Is Google+ worth it for business to business?

Google, Google, Google. Every online marketer has a portion of their life dedicated to obsessing over Google and everything that comes with it. What will the new changes in the algorithm be? How can we achieve better SEO?  How can we avoid being penalized? Let’s face it Google has cornered the market on search engines and it is a necessity when it comes to SEO and your website’s success.

However, Google’s social media platform does not have the same glowing reputation that Google the search engine has. In the past, it has been called a “ghost town” and has a reputation for not having the most active users. This has many SMB business owners wondering if having a Google+ account for their B2B company is even worth it. Let’s look at a few factors:

 Who is using Google+?

There are 375 million active users on Google+[i] which is less than Facebook,[ii] Twitter[iii] and YouTube[iv] but a little more than LinkedIn.[v]

Of these users 55% are located in the United States and the majority of occupations on Google+ are engineers at 29% and developers at 17%. Some other top user occupations are designers, software engineers and web developers. From this we can conclude that Google+ is a great place to engage high-skill tech/software workers in the United States.

However, only 4% of Canadians are engaged on Google+. This statistic aligns with our own experience where we have found that there is a lack of engagement on Google+ and it isn’t worth it for Canadian SMB business owners to use the social media aspect of Google+.

Should you stay in the proverbial sandbox?

As a result of Google being the world leader in search engines it is therefore the leader in SEO. So, it only makes sense that Google awards businesses who stay in the proverbial Google sandbox. Businesses that have a Google+ page that is connected to their website will achieve better SEO results than one without. Not only because it provides more information about the company directly to Google but because a Google+ page integrates your website and business with the Google engine itself.  Therefore, we would definitely recommend setting up a Google+ page.

What are the Pros and Cons to the improved indexed content?

Google+ content gets indexed immediately by Google and shows up in search results. This content automatically generates its own URL and becomes searchable. As a result, you may rank for keywords terms that you may not have previously ranked for allowing your website to show up in some searches where it previously did not.

However, with proper keyword integration on your website, your webpages will be able to outrank any Google+ post that you create. Also, the lack of engagement on Google+ means that your audience isn’t coming from Google+ it is coming from the Google search engine. This means that this feature will simply add a second click to get the audience where they want to go as they need to go through Google+ from the Google search results.  And we know that no one likes to have an extra click.

Should you use the Publisher and Authorship feature?

Another great way to increase your search engine reach is by using the Google+ authorship and publisher markup feature.

Authorship allows your headshot and your Google+ profile stats to show up in search engine results when any content that you have authored ranks in the search results. Google+ business and personal pages can be connected with your website in order to make this possible. This feature is great for any blog posts and articles that you publish online.

While initially this feature seems great, make sure you understand the full impact before using this. The Publisher feature creates a sidebar that features your authorship. This sidebar will show up when anything associated with your brand is Googled. The sidebar will feature information from your personal Google+ page such as your published content, number of followers and images featured on your page.

 Both of these features are most beneficial for people who have their own practices such as software developers, app developers, accountants etc.

What about Google Business?

I saved the best and the most important for last. Having a Google+ account is a crucial step in having a Google Business Account. But, what does this mean? A Google Business Account is a profile for your business that connects your business and your company website to Google. As a result, your company information comes up in the right-hand sidebar as you can see in the image below.

This provides the searcher with quick information like your address, phone number, images and hours of operation. It goes without saying that having a fully filled out Google Business Account will boost your SEO ranking. The more information you provide to Google the more searchable you become. Your Google Business Account connects your business to all Google services, it allows you to show up and be found on Google maps, it connects to your Google+ page, your YouTube account and several other relevant sites like your own website and your Yelp business profile to Google. This all provides more opportunity for your business to show up in search results. 

While it is obvious now that a Google+ page is an essential tool for B2B companies to help them rank highly in Google searches, the details of how to use and it may not be quite as clear.   Do you have questions about your Google Business Page or how to best use Google+ for your business?  Contact us to learn more.

Sources:

[i] Google Plus Demographics & Statistics | http://www.statisticbrain.com/google-plus-demographics-statistics/

[ii] Facebook Company Statistics | http://www.statisticbrain.com/facebook-statistics/

[iii] Twitter Statistics | http://www.statisticbrain.com/twitter-statistics/

[iv] YouTube Company Statistics | http://www.statisticbrain.com/youtube-statistics/

[v] LinkedIn Company Profile and Statistics | http://www.statisticbrain.com/linkedin-company-profile-and-statistics/