When you think of Google+ you probably know it as the social media extension of Google that nobody uses (compared to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, at least). Google+ continues to update its platform, most notably to help businesses better connect with customers and prospects. Although you may have overlooked Google+ for your social strategy, with the new year right around the corner, it wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look at why you should be using it come 2017, or better yet tomorrow.
Be seen on search results faster
Yes, Google+ is a great tool for SEO purposes. Blog posts being shared on the platform is a great way to rank for keyword terms along with driving search traffic to your Google+ profile and then your website.
Content posted on Google+ is ranked higher than other social networks by Google and is crawled faster. This results in your content showing up on results better than other pages, websites, articles, content, etc. Just be sure to establish a broad network on Google+ so that you’re more likely to show up in search results.
Reach an engaged, specific demographic
Most estimates are around 4-6 million active monthly users and the most common usage of Google+ is for hosting pictures with 1.5 billion pictures uploaded every week. It’s an active platform, with Google Communities now seeing 1.2 million new joins per day.
Opportunity is there, and big brands are recognizing it
An active community and less traffic means Google+ is a perfect platform to build a following that you may not be able to have on other business social networks. Other benefits such as SEO ranking and Gmail visibility are other huge opportunities if you utilize the platform the right way. Big brands are already using Google+ and have huge followings along with great engagement. If your competition isn’t using it, it’s more of a reason why you should be. Here are a few brands currently killing the Google+ game:
Google+ is a great platform to look into for your 2017 marketing strategy. Remember, SEO is a huge part of your digital marketing game, and doing it better than your competition can be very rewarding. Understanding your buyer persona can give you a better idea of where your target market is spending most of their social time. Check out the resource below and create your buyer personas.