, can now connect a Google+ Business Page for sharing curated content. This is really exciting news, as busy business owners and social media managers can now use Scoop.it to curate and share great content to all of their branded social media profiles – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+.

But what if you don’t have a Google+ Page? Should you? Leaving aside the debate between personal profiles and business pages for a moment, let’s just focus on the benefits of having a Google+ Page to represent your brand and business. What will it do for you?

Branded Presence

Well, as I just mentioned, the simple fact that you have a Page on Google+ gives your business and brand an identity on one of the largest and fastest growing social networks (yes, you read that right, Google+ is the #2 social network on the planet. That in and of itself should be reason enough, but let’s pretend it’s not and explore nine more benefits to being on the platform.

Open Network

Unlike Facebook or LinkedIn, Google+ is an Open Network. On Facebook, if you want to connect with me I have to approve that connection. Google+ is more like Twitter where users can follow other users and there’s no permission or automatic two-way connection established.

And while Google+ Pages actually work just like Facebook Pages, where users can +1 and Circle (Like) the Page and begin following it, because of the core nature of the network, a culture and micro-society exists where it’s both common and expected that Pages will actively follow other Pages and users and engage in the open discussions and conversations that are taking place.

This means that it’s really easy for Business Pages to engage with other users – both potential customers and potential influencers – and begin to create real relationships.

Social Layer

Google has often referred to Google+ as a social layer rather than a social network. That’s because Google+ is tightly integrated with many other aspects of Google, with more and more developing daily.

For instance, every Google+ Profile, Page and post is a “webpage” that is immediately (at least quickly) indexed by Google. When you have a Google+ Page and you post something about your business, you’re sharing that information directly with Google. Let that sink in for a moment.

I’m telling you that there are not just SEO benefits to sharing links to your website to Google+, but that your Google+ profile and posts can came up in search results as well. If you’re fortunate enough to be in a business where your competition isn’t yet using Google+, this is how you can blow right past them.

Personalized Search

What’s more, many people don’t realize that once they’re logged into Google (and who doesn’t have a Google account for one product or another at this point?), whenever they do a Google Search they’re default setting is to view personalized results – that means the links Google serves you are based on what Google knows about you, and that includes your Google+ connections. If you’ve circled me or my Business Page, and are searching on a topic I’ve posted about, it’s more likely that my post is going to come up near or at the top of search results.

Google+ Communities

And business Pages get to participate in Google+ Communities – the groups within Google+ that are devoted to all kinds of topics and places and things. Pages can not only join and post and participate in discussions, but also CREATE communities of their own! Communities created by Google+ Pages represent tremendous branding opportunities.

Google+ + Gmail & YouTube

As a social layer, that means that Google+ is also heavily integrated with other Google products, including Gmail and YouTube. Google+ Pages can have a branded YouTube channel, and Gmail users enjoy a deep integration with Google+, like the ability to have notifications emailed to them and post replies from within the email.

Hangouts

Hangouts are the built-in chat system within Google+ and can include VoIP calls, text chat, video chat, group video chat and even Live video streamed to YouTube! Businesses are using Hangouts to make presentations to clients, host virtual meetings, and using Hangouts On Air to demonstrate expertise and authority.

+Post Ads

While not yet rolled out for all businesses, +Post Ads are the integration between Google+ and Google’s extensive content advertising network. Essentially, businesses with Google+ Pages will be able to use specific posts, even Hangouts and Hangouts On Air, as AdSense ads on content delivery websites.

For instance, rather than a static graphic ad on related websites, businesses can use a Google+ post where perhaps they shared a video and some commentary, and have that display as a dynamic ad on other websites. The ad will look and work just like an embedded version of the post, so visitors to the other site will see the post, +1’s and shares, and be able to comment on it just like a Google+ post.

Targeted Messaging

While some businesses can and should share their messages and posts with all of their followers, there are some businesses and situations where it would be very advantageous to be able to have a more targeted approach to status updates. On Google+, if a brand uses their Google+ Circles to segregate their followers, they can pick and choose who may see these targeted messages.

You see, on Google+, you don’t just follow someone. You circle them and when you do, you place them in one or more circles that you’ve set up. You can create as many circles as you need and call them whatever you wish.

For instance, a business that has locations in New York, Dallas and San Francisco might include, among all their other circles, a circle for each of those metro areas. Each time they get a new follower, they can choose to circle them back and place them into an appropriate circle. This way if the business wants to share an update or some news that only applies to Dallas, they can choose to share it only with the Dallas Circle.

Expanded Online Presence

For small businesses in particular, it’s extremely important to make sure that your business can be found in as many places as possible. While I don’t advocate business owners try to be active on every social network, I do recommend taking the time to at least create a profile and keep it up to date. With each profile you create, particularly Google+, it becomes a little more likely that someone searching for you or a business like yours might see you online and click to find out more.

Professional Connections and Enrichment

Finally, one of the more subtle yet most powerful benefits of getting on Google+ for businesses is the tremendous opportunities the network brings with regard to creating professional connections and enrichment opportunities. Every day, business owners are meeting, networking and collaborating, in ways and in frequency never before seen on other networks.

And we’re really just scratching the surface here. The best way to appreciate Google+ for your Business is to dive in. Create your Business Page, start sharing great content, and start working on developing relationships with other people on the platform.

  1. Follow interesting People and Pages within your industry.
  2. Search for and join Google+ Communities that are relevant to you.
  3. Watch for and attend Hangouts On Air that seem interesting.
  4. Participate in discussions.
  5. Be Social & Be Patient.

Remember that Google+ is a social network and not an advertising medium. While there are a great many benefits to being present and active, it’s not a marketing medium for you to hawk your wares. Businesses are better advised to treat Google+ (and every social network) more like Business Networking Events where you’re given opportunities to shake hands and introduce yourself to people and have conversations. Over time, relationships develop and sometimes those turn into leads and sales, other times they turn into sources of referrals, and so on.
Now go get your Plus on!

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About the Author

Mike Allton
Mike Allton is a Content Marketing Consultant out of St. Louis who helps businesses understand how to use blogging + social media to equal website traffic, generate leads, and convert those leads into sales. He is well known for his experience working with Google+ and HootSuite, and has a reputation as the fastest blogger in The West.
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UK Tutoring Services - Cambodi
UK Tutoring Services - Cambodi
10 years ago

Good article. Thanks. Just one question please. Does having a lot of +1s on your business profile page play any real part in SERPs and is it of any benefit?

Mike Allton
10 years ago

Google has made it clear that as a signal, +1’s are extremely weak. Which means that there is no direct impact that a +1 can have on a search results. However, there are correlations between high numbers of +1’s and good search results, namely the fact that a piece of content that receives a high number of +1’s is likely *excellent* content and deserving of both the +1’s and the ranking.

+1’s are also a recommendation engine, as people on Google+ can see posts that I’ve +1’d, which helps further the reach of those posts.

UK Tutoring Services - Cambodi
UK Tutoring Services - Cambodi
10 years ago
Reply to  Mike Allton

Thanks Mike. We operate out of Cambodia as a verified local business, NAP etc however Google ( itself, as a brand, let alone as a search engine, is really new in Cambodia). As such Google + has a very weak market presence in Asia generally. Is there any advice you would give ourselves and other businesses in such a unique situation towards the power of Google +, especially concerning local SEO and the obvious difference in the East/West cultures?

Mike Allton
9 years ago

So yours is a great question, and one that I get all the time. Fortunately, social media in general is on a rampant rise in usage all around the world. Which means that sometimes, businesses like yours get to be at the forefront of platform adoption. You are in a position to really establish your authority and be one of the few that people can find in your niche as they jump on board.

UK Tutoring Services - Cambodi
UK Tutoring Services - Cambodi
9 years ago
Reply to  Mike Allton

Thank you very much Mike for replying. I look forward to your next article.

Sean
Sean
9 years ago

Hi, I have a few small affiliate websites and was wondering what SEO value having a Google+ page would have and how I should go about it? Should I just set up a page, join a few circles related to my niche, and post content from my website there? I would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

Mike Allton
9 years ago
Reply to  Sean

While there is definite SEO value to putting your content directly into Google’s database, that’s the not the *real* reason to get involved on Google+. It’s just the hook I use for reluctant business owners.

The real benefit is that Google+ is a true “Social Network.” It’s an opportunity for you to establish yourself as an authority in your niche, and network with other potential clients and influencers.

david
david
9 years ago

Mike, I don’t see that there’s much going on on google plus, in fact on tech crunch I’ve been reading (just recently) that google plus is going downwards in a steep spiral, I don’t see that this “social network” has ever been in an up trend. I have a business that I need to promote on the web, and I’m just wondering what to do in order to achieve that!

Mike Allton
9 years ago
Reply to  david

Hi David! Unfortunately, that TechCrunch article was pure rubbish. The fact is that Google+ has been so deeply integrated into every part of Google, it would be near impossible to just “turn it off” as the article suggests. The problem with Google+ and any social network is that everyone’s experience is unique and tailored, and therefore it’s easy to get the wrong impression. If you aren’t yet connected with some great people, it’s not surprising that it would seem that there’s nothing going on. But with 500+ million ACTIVE users every month, trust me, there’s a LOT going on. Rather… Read more »

chrismarklee
chrismarklee
9 years ago

Big SEO value

Chris
Owner CEL Financial Services
http://www.taxprepfillmore.com/income-tax-service-areas

Suumit Shah
Suumit Shah
9 years ago

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John David
John David
9 years ago

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Justin Paul
Justin Paul
9 years ago

Well, In my opinions Google+ is one of the best way to boost a business. I love Google+. However I think this article have already gave my personal site http://99hostgatorcoupon.com a good support that I love it. Thank you for the good article by the way.

Fernanda SwingCertificado

Thanks for the useful information. I will look forward to your next article. in fact on tech crunch I’ve been reading (just recently) that google plus is going downwards in a steep spiral, I don’t see that this “social network” has ever been in an up trend. I have a business that I need to promote on the web, and I’m just wondering what to do in order to achieve that!
Swing Thanks for sharing, that is really useful to me.

Adriano Santos
9 years ago

Wow! Amazing , so much I did not know . great article

Adriano Santos
CEO РVisual Communication РImpresṣo UV

Fernanda SwingCertificado

Muito bom adorei o conteudo, parabéns!

Fernanda Santos

CEO РPrograma̤̣o Visual РSwing

Ṣo Paulo РSP

Fernanda SwingCertificado

Excelente post. Já está marcado nos meus favoritos, irei recomendar para a redação do

jornal..

Renata Araujo – Swing

Analista de programação Swing no jornal do povo

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