Is Google+ Having a Negative Affect on Your Business?
Somebody once said to me that Google was looking to rule the world. And although this is probably not true, there’s a good chance they already own the virtual world. Google+ isn’t new anymore, but it remains a conundrum to many a business owner.
Understanding how to use Google+ to your advantage can help with the overall authority of your website and blog — and ultimately help improve your bottom line. If you’re not taking advantage of Google+, Google knows and they may hold it against you.
The good news is with a little guidance, which Tingalls Graphic Design is happy to provide, Google+ is a pretty easy platform to add to your current social media campaigns. There’s no need to create a whole new calendar of social media posts, but if you’re not currently setting a social media campaign a month in advance, we suggest you do so before launching a Google+ initiative.
That being said, let’s examine how to use Google+ to our advantage, while keeping Google happy.
Just like any business, Google likes to promote itself. They’ve made Google+ a significant player in the social media arena. Like it or not, playing nice with Google+ will help improve the authority of your website and blog, and can ultimately help you get found more easily during organic searches — which means more potential traffic to your website!
Google uses Google+ as one of their many benchmarks to determine the relevance of your content. The more you funnel rich, relevant content through Google+, the more credibility Google will give you. So, as long as your social media posts are rich and relevant, all you need to do is post them, as is, on Google+.
I know what you’re thinking, “I already have to spend my time posting on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Now I have ANOTHER platform to take up my time?”
If this sounds like you, there’s a simple answer that will actually SAVE you time. There’s an app called Hootsuite that actually lets you post to multiple social media platforms at the same time! Simply drop your content and image into Hootsuite. (You are using an image with a keyword rich name right?) Then, after you’ve synced all of your social media accounts through Hootsuite, all you need to do is check them off before clicking on the “Send Now” button.
That’s it! You’re done. Time saved. Google+ happy.
What Happens if Google+ Goes Unused?
Google+ can be your own personal cheerleader, or it can be the tattletale that tells the teacher you didn’t do your homework. When Google sees little or no activity filtering through Google+, it won’t give you as much credit for your content as if you were posting through Google+. Now, there’s a chance your ranking will remain unaffected if you don’t use Google+, but Google definitely won’t be giving you extra “points,” AKA online authority, unless you’re using it consistently.
Not using Google+ isn’t technically breaking any rules. It’s just not taking advantage of something that can help your business grow. Yes, this is self-imposed importance by Google. But since there’s nothing we can do about it, why not us it proactively?
Need assistance with your social media campaign?
Don’t have the time, or the inclination, to run your own social media campaign? Tingalls Graphic Design has an experienced copywriter on staff that can help! Feel free to contact us to set up a free consultation.