Ever since its launch in 2011, Google+ has not exactly been able to convince entrepreneurs of its importance. Initially touted as “Facebook’s Alternative,” today it has over 2 billion registered users worldwide but only 395 million active users according to StatisticBrain.
Google+ may not be considered a valuable social media channel, but it is seen more of a place for businesses to gain brand visibility. Google holds 90.61% of search engine market share as of April 2018, and with Google+ being part of the Google family, it gets better SEO results than any other social media platform.
Moving forward, let’s explore reasons why Google+ is a useful platform for entrepreneurs:
1) Your Google+ Posts are Indexed
Absolutely! Whatever you post on the platform can build PageRank while your posts are lost forever on other social media platforms. From title tags and anchor text to URLs — Google+ crawls and indexes everything. This, in turn, gives a boost to the SEO of your business.
2) Your Business Listing is Invaluable
If you want to list your local business online, then Google+ is the place to be through its related feature called “Google My Business.” This allows a company to build brand visibility on Google Maps and Google Search. Build a business page on the Google My Business dashboard and make it valuable by adding photos, sharing content, and keeping it updated with information.
Technically speaking, this is entirely different from Google+. However, it gives the user access to other Google+ tools such as page management, built-in analytics, +1s, and social sharing from the dashboard itself, which makes the platform very useful.
3) Your Search Ranking Gets a Boost
A 2013 report on Moz.com proved there is a definite correlation between Google search ranking and sharing posts on Google+. In simplest terms, the more you post on the platform, the more your rankings will get a boost. Therefore, create a Google+ strategy where you’re not only posting on a regular basis but also focusing on publishing high quality content.
4) You Have Access To Hangouts On Air
From having in-house meetings and client consultations to doing product demos and webinars, Google Hangouts can be used in a variety of ways. Another great option is Hangouts On Air which allows you to broadcast live discussions to a predefined online audience through your Google+ profile. Your broadcast can get appropriately indexed if you add the right keywords to the title, body of the text, and tags.
5) You Get To Build Communities
One of the best things about Google+ is that, much like LinkedIn groups, you can also create online communities and engage customers on the platform. Forming a community is a great way to educate, nurture, and develop value for your services in the minds of your target customers, and you get to do that on Google+.
As an entrepreneur, you should apply a multi-layered marketing approach, and Google+ is just another layer of icing on the cake. Are you ready to join the Google+ bandwagon in 2018?
Asavari Sharma
Asavari is a copywriter and marketer specializing in content creation, social media, and inbound marketing for multiple industries such as outsourcing/offshoring, eCommerce, SaaS, CX, and finance. She currently heads the content division at Think Little Big, a UK-based marketing agency, where she writes content for corporate blogs, landing pages, email newsletters, guides and eBooks, and microcopy for social media. As of today, she has bylines in MarketingProfs, E27.co, Thrive Global, SmallBizDaily, The Times Group, and The Indian Express, among others, and has helped 72+ businesses boost their online visibility with the power of content.
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