Photo credit: Charlie Wollborg
Google+ was initially viewed as a promising up and coming social networking site that would challenge Facebook for dominance. Google’s foray into social media never gained traction.
Since the debut of Google+, Snapchat and Instagram have become major players. Facebook still reigns supreme and is aggressively pursuing live streaming video and publishing partnerships with news media outlets. Google+ barely appears on the social media marketing radar screen. Many believe Google+ has vanished. In fact, Google relaunched its new Google+ last November to promote its revamped look and functionality.
Google’s many changes to the network no doubt perplexed some people. Many social media marketers still wonder if corporate or brand participation on Google+ is worth the bother. However, some digital marketing experts advise that Google+ offers important marketing benefits, even though it has not established itself as a significant social network.
A Start to Google My Business
Google+ is part of the “master dashboard” of Google My Business that also includes Google Maps, Google Search and Google Places, explains Brian Hughes of Integrity Marketing & Consulting. Businesses with a Google+ account are “already up and running,” Hughes writes in business.com. “Think of Google My Business as the master dashboard that connects your businesses directly with customers whether they’re looking for you via a Google Search, Google Maps or Google+.”
From that dashboard, businesses can manage their entire account, including business name, address and phone number. Because that information appears in search results, it’s critical to keep it updated. Claim your business listing immediately if you haven’t already. Google generates information automatically.
Optimizing Google My Business produces benefits for both large and small businesses. It will help drive more clicks and calls than any other marketing channel, Hughes asserts. Even if you’re not getting leads through the internet, potential customers are finding your location, hours and contact information online. Outdated or missing information will leave a negative impression.
SEO Pluses
An active Google+ account for a business can boost search engine rankings, according to the Content Factory. Although Google is tight-lipped about its search algorithm, Google+ offers clear SEO pluses. Not surprisingly, the platform was built with SEO in mind.
Google’s search engine crawls and indexes Google+ pages. Not surprisingly, Google+ posts are an SEO dream. From individual URLs, to title tags, to anchor text, to the ability to build internal links through sharing, Google+ posts provide what marketers need to get content indexed and recognized as important by Google. In short, posts on Google+ convey SEO juice.
“In the ongoing battle for PageRank, Google+ marketing is a powerful weapon — because it was built to be,” states the Content Factory. “If you’re serious about SEO, you need to be serious about Google+ marketing — and that’s a fact that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.
Useful for Branding Purposes
Marketers can take advantage of the platform’s Collections and Communities features for branding purposes, writes Kim Speier, inbound marketing specialist at Mainstreethost, for Social Media Today. With Collections, users can group posts by topics, share them publicly, privately or with a designated circle. Communities serve as gathering places for people interested in a specific topic.
“By separating some tools, enhancing current ones, and pursuing new ventures, Google+ has almost completely rebranded itself,” Speier writes. “From the look of the site to the purpose of having a profile in the first place, this ‘dying’ platform might actually start to see some growth.”
The platform does have its fans, she adds. It’s more successful overseas. Almost 40% of people in India, Thailand, Mexico and other countries visit the site regularly, and over half of active users visiting it at least once a day and 78% once a week.
It’s never a good idea to underestimate the marketing and PR value of any service from Google.
Bottom Line: Even though Google+ was a loser as a social media network, the platform offers important marketing benefits. It can be a winner for marketers.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
We often underestimate Google + but the truth is it can be very helpful to SEO.