I gave a presentation recently to a group of SEO experts. During the Q&A someone asked me if my organization was using Google +. My initial response was, "Not really. I don't particularly like it." He replied, "It doesn't matter if you like it, it only matters if your constituents like it." While a bit arrogant, he was in fact correct.
So I took his response as a challenge and decided to do a little more research on Google + to see if it was worth using to help promote our blogs, websites and social media channels.
In essence, Google + works similarly to "likes" on Facebook. If you read an article or comment somewhere online and want to share it with your friends, you click on the "+1" icon and it immediately posts to your Google profile as content you endorse. Within Google, this recommendation helps from an SEO perspective by referring more traffic to the content you're recommending.
"If you are logged into Google+ and conduct a standard Google search, it will show 'social' results in your searches. These results are a reflection of anything on your Google+ stream that fits the criteria of your search", according to Steve Allan of SMThree.com. "At this point, maintaining a Google+ page costs you nothing but time. Essentially, you would duplicate your Facebook content. The reality is that there are not nearly as many fish in that pond. The numbers vary-40 million, 80 million, whatever – they pale in comparison to Facebook and even Twitter and are less compelling than what Pintrest is doing."
As Steve points out, the value in the numbers is subjective. I use Facebook far more than I use Google +, so I would tend to agree with him. Its importance to me personally is limited. However, to those who are avid Google+ users, the +1 may take on greater significance.
I will probably begin to integrate Google + into my organization's digital media content as it can only help, but I wouldn't drop Facebook in lieu of Google + just yet.
For a better explanation of how Google + works from an SEO standpoint, visit SEOdesk.
*The opinions shared on this blog are solely those of its author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Goodwill of Greater Washington, its affiliates or supporters.
