How Your Business Should Be Preparing for Google+
Google+ has been gaining steam in the social media world since the beginning of its test prelaunch in early July. Gaining upwards of 1.7 Million Google+ accounts in its first week, and rising to an estimated 4.5 Million accounts the following week. All before the social media site has even officially gone public! Holding accounts for some well known names such as Seth Goden, Myspace’s Tom Anderson, and even the social media bad boy himself, Mark Zuckerberg.
Google+ is currently only offering accounts for people. Business profile pages are still in the works. But while the numbers continue to rise, and people start to “check out this new Google social site everybody is trying to be invited to,” businesses should be busy licking their lips at the SEO possibilities.
Here are a few reasons why your business should be preparing for Google+ business pages.
Combining Google+ Pages and Search Engine Rankings
It is quite possible Google will integrate the amount of feedback a +1 button on Google+ posts receives into their search rankings algorithm. Helping Google sort out the relevant and quality content from the irrelevant.
What does this mean for your business?
This means there will no longer be a separation between a business’s social media presence and its search engine rankings. The two will then be one in the same. Providing quality and engaging content will, in real time, affect a company’s search engine presence. Helping give hope for smaller businesses everywhere!
Keeping Your Customers Organized
Google+ offers a more aesthetically appealing way to keep your friends organized with “Circles.” Easily allowing people to click and drag their friends into different categories such as: Closest Friends, Family, Work Buddies, etc. Allowing certain posts to be only seen by circles predetermined by the user.
Google+ business pages can categorize their fans into the different stages of the customer cycle. For example: Top Customers, Need More Information, Recently Purchased, etc. The ability to categorize your fans and then post content to that specific circle will be a huge advantage.
Google Offers and Maps
With Google’s answer to the growing success of Groupon, Google Offers would be a realistic integration into the Google+ business page. Supplying a very user friendly daily deals service. To compliment this feature would most likely be the feature of Google Maps. Displaying directions to your business, or the closest business franchise locations.
What does this mean for your company?
It would be wise to incorporate a Google+ promotion that leads to a Google Offer for your business. Allowing you to again keep what would normally be separate entities, one and the same. Also, Google Offers would then be linked to a convenient Google Map of all the closest business locations where the offer can be redeemed. Take all extra steps out of the equation.
These are my thoughts into the wonderful minds of Google and their future development of Google+. If you have any thoughts on your own of how you see Google+ growing, please leave them in the comment sections below!
A Junior at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, David is studying Marketing and Advertising. He is the incoming president of the American Advertising Federation and a VP of Fundraising for the American Marketing Association. His passion for marketing is fueled from his ingenuity and his success is driven from his audaciousness. Though young in the corporate world, David's desire for new experiences and enthusiasm is viewed as a unique asset, and has given him an edge.
