Some of you reading this might not yet be familiar with Google+, but if you run a business – large or small – you may want to start getting real acquainted now.

Often referred to as Google’s answer to the social media giant Facebook, Google+ is quickly becoming the preferred choice for business marketers around the world … especially with all the changes to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm that have been implemented over the past 6 months or so.

While Google+ and Facebook do have their valid comparisons, Google+ offers some unique features that Facebook does not. For instance, the “hangouts” tool. This allows users to create video and voice conversations involving groups of people … for free. One can turn any hangout into a live video call with up to 10 friends in a “community” or just pick a friend at random. Sonia Carter, digital & social media lead for Europe at Cadbury says, “Hangouts are one of the standout features, allowing us to have face-to-face interactions with small groups of our fans which can be turned into videos that hundreds of thousands can watch.”

Another feature, “communities,” helps you find a home base where you can share thoughts and ideas with people who share your same interests from around the world. And what about “circles?” Google+ allows you to control who sees what you share with its “circles” feature. You can easily create your own custom categories and manage whose updates you see and choose who you’d like to share with. There are also other features such as “Auto Awesome,” where users can upload four or five pictures taken in sequence, which will be automatically turned into a moving Gif file.

All of these unique features are all fine and dandy, but don’t forget that Google+ is a product of the world’s largest search engine … Google. Carter adds, “The platform’s strong connection to Google search is also a big bonus. If you search for the term Cadbury on Google, you should see a feature on the brand on the right hand side of the rankings with a Google+ ‘follow’ button for Cadbury and its latest Google+ post displayed.”

Unlike Facebook, which cut off Google’s access to its data in 2011, everything is available for search as Google’s search algorithm favors content that originates in Google+. Google search looks for relevance, engagement and response. Original content achieves higher search ranking when others engage with the content by sharing it or commenting on it. Ed Cox, managing partner and head of digital at Arena, says: “Google+ doesn’t help boost search engine rankings, but there is a correlation between natural search rankings and how much social activity you have, such as likes and shares. It is still links that are the primary ranking signal. You won’t get a ranking benefit from using Google+, but if you are active in social, it goes hand in hand with getting links.”

And what about it’s user base? Sure, right now Google+ has an audience of early adopters, technophiles, people in the industry and slightly more serious users of technology, but Google+ currently has over 540 million monthly active users (about half of that of Facebook) and 1.5 billion photos uploaded to the site every week. While Google+ users seem to be up in the air about its “social media” status, David Benady from theguardian.com offers up his take on this conundrum. He says, “For some, Google+ is not so much a social network as a ‘social layer’ which links together all the search giant’s products from mail, maps and documents to YouTube, search and apps.”

The “communities” feature provides easy access to connecting with influencers and experts who are important to your business, making it a great resource for connecting with industry peers, customers and potential customers, vendors and resources.

If you are among the many who say “Oh No! Not another social media network! Why should I care about Google+?” you might just be naïve. The truth is that your business cannot ignore Google+ for much longer. Yes, Google+ is about social interaction, but as I already mentioned, it’s integrated with Gmail, YouTube (owned by Google), Google Analytics, Google Images, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Finance, Google Drive, GoogleDocs, Google Wallet and – perhaps most importantly – Google search. In other words, Google+ is now the portal to the entire Google ecosystem.

The bottom line? If you don’t use Google+ you will ultimately lose out in search rankings compared to sites that do. This fact was confirmed by Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page who said, “If you ignore Google+, Google search will ignore you.” As a business owner, you do not want to be ignored. Do me a favor and jump on the bandwagon now!

Yes, it is true that the learning curve is steep when first introduced to Google+, but that is because it has so many really useful features – all of which are free. You get out of Google+ what you put in. It takes time to learn to use the platform effectively, and that is why I obviously suggest hiring an experienced third party to take out the guesswork. And who would that third party be? Drumroll please … Imagine That! Google+ and all the other relevant Google activities are a major part of our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plans. If you are serious about growing your business online, then why not schedule a free consultation with the digital marketing experts at Imagine That. Nothing here is cookie cutter … we customize every plan to fit your marketing goals. Email us at or give us a shout by phone at 970-224-1930.

And as always, make sure to dream bigger!

By

Barry Rubenstein

Imagine That: Dream Bigger!

Digital Marketing Strategist

Breckenridge, Colorado