Over the past year, we have discussed Google Plus strategy, and how this social media network can fit into your agency’s marketing plan. There has been much discussion in the Internet Marketing industry, on what to make of Google Plus, who should use it, how to use it, and exactly who is on the Google social media site. Well, in 2013, Google Plus is becoming a bigger part of the strategy moving forwards. Google Plus acts mainly as a social network, but can also ultimately help with your agency’s online presence. After all, the network was created by Google!!
You may be thinking, oh no – another social media site to manage!!?? But, not to worry, we are going to walk you through how to get started and what you need to know. So how is Google Plus important to your overall SEO?
Personalized Search Results—as many of you may have seen, Google is practically forcing you to sign up for a Google Plus profile when logging into your Gmail or Google Drive account. So what is the purpose? When someone is logged into their Google Plus account, and actively adds individuals and businesses to their “circles,” those account updates are more likely to show up in a user’s search results, before the organic rankings. Are you thinking HUH??? Here is an example:
Alicia’s Insurance Agency’s Google+ Circles:
Within my “Commercial Prospects” circle, I have followed businesses that I would like to insure. Some of these businesses are:
- Shawna’s Margarita Restaurant
- Natalie’s Books & Music Emporium
- Dino’s Italian Pizza Shop
Important: These businesses are ALSO FOLLOWING Alicia’s Insurance Agency on their Google Plus accounts.
If I share one of my blog posts on my agency’s Google Plus page called “5 Insurance Tips for Restaurant Owners,” and later that week or month Shawna is searching for a new insurance agent because she didn’t like the previous rates she was getting, this is what she would see when she searched:
https://AliciasInsuranceAgency.com/blog/5-Tips-Restaurant-Insurance
You can see that the blog post I shared shows up above the organic results. This is solely because the article I had shared was relevant to Shawna’s search for restaurant insurance, and she had Alicia’s Insurance Agency in her “circles” due to our social media efforts and promotions.
Over the next year, you will see more businesses getting on board with the social network, using it to try and help their SEO efforts. Personalized search isn’t the only way Google Plus is going to help your agency’s online presence. That’s why it’s a good network to start using.