Four Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Google+ Page Right Now!

by Guest Blogger on February 16, 2012

It’s okay if you’ve been hesitant about creating a Google+ page in the past. After all, you’re already maintaining a presence on Facebook and Twitter, so who has time to add another social media channel into their responsibilities?

But as the number of Google+ users continues to grow past 80 million, brand pages are becoming a necessity for every business. Below are four reasons why you need to start a business page on Google+, and the sooner the better!

1. Google+ is essential for increasing your Google search rankings.

It’s nice to think that Google is some kind of nonpartisan entity that simply rewards good content. But in reality, Google is a business. So that means that Google is going to emphasize its own blogs, services, and you guessed it, social network brand pages.

For prospective customers that already have Google+, they are connected to “Search plus your world.” This feature of Google+ emphasizes connections and profiles in addition to regular content. To show up in these results, you need a page. Period. You will then need to optimize your profile for SEO, but I’ll leave that explanation to the experts.

2. Google+ is essential for connecting with bloggers, tech journals, and social media experts.

Even if a good majority of your potential customers aren’t on Google+ yet, this doesn’t mean you should write off having a business page. Google+ is saturated with tech-savvy, social media bloggers. These are the people who write content that gets shared all around the internet.

Connecting with these influencers opens up tons of opportunity. You could incorporate their opinions into your blog, curate their posts on your profile page, and even score some great interviews with top influencers. If they like your website or blog, they could share your content, which will make finding new customers easier than before.

3. Google+ offers benefits that other social networks don’t.

Google+ hangouts are definitely the breakout feature of the network, but it has other impressive qualities as well. Unlike Twitter and Facebook, Google+ allows you to format text with italics and bold. Google+ makes it easy to share video and images without a 140 character limit, and they still support hashtags.

While you should keep many of your posts open to the public, Google+’s circles work better than Facebook for sharing specific content to specific people. Additionally, YouTube has a deep integration with Google+.

And most of all…

4. Google+ is here to stay.

Love it, hate it, or tolerate it, Google’s social network isn’t going anywhere. With more businesses catching on to the benefits of a brand page, and Google requiring new account holders to create Google+ profiles, the social network’s user base will continue to grow.

So if you want to start establishing your authority in social media, you need start a Google+ business page right now. Compared to Facebook, Google+ is still fairly empty, which means you can carve out a name for yourself. When the average consumers sign up, they’ll be impressed that your page is already established on the social network.

While I can’t promise that starting a Google+ brand page will bring you instant new business, leads, or conversions, several social media experts predict that it will be vitally important for businesses in the future. Get a jump on your competition: start a page today and start circling.

Mandy Kilinskis works as a content developer for Quality Logo Products, a leading distributer of promo items like personalized water bottles. She writes content for the website, promotional products blog, and helps maintain the company’s Google+ profile.

Tagged as: google, google+ for business, Mandy Kilinskis, social media for business

Buffer

{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }

Amanda February 16, 2012 at 6:55 am

Great blog post here Mandy! I have not yet gotten on the Google+ bandwagon, but your blog actually inspires me to do so. I think I might have to check it out! Thanks for all the info! =)

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 16, 2012 at 10:20 am

That’s great to hear, Amanda! Familiarizing yourself now before the platform really explodes is definitely a smart strategy! Good luck with your Google+’ing. If you need any tips, you know how to reach me.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Jaimie Smith February 16, 2012 at 11:24 am: I have not even heard of the Google+ until today (when you guys were talking about it at lunch) This was a very interesting and informative blog. I just might have to look into it.

Reply

Bret Bonnet February 16, 2012 at 7:24 am

Google is FORCING people to take notice of Google+…

Google+ is to social networking (Twitter & Facebook) what Internet Explorer is to web browsers (Netscape & FireFox).

Just saying!

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 16, 2012 at 10:27 am

You’re definitely not alone in that opinion, Bret! Lots of Google+’s users absolutely adore the network and have started to abandon other sites for it.

It’ll be interesting to see how the user base grows this year.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:40 am: I haven’t yet abandoned other networks for it, but I’ve certainly noticed its grand value. Each week I tend to share just a bit more.

Thanks for sharing Mandy!
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Reply

amy swanson Twitter: amy_little_swan February 16, 2012 at 7:34 am

I wonder if Google+’s popularly has anything to do with the “newness” of it? I have an account on it, but haven’t really seen what all the hubbub is about yet. I just keep waiting for it to explode and become wildly popular like Facebook or Pinterest, but so far… nothing. From what you’ve said though, I guess I should be patient since it does seem to be pretty influential.

Thanks, Mandy! Great post!

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 16, 2012 at 11:09 am

I couldn’t say why Google+ is so darn popular, but it definitely is growing in users. As more people sign up for Gmail accounts and thus, Google+ accounts, it’s just going to continue. I guess we’ll just have to see whether people fall in love with it like Facebook or Pinterest – I know a good number of the people in my circles already love it.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:42 am

I would certainly say one of the reasons it’s popular is because of the heavyweight hitter behind it; Google.

They simply slap an ad for Google+ on their homepage, and bam, hundreds of thousands of new users trying out the platform. Google+ does, at the moment, have a high abandonment rate it seems.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 27, 2012 at 6:30 am: That’s a really good point. They have the power of an established brand behind them and they have a direct link from the most-visited page on the internet. And that’s true about the abandonment rate as well. A whole bunch of my friends and coworkers signed up for the service over the summer but have since abandoned it. I know those numbers aren’t consistent across the board, but I’m sure that most people know users that have abandoned the network.

Reply

Rosie Twitter: rosie_niawm February 16, 2012 at 9:20 am

I’ve made a Google + account but like Amy, I’ve not really caught onto what all the fuss is about yet. Maybe that’s because so few people I know are on it.
I’ll be patient though if it’s going to be as big as people keep telling me it will.
Rosie recently posted..Mateschitz: Webber and Vettel will have equal status – But for how long?

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 16, 2012 at 11:14 am

Hi Rosie -

This infographic that was just released shows that the majorty of Google+ users are in tech, marketing, or internet-related fields. It’s growing in popularity, but I think a lot of the casual social media users haven’t dived in yet. But if brands start offering more exclusive content and more casual users jump on, that’s when it could get interesting for ALL users, not just the power users.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:43 am

Yes, it seems it’s very popular with those “in” social media (e.g. social media managers, etc..). I’m wondering why it hasn’t yet caught on with others. I guess it will just take time. We can’t expect the world from it in only a few short months. I always have to remind myself how young it still is. lol
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 27, 2012 at 6:31 am: Me too! It’s been around for less than a year and it’s already this tour de force on the Internet like it’s been around almost as long as Facebook.

Reply

Jeevanjacobjohn Twitter: Blognetworking February 16, 2012 at 2:58 pm

Hey Mandy,

I just published case study on G+ growth and how we can use it for our products. Well, I think the success of G+ can be attributed to two reasons:

It was restricted at first,
It was owned by an established brand.

You don’t see much news about G+ these days, do you? I think that’s because of the fact that Google opened it up for public.

I think the main reason why bloggers are staying with G+ is because Google told us that it is going to play an important role in SERPS.

Other than that, there is not nothing unique that G+ has to offer for us (except for the Hangouts feature and for all the funny posts ).
Jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..How To Promote Your Product Like Google Did – Google Plus?

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 16, 2012 at 3:05 pm

Hi Jeevan!

You’re right, there isn’t much traditional news about Google+, but it’s still seeing a lot of coverage on social media and search engine blogs.

I know a good deal amount of bloggers that are in love with Google+, but yes, there are others that are sticking around solely for the SERPS. And since many businesses rely on Google to send them viewers/readers/clients/etc., I think they’ll be joining en masse.

Don’t get me wrong: I wouldn’t be sad if Google+ kinda disappeared. I just don’t believe it ever will.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:45 am: If it weighs well in the search engines, we simply can’t ignore it. Just look at how well Blogger blogs (owned by Google) rank in search engines.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Reply

LaRae Quy February 16, 2012 at 3:23 pm

I’ve been hesitant to jump on the Google+ bandwagon because it tend to look at it as “one more thing.” Because I haven’t spent much time there, I’m unaware of how it could actually be better than FB. I’d prefer to leave FB as a place for friends and start a Google+ page for my business – maybe this is the time to do it.
LaRae Quy recently posted..Turn Toward Your Higher Calling

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 6:23 am

Hi, LaRae!

If you’re currently conducting business on Facebook, I don’t think it would be wise to shift ALL of your business over to Google+. It’s growing, definitely, but I don’t think there are enough users to justify using it as your only professional social network.

However, if Google+ does grow at the rate experts are predicting, you might be able to transfer all of your business there by the end of the year. It also depends on your clientbase. So right now, yes, it will be “just one more thing,” but it’s a vitally important thing.

I hope that helps!
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:46 am: Agreed.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Reply

dlysen Twitter: dlysen February 16, 2012 at 7:27 pm

google plus helps to add impact on google search engine. the more plus the more the search engine recommend it.
dlysen recently posted..Golfing at Orchid Country Club Driving Range

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 6:24 am

Exactly. Precisely why you need to start a brand page.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:48 am: It’s been amazing to see how well posts rank when they’re put into Google+ many times. And how Google+ search results show up before many others now.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..How Do You Maintain Your Desire and Your Visitors?

Reply

corporate gifts February 16, 2012 at 10:47 pm

If you want to engage in conversations with people talking about your brand, you should have a business profile so that you can respond back with your brand name. This will show people that you’re listening and care enough about your brand to get involved in their conversations. This can also help you get more fans for your page.

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 6:27 am: Those are good tips, nameless corporate gifts comment!

Unlike Facebook, someone doesn’t have to circle you for you to reply back to their questions or concerns. One of the people I’ve circled on Google+ was complaining about how terrible a company’s customer service was, and they actually replied to his comment. Definitely a great way to monitor your brand.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply
Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:49 am: Great thought here. Thanks for sharing.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Reply

corporate gifts February 16, 2012 at 10:49 pm

Google will soon bring in analytics into Google+ pages so you can learn a lot more about your customers and fans, which can help you with your advertising efforts. Imagine the marketing possibilities and intelligence you’ll have when you combine analytics from AdWords, your site, and Google+ Page circles.

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 6:28 am

Yep, that’s going to be pretty great. Lots of power, lots of insights.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:49 am: Could have the potential to just blow Facebook’s analytics out of the water! We don’t know anything about who visits our Facebook profiles. Only pages.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Reply

Tony February 17, 2012 at 6:48 am

) this kind of article can convince anyone to create a google plus page. where did you learn to find arguments like that?
Tony recently posted..How To Decorate Your Nursery In An Imaginative Fashion

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 6:55 am

Ha! Hey, Tony.

I read a lot of social media articles and my boss sends me a lot of SEO articles about why Google+ is going to dominate search. Once you put all the different pieces together, that’s how I found my arguments.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:50 am

Do you have a recommendation of maybe one or two of your favorite articles in regards to that topic of Google+ dominating search engines?
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 27, 2012 at 6:41 am

Of course! I’m a big fan of these:

This one is from a couple months ago, but still good:
Google+ Is Slowly Invading Google’s Main Search Results

This article is long, and mostly about Search Plus Your World, but it’s a great read:
Google Plus Box Ranking Factors Report

And I linked to this one in the post, but it’s worth another link. It briefly touches on the “how” and gives more links to other great resources:
How to Create an Effective Google+ SEO Content Strategy

I hope those help!

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 27, 2012 at 9:43 am

Thanks! Will check these out today and share.
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..25 Reasons I Work From Home

Tony February 28, 2012 at 4:07 am

Hey, Mandy! I’ve also checked your sources. Those articles are very interesting too. Thanks for sharing!
Tony recently posted..What To Look For When Buying A Washer and Dryer Combo

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 28, 2012 at 6:18 am: Hey, Tony! I’m glad that you found them interesting/helpful! I’m sure I could wrangle up some more if you ever want to read more.

Julie February 17, 2012 at 12:40 pm

Great article, thanks for sharing it! I had been searching for some nice guides to create a well-working G+ page for a while, when I came to your blog. Thanks for the useful information!

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 12:59 pm: You’re welcome, Julie!

All of the resources I linked to helped me set up my personal account and improve my company’s account. There are lots of tutorials and tips over at http://gplustuts.com/ if you need some additional guides!
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

Bret Bonnet February 17, 2012 at 12:53 pm

This post is on fire!

Hmmm… Google is ranking a post about Google+ highly within the Google SERPS… Hmmm…

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:53 am: So we sure better use it, right?! lol
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Reply

Jens P. Berget Twitter: berget February 17, 2012 at 2:19 pm

I’m on Google plus, but my business is not. I have been thinking about creating a page for a while, and I’m going to do it first and foremost because it’s important for search. I like G+, but it’s hard to focus on many different social networks.
Jens P. Berget recently posted..Give Your Subscriber a Rose and Take Her to the Prom

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 17, 2012 at 2:34 pm

I agree, Jens. It is really hard to balance tons of profiles on tons of social networks. Are you using any kind of program to schedule your posts on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+? They can actually save you a lot of time throughout the day.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Jens P. Berget Twitter: berget February 18, 2012 at 4:23 am

Yes, I’m using HootSuite, but I have also been using Buffer. It helps a lot. But, I’m not sure if it’s possible to schedule posts to G+? Do you know if it’s possible?
Jens P. Berget recently posted..A Serial Killer is Going To Make This Year A Fantastic Year

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 20, 2012 at 6:36 am

I don’t use HootSuite myself, but I know that they were one of six platforms to have early access to Google+’s API. According to a blog post from HootSuite, it’s only available to their paying members at the moment.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Christian Hollingsworth Twitter: smartboydesigns February 25, 2012 at 2:54 am

I’m a paying member, but yet to try this. I need to!
Christian Hollingsworth recently posted..Why Do Businesses Fail? Thoughts by @JeffLTheESource

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 27, 2012 at 6:43 am: If/when you do, let me know how you like it so I can speak a little more authoritatively on the subject.

Annie Andre Twitter: annieandrehacks February 18, 2012 at 2:24 am

I’m on google plus but i’ve been reading conflicting things about having a google plus page per say. I think i read that it’s more restrictive so i’m sticking with my personal google plus account.

I’ve also found (just as you said) that users on google plus are mostly technies, internet and social media type people. None of my friends outside of the internet industry even know what google plus is.

Lstly, i’m also waiting to see what happens with google plus. Honestly i don’t know what all the hub bub is about but that’s what i said back in 2007 about twitter and facebook and that’s when i was working in corporate jobs in the internet industry so time will tell.
Annie Andre recently posted..Adventures In France #2: One Day In Marseille + Why We Moved To France

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 20, 2012 at 6:45 am: Hi, Annie. You’re right, the brand pages are currently a little more restrictive than personal profiles. And if your personal profile is closely-related to your business, then you probably don’t need a brand page.

I think it’s too soon to make a ruling on Google+. There are those that swear up and down that it’s here to stay forever. And then there are those who are convinced it will go the way of Google Buzz. Regardless, it’s still hot right now, and it’s a good place to be – even if you only post every other day.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

Mattias Gronborg Twitter: MattGron February 18, 2012 at 1:29 pm

That Google+ allowed me to format text with italics and bold was one of the first thing I found so fun with Google+. Of course Hangouts is a game changer! Google + is a place you are sharing your passion and Facebook is a place were you connecting with friends. I think it was Kawazaki that gave me that explanation.
Mattias Gronborg recently posted..Comment on Mobile Consumers Now The Reality Not The Next Big Thing by Mattias Gronborg

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 20, 2012 at 6:48 am: I really do like how you can format your text, and hangouts are really cool.

I can’t say that I’m currently sharing all of my passions on Google+, but I do know a lot of people that do. I know that a lot of photographers have found some real success by using Google+.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

mike February 19, 2012 at 9:41 am

Google+ is more than likely here stay, but just because it’s here to stay doesn’t mean it’s a platform for all to invest their time or $. I know that’s not what you’re saying here, and agree that for bloggers, techies, a bit of some first adapters will be found in circles, that SEO can and more than likely will be effected by one’s participation in Google+ but I don’t see it becoming like Facebook from a small ‘local’ business source for some time ‘if’ ever. As a marketer looking at social media platforms much like traditional media platforms for business owners to communicate to demographics I find Pinterest as having a better demographic.. As for the ‘blogger’that’s in most of us, you’re spot on…
mike recently posted..Social Media Fragmentation

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 20, 2012 at 6:53 am: I’m with you, Mike. If your small business is doing well on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/etc. and you don’t have the time or money to invest in yet another platform, then it’s probably not worth the effort. I would say, though, if you do have a company blog, then it would be worth the time to at least circle some thought leaders and at the very least, post your articles.

But I still totally understand what you’re saying – until more of the average consumers signup, Facebook will still dominate for small, local business.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

James February 19, 2012 at 6:39 pm

Question – can you join Google+ now without an invite? It seems like it can be a great place to advertise your business but I’ve never really looked into it to closely. I guess I should consider it more now.

Thanks for all the advice.
James recently posted..Nichepursuits.com | How To Make A Great Living With Niche Sites

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 20, 2012 at 6:54 am: Hi James,

Yep, Google+ is completely open now for both personal and business profiles. You no longer need an invitation.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

Misty February 20, 2012 at 1:50 am

You’re right. Google+ users are ought to have some perks in search. In addition to that, it will be a big boost if people from the growing number of Google+ users get to know about you and your business.

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 20, 2012 at 6:55 am: Absolutely! I know there are some people on Google+ that have either abandoned Facebook and Twitter, or never had them to begin with. And if they are conducting their searches in “Search plus your world,” then your company will have a better chance to get their business if you have a Google+ page.
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

Jessica Leilani Twitter: LeilaniJessica February 21, 2012 at 11:43 am

This was a great post, as I myself haven’t gotten on the google+ bandwagon. Thanks for the information, I will get on that!

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 21, 2012 at 12:57 pm: No problem, Jessica! I’m glad that the post was helpful to you!
Mandy Kilinskis recently posted..4 Startup Tips from ‘2 Broke Girls’

Reply

branded items February 24, 2012 at 10:20 pm

Google wants to help businesses advertise smarter by using +1s in AdWords ads, websites, and now +1s on pages. +1s help Google determine how relevant a business listing or ad might be for someone. Just as Facebook ads uses social sharing to help increase clicks, Google wants to help businesses get more relevant traffic by tying together +1s to make content more relevant to fans and potential customers.

Mandy Kilinskis Twitter: imamandajulius February 27, 2012 at 6:44 am: Well said!

Reply

logo items February 24, 2012 at 10:23 pm

Imagine the re-marketing and social ad possibilities you will have in AdWords if you have already have an audience in Google+ and potential access to advertise to people who circle your fans (similar to Facebook social ads). Google makes money by helping businesses profit with AdWords, so it makes sense that Google will use this social network to help businesses advertise smarter. So make sure you have an audience there when they flip the switch.