Using Google+ to promote your business

Google+ has been a topic of conversation for a while, back in 2012 we discussed the reasons why Google+ is good for business use and looked at the benefits is can bring for businesses.  Yet many business owners still do not fully understand the benefits of using Google+ to market their business and there have been contradicting reports debating its relevance within the digital marketing mix. Some marketers have claimed that the social media website is a ghost town with little use for business marketing; however, here some great reasons to use Google+ to promote your business.

SEO experts often emphasise the importance of Google+ as it is a Google product and ties in with its search engine and other products. Social signals are becoming a key feature of algorithms used by many search engines and Google will pay particular attention to engagement on its own social networking website.

Google+ content also has the ability to appear in search results as each post is given its own unique URL. Every time a Google+ post attracts attention in the form of comments, +1’s or shares it increases the likelihood of this post being given a higher ranking in search engine results.

When a web user searches Google for a specific hashtag, recent Google+ posts that have incorporated the hashtag are given a high priority within the search pages.

Google+ offers two essential features to use when creating and distributing your own content as part of your marketing strategy. The Google+ authorship and publisher features enable its users to take ownership of their original content wherever it appears on the internet.

Google+ pages and personal profiles can be connected to webpages, blog posts and articles showing who the author of the content is. This allows users to claim ownership of the content and demonstrate their expertise in their field, becoming a thought leader within their industry. 

Google+ publisher allows its users to gain ownership of their earned content including customer reviews. The publisher feature connects your Google+ local page to your website and displays an ‘information graph’ of relevant items when your business name or other brand signals are searched for using the search engine. This information includes the number of followers on your Google+ page, your recent posts and even reviews of your business from other Google+ users.

Google+ integrates with many other platforms and social applications and there are usually options to +1 or share content on most websites. Creating all of your Google networks with the same username and account will also increase the transparency of your business and gain the trust of your audience.

Google’s ownership of Youtube is also important to note here, as it is the second biggest search engine in the world and users now need to have a Google account to create a Youtube channel.

Google+ is a great tool for communicating and engaging with your customers. The circles function was designed with business marketing in mind and allows you to segment and target your audience with content specifically created for each section.

Google+ hangouts are also an innovative way of interacting with your audience and can be used for a variety of activities. For example, businesses can unveil new products, conduct interviews or hold live Q&A sessions with followers using the video streaming feature.

Like any social network, when using a Google+ page to promote your business and engage with your audience, you should develop a regular posting schedule of fresh and relevant content. Also, where possible, use hashtags in your posts so that people can easily search for and find your content.

You can also use Google+ to engage with other users by adding a +1 to their posts and sharing/commenting on them. This will encourage others to do the same with your content!

Promoting your Google+ presence on your website and across other social media platforms will also alert your customers to your page. Give them an incentive to follow you on the network by posting original and engaging content.