Google Plus (Google+) provides a multitude of benefits for individuals and companies looking to better optimize their websites and promote unique content for organic search. However, Google+ tends to be forgotten about when small-to-medium sized businesses start considering the use of social media or they wish to develop a content marketing strategy.
If you have at least some knowledge of social media, you most likely know how to set up a profile page. You plug in your information in an appealing way and then you are done, right?
Well, not exactly.
Once you set up your page, you will have to do such things as generate sales leads and this is done by increasing traffic, which means you have to increase the general interest in your business. This is a social network that is very heavily integrated into Google’s search algorithm. While this is wonderful and Google is known for doing spectacular things, there is no magic in just having a profile page on Google+. Before content can be created and shared and before you can engage with customers, you have to fully optimize the profile.
Here are some things that have to be done:
- Verify the website and email address
You have to ensure that your website and email address where you will be contacted are verified. This is a very small action and gives users a sense of trust and authority. It also helps Google detect the legitimacy of the business. You will be able to verify under the “Links” section of the “About” page. Simply follow the instructions
- Set up circles
Circles are how you connect with people. There are many options that allow you to categorize your followers so you can interact with them in different ways and at different times.
- Enable authorship
Something that businesses in Minnesota and everywhere tend to not realize is that authorship for all writers and contributors can be set up. If you have a blog with multiple bloggers, each should have a Google+ profile with a link in the authorship section leading to your blog. This allows for greater exposure.
When you post, you will need to engage. The title tags of posts have to be optimized, the “link” feature needs to be used when sharing, share new content because it gets an index bonus, and do a little formatting. If you want a statement to get a lot of attention, you can put it in bold. For instance the word “hello” will appear in bold if you type it like *hello*. For italic type, type _hello_.
Posts can also be turned into microblogs since Google+ doesn’t have length constraints. Sometimes the best posts are those that contain the content within the post itself, but it is good to use your discretion in making this determination. If it is really long, you can include a link so that the reader can continue reading.
From there, you can hang out with your potential customers and encourage +1s because +1s are integrated into Google’s search.
If you find that you do not have the time to hang out on social media because you have a business to run, there is always professional social media marketing services that will help you manage your accounts so you can focus on serving your customers.
