When people talk about popular social media platforms, they’ll usually base their discussions around heavyweights like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, there’s an oft-forgotten platform that may be just as important. Google+ (aka Google Plus or G+) has the potential to be the a very valuable tool in your arsenal. Think of it as your marketing dynamite as you try to level the walls that separate you from potential customers.
What Exactly is Google+?
Many people are vaguely familiar with Google+, but don’t know much about it. Put briefly, it’s Google’s very own social media platform. It combines the best features of Facebook and Twitter, and it possesses the most robust personal profile options available on social media. Instead of likes, Google+ uses +1 to show support for a given post.
Sharing works in a similar way to Facebook, but with a twist. Since Google+ allows users to add others to different circles - for example, a “Friends” circle or a “Family” circle, your posts might not be shared to every single person affiliated with that person. But your posts will usually be shared with people who are most likely to appreciate them. This eliminates some of the clutter seen on Facebook and gives you a better audience when your posts are shared.
The Power of Reach
One of the biggest reasons Google+ is a big deal because everyone with a Google account has a Google+ page. That’s right, everyone who uses Gmail already has their own Google+ page, whether or not they realize it. This not only sets up Google+ as a large and widely populated site, but it’s already positioned as the next big thing - even if it never reaches the heights of Facebook.
Fortunately, there’s more than enough activity on Google+ to consider it a legitimate social media powerhouse. There are roughly 300 million active users on Google+ each month. It’s estimated that as much as 70 percent of Google+’s user base is male, and that the most famous occupations provided by Google+ users are students, technology workers and photographers.
SEO Advantages
Since Google+ is owned by Google, it’s to the company’s advantage to promote its social media platform as often as possible. The most common way Google does this is by including relevant Google+ posts in search engine results. This is an avenue you should absolutely exploit to its fullest potential.
If someone puts you in their circles on Google+ and they search for a keyword related to your industry, it’s likely that a post of yours will appear in the top ten results for that keyword. Google is big on delivering search traffic to Google+, so you’ll want to make sure your lucky number gets drawn. The best way to do this is to do what you’d do on any social media platform. Post relevant information that’s engaging and shareable, and encourage your followers to spread the word.
Using this trick gets you to the top of the search rankings organically, in a Google-approved way. This means no more worrying about changes to Google’s search algorithms. And it’ll work as long as Google+ continues to exist.
Google+ might lack the name recognition of Facebook or Instagram, but it possesses firepower that those sites lack. The SEO implications alone make Google+ well worth your time, and the ability to potentially tap into the lives of anyone with a Gmail account is a major draw as well. Make Google+ a priority today, and it’ll significantly improve your business marketing.
