Since the evolution of Google+ Business Pages, there have been many debates about its true impact on businesses. Many question if it has any importance all, while others still hope that having their brand’s presence on this social network will show better search results. It is surprising in this “social age” that we are still hesitant to use a social site that was created by an Internet giant such as Google. However, we have seen their many attempts and flops as they have tried to insert themselves into the social sphere.
As we bear witness to an array of social networks rising and falling regularly these days, from a business aspect, it has become harder to choose which of the many social networks is worthy of time and effort. Thinking you need to be on all of them is futile. As a business, you only need to be representing your brand on a few such as Facebook (that has become a given), Pinterest, Twitter and yes, Google+.
What many business owners may not be aware of is that Google has prioritized its social network to prevent failure by integrating it with its other services like Google Reviews, which can easily be obtained through a pin code that is snail mailed to your place of work for authentication. An easy pin number can attach your G+ business page to your already established Google reviews. But that is just one way to sway you to begin using G+ for your business.
The second reason why you should be using G+ Business Pages is to be seen within search results. I am not just talking about having your URL show up on the first page of Google’s search engine either. Yes, this too will happen as long as you are consistent and active, but there is another way your business page can be seen on the first page of Google.
In most instances, when you search for a name of a company, the right-hand side of Google’s first page will display a short summary of the business and sometimes reviews as well. But it also now shows your most recent post from your G+ Business Page. Again, we are in a social age and people will click to see and circle your page as long as you are updating it regularly with quality posts.
So how can you get your G+ Business Page to show up in the search results like the Honda image example we use below? It is pretty simple and broken down into 4 steps:
How To Get Your Google+ Page In Search Results & Ads
1. Make sure the content on your page is as complete as possible. Add a profile image, the URL to your business and a detailed description about your business to let visitors know what your page is all about. If eligible, you should also apply to have your Page verified.
2. Link your page to your site and enable social extensions. Connecting your Google+ page and your main website helps Google understand that they represent the same entity. You can link your page and your site just by grabbing a snippet of code. Then, connect your Google+ Page and your AdWords campaigns with Social Extensions. We also recommend adding the +1 button and Google+ Badge to your website.
3. Post regularly. People want to hear from you! Engage them with interesting and unique content. If your posts are relevant to user queries, they can show up in both Google Web Search and Google+ search results.
4. Grow your audience. The more engaged your Google+ audience, the more dynamic and helpful the conversations on your page will be. These conversations will make your page more relevant to users and can improve your page’s performance in Google Web Search.
So no need to keep scratching you’re head about whether your business should be on G+, instead, you should be asking yourself why you are not.
Via: [Google Plus]
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