Google doesn’t have a great track record for creating the best products and services. Have you seen The Google Graveyard? Despite their less than overwhelming success with other products, Google+ may be one which is actually useful for small businesses.
It Improves Your SEO
The name Google is so popular it has become a verb. If you care about search engine optimization, and you should, posting on Google+ will help boost your search rankings in Google search. Google loves Google so they reward companies who are actively posting on their Google+ pages by making content more visible when people search.
Getting started is pretty simple. Use this guide from Google to help walk you through the page setup process. Pay careful attention to your page name and meta description.
What is in a name? The SEO title is the name of your Google+ business page. You want to use the correct name for your business here. If your web address is different from the actual name of your business, use your business name. This is also not the place to start keyword stuffing. It’s unprofessional and actually works against you. Another way to improve your SEO is to create a custom page URL. Your customized URL will look like this: https://plus.google.com/+YourCompanyName.
Tell people who you are. The SEO meta description for your page combines your tagline and the first two sentences of your introduction. You have a limited number of characters (160 to be exact), so make sure you include basic information your customers need to know. Include one or two SEO keywords in your description. Google+ authorship is also an important ranking factor. Authorship tags each piece of content you create and lets Google know you created it. Here’s a great article to help guide you step-by-step through the process of adding author tags to your blog.
Weekly updates. Once your page is complete, it’s time to start sharing content and reaping the rewards. One update a week, a link to a blog post or a comment from a customer will be enough to keep your page fresh. Make sure you display the Google+ icon on your website to let people know you are on that platform.
It Improves Your Credibility
Google+ allows anyone with a Gmail address to post reviews of your business on your page. The visible stars and review information is displayed when people search for a business like yours. These indicators attract attention and give prospective customers reassurance about choosing to do business with you.
You need to have several reviews before Google with publish them so don’t wait for it to happen by accident. Be proactive. Encourage customers to leave reviews on Google+.
- Ask for reviews – Send out a thank you email to your most recent list of customers. Ask them for feedback about their experience with your company on your Google+ page.
- Be responsive – If someone writes a positive review of your business, say thank you. Show your customers that their feedback matters to you and you appreciate them taking the time to share on social media.
- Advertise your Google+ page in your email newsletter – Don’t forget about your preexisting customer database. Provide links in your weekly or monthly email newsletter to drive people to your Google+ page.
Google+ Is Low Maintenance
Google+ requires very little time and effort. If you’re worried about joining yet another social media platform, don’t worry about Google+. This isn’t like traditional social media platforms. You don’t have to respond and reply to comments as frequently as you would on, say, Facebook or Twitter. For the most part, you are posting to get the attention of Google.
Share links to recent blog posts, press releases or sales and promotions you’re featuring on your website with a bit of original text and you’re done. You can share content on Google+ five times a day or one day a week. It’s up to you to set your posting schedule. Google+ automatically links to your YouTube account, so if you are posting new videos on YouTube, sharing on Google+ is a breeze. Like other social media platforms, photos and graphics look good on Google+. So share them with links back to your website. Remember, the primary reason you are on Google+ is to create strong connections to your website.
