Google+ is Google's social networking platform that launched in 2011. As of November 2016 had 440 million active monthly users. Although it's sometimes forgotten by marketers there are several ways to boost search wiht Google+ . Google has always denied any correlation between Google+ activity and Google search rankings. But many marketers claim that Google+ engagement seems to result in better rankings on Google. Let's take a look at 7 of the best ways to optimize your Google+ page and improve your search engine rankings:
1. Post Valuable Content Consistently
Google always rewards the relevancy of content. Therefore, consistently posting useful content for your followers is of the utmost importance for improving your search engine rankings. But be careful not to overshare your content as Google considers too much sharing as spam. Share only your best posts with appropriate and attractive images. Make sure they are posted to public as well as shared with your existing circles.
2. Complete Your Google+ Profile and URL Page
Make sure your profile gives your potential clients a good first impression. Make sure to have a high-quality picture to represent your brand and explain what your business is about and include all of the key elements of your work in the description area. Be sure to take advantage of Google Plus' custom URL feature. Adding your company name to the URL gives a professional touch to your page. Verifying your Google+ page with Google will add credibility to your account as well.
3. Use Your Meta Description
The meta description can consist of 160 characters. Your meta description decides if your business is relevant for a search result. Use this meta description judiciously. Taglines, a part of your meta description, are essential. Identify relevant keywords for your business and optimize your content by including keywords in your description.
4. Allow Reviews and Comments on Google+
Encouraging comments and feedback on your posts can be a great way to increase engagement. Comment on the conversations on your page and embed Google Plus comments on your post. After a user leaves a comment, they are given an option to share your post with their own circle of Google Plus followers, which can help increase your content's reach. Allowing reviews is important as well. Google considers more reviews as a good ranking factor. If you have disabled the reviews on your page, it will decrease any chances that you have to be seen on the right-hand side of a Google results page.
5. Google+ Collections
Google+ Collections allow the grouping of similar content in one place. Based on the product or theme, you can make different groups of collections. It's a great way to increase user engagement with your content. Whenever you add something to your new collection people following the collection will be automatically notified. By following your collection, users can effortlessly keep up with your new content. As a creator of Google+ collections, you will be able to see which of your followers are following which collections. Then, you can focus your marketing efforts on the collections with maximum user engagement.
6. Make Use of Hashtags
Use Google+ hashtags to find out the related topics people are interested in and discover what hashtags these people are using. As a brand, you should make sure to put your own relevant hashtags in the body of your posts. Otherwise, Google sometimes adds their own hashtags to content by default.
7. Track Your Results
Once you start working on Google plus, you need to keep track of your traffic and performance. One way to do this is by evaluating how many Google+ circles you are currently a part of. Users can only see posts that are added to their circles. The more your Google+ profile shows up in a circle, more is the engagement with your content. Engagement on specific posts can also be gauged by the number of +1 on your posts. This is equivalent to a 'like' on other social media platforms. At the end of every post, you can see how many times your post has been shared and how many +1 it received.
Using tracking software can be a good way to assess if Google Plus is beneficial to your brand. Post for a month or two on Google+ page and check the difference in ranks and traffic with tools like Pro Rank Tracker, Google Analytics , Tiny ranker.
Optimizing your Google+ page to improve rankings and drive traffic is easy using these simple steps. Making Google+ an integral part of your marketing strategy is a great way to gain a competitive edge. Now go take your brand to the next level and climb that search engine ladder!