You’re probably familiar with Google. It’s the search engine that quickly tells you the name of that
“restaurant in downtown Denver with the great happy hour mussels”. But what about Google+? Before you groan about having to deal with another social media site, hear me out on why Google+ is important for your small business.
Google+ is similar to Facebook because both ask you to set up a profile and both are a great way to engage with your audience. Earlier I recommended every small business to get a Facebook profile before any other social media and I still stand by that. Facebook is easy and more people use it. But if you want to increase your SEO rankings, segment your audience for more specific posts and rock the Internet with Google Features, you should consider a Google+ page for your business.
SEO
Google+ helps boost SEO rank because of the +1 feature. The +1 is similar to a Facebook “like” but they both have different consequences. When someone “likes” a post on Facebook, their friends are able to see it but that’s it. The “like” stays within Facebook. A +1 on the other hand is seen by Google as an endorsement and is factored into the SEO algorithm.
Segmented Audience
With Google+, you have the ability to sort your followers into different circles, or groups. So instead of posting something and hoping your entire audience likes it, you can have more targeted posts.
Google Features
Let’s be honest, Google+ does not have the high user activity of Facebook. But what Google+ does have is a ton of Google features. Here are a few of my favorites,
Google Places help customers find your business by offering a map with step-by-step directions.
Google Hangouts can be a time and money saver if you need to connect with other cities and groups. With video conferencing and Google calendars, your business can spend less time on traveling and more time on getting stuff done.
Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar make communication and collaboration a breeze. You can schedule meetings, share documents and spreadsheets with any one in or out of the office.
If you don’t have a Google+ account for your business, give Orbit Design a call and ask about our Marketing Machine.
Brand well and prosper!
Maddie M