It seems inevitable—no matter where business leaders turn in 2014, the focus remains on the importance of Google Plus. What seemed like the new kid on the block has now turned into one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world, and businesses of all kinds are taking notice.
Google Plus is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is believed to play a role in SEO. After all, it seems intuitive that Google would judge their own social media giant by their algorithm (although that hasn’t been officially confirmed by Google). Not only is it a valuable tool in terms of SEO, but it’s important for local businesses, which rely on local search and consumers finding it via their mobile device.
While there are several ways to effectively optimize your profile page, three are powerful and simple.
Create a Powerful Profile
For many people, and especially business owners in a time crunch, at the first sign of a profile page or directory listing, the immediate tendency is to fill it out with minimal information, and then forget about it. Unfortunately, less is more is not the mantra that works with Google Plus.
It is important to complete every aspect of the business page, for the best results. Take the time to come up with a creative tagline, and description, and make use of well-researched keywords throughout your profile. Don’t rush into your page’s tagline—it’s important. Choose something simple, attractive, and describes your business.
Make sure your contact information is accurate, complete, and detailed, and also include information relating to your other business-based social media accounts.
As a side note, when writing an “About Me” section of your page, try to think through the eyes of your desired customer, and create content that will appeal to that person or group of people.
R&R—Reviews and Ratings
So creating a complete profile page with your business information and location may seem self-explanatory, but one of the main components of using Google Plus to the highest level lies in reviews and ratings. The more interaction your page has with other users, in the form of reviews and ratings, the better you will be viewed in search engines.
If you’re not sure how to collect positive reviews and ratings, start by encouraging each of your customers to provide feedback. You can do it in person, or design a note to include on your invoice or receipt (yes, that’s important.). You can also encourage reviews and ratings by sending emails, or reaching out to customers through other social media channels.
Check Default Settings
Google places a lot of emphasis on privacy for its users—even more so than Facebook. This means it’s important to make sure your privacy settings are appropriate for your business page. You want to increase the visibility of your page, and thus your business. The “About” section of Google Plus has a section entitled “Profile Discovery”, which allows users to customize these settings, ensuring maximum visibility.
Profile Strength
The most important part of Google Plus for your business is without a doubt your profile page. Without an optimized profile page, you are not doing anything for your business. With the growing role Google Plus is playing for businesses, the best thing you can do is take the time to create a great profile page.
