I’m going to let you in on a little secret; Google+ will go farther in improving your search engine rankings and Google search results than any other social network.

“You…..you’re good you…..you’re good.” (In best DeNiro voice.)

Shocking, right?

Uhh, nope. Considering Google is the most powerful search engine in the universe (it seems like it, doesn’t it?), it would make sense that their social network would somehow tie-in to their search algorithm. The challenge then becomes harnessing everything Google+ has to offer and how it can have more effect on your Google search results than those other social networks.

I know this may all seem obvious, but no other social network can offer search engine dominance in the same way that you can through Google+ search results.

Want to learn more about creating your Google+ business page? Give us a call at IMPACT and learn how we can help!

Improving Your Google Search Results

So I know you’re probably scrambling over the keyboard in an effort to register for Google+ right away, but first take a second to learn of some ways Google+ has proven to improve search engine rankings.

The +1 Button

Similar to Facebook and Twitter with “Likes” and “Followers,” the number of +1′s a page receives will reflect in how it ranks for different search phrases and it’s overall performance in search engines. Furthermore, the amount of +1′s a particular page receives also shows up in search results, especially if any of those +1′s come from anyone  in your Google+ Circles.

So not only will your page rankings improve, but their overall popularity and relevance will also be reflected in how many +1′s they’ve received.

So if you’re not currently leveraging Google+ and maintaining an active profile, you’re cutting off a significant source of potential traffic and leads, as Google basically has given incentives for integrating Google+ into your website and overall marketing campaign.

Google+ Status Updates

Google now includes specific status updates from Google+ in search results where applicable. In other words, if your company’s Google+ status update is relevant enough, it will show up in Google search results.

The challenge now becomes trying to incorporate the right keywords into your Google+ status updates in order to fully maximize your search engine potential. The ability to have a status update show up in search results in mind-boggling and awesome. So start engaging more and use keywords to ensure you’re increasing your opportunities to get found.

Author Tags

Since the advent of Google+, Google now includes author names, images, and information with search results featuring any editorial content. Great move by Google, considering that they knew that bloggers everywhere would want to have their names featured in search results, therefore they would leverage Google+ to do so.

Well done, Google. Well done.

By including a link in your blog post that directs back to your Google+ profile, you will effectively establish authorship and have your name featured in search results along with the content.

A classic win-win situation. Google+ gets more bloggers utilizing the platform, and bloggers and editorial writers get more recognition in the search engines.

Personalized Search

With the “Search plus Your World” feature on Google+, not only will your Google searches include results form the web, but also results from your Google+ social network as well. These more private Google search results are always displayed at the top of a results page and are clearly visible from the other web results.

This makes engagement all the more important on Google+, as your discussions and content can now be found in search results by other Google+ users, unlike Facebook and Twitter, which don’t have the ability to be found in search engines.

Pages & Profiles Found in Search Results

Another benefit of the “Search plus Your World” feature is the ability to have your Google+ business page show up in the top right corner of relevant search results.

This makes the use of keywords all the more important, as your Google+ business page can show up in all keyword-related Google searches.

Leverage Google+

With so many social media options available to marketers (and more seemingly popping up each day), it may be easy to overlook Google+ as the new kid on the block with no friends.

However, that new kid on the block has tons of connections, so it’s important to consider creating your Google+ business profile now, as it offers many opportunities to rank higher in search engines, something Facebook and Twitter can’t currently offer.

Interested in learning more about optimizing your Google+ business page? Give us a call at IMPACT and learn how we can help!