Just when you think you have social networking under control between LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook… a new one emerged.
Have you jumped onto the G+ bandwagon yet?
Many individuals are staying where they are comfortable, some have created a Google Plus profile just to check it out, and others are diving in full force.
Whichever group you fall into, that is fine. I am not here to push you into doing something you aren’t comfortable with…
But here are some facts that may (at least, they should) affect your decision if you have a business or brand you’d like to build a strong web presence for:
Google + Fact #1: Over 40 million users and… it’s still new!
G+ was initially available for invitation only in June 2011. It was launched to the public in September 2011. An article published in October 2011 stated that this newest social networking site had already crossed the 40 million user mark.
Facebook, the largest competitor to G+ and a social network industry leader, took 3 years to reach 25 million users. Just saying…
You can read that article here: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-plus-user-base-crosses-40-million-mark/196016-11.html
Google + Fact #2: Google Plus is still new, people!
In case you’ve “checked it out” but haven’t been active on Google Plus (personally, I am guilty of that) it’s important to remember that Google tends to launch early, and update often. It’s not perfect yet. There’s still a lot of kinks to work out, naturally, and it is a new social network so it will take some getting used to.
However, considering the next fact… getting used to it may be more than worth the effort.
Google + Fact #3: G+ is owned by Google, the leading search engine. It goes without saying that this social network will change the way your business, brand, and website optimizes for search engine results and page rank.
I could write an entirely separate, lengthy post that discusses in greater detail how SEO and G+ will correlate. But for now, I will summarize with this: the integration of the “G+1” feature into search results will forever change the way search engine results display.
There’s already been heavy talk of “online filter bubbling” (http://www.thefilterbubble.com/) and Google is included. From the point-of-view of a business or brand, popularity is critical to keep an optimal search engine results placement (SERP.) It has been verified that the Google Plus One feature will affect page rank, and so it’s recommended to include a “+1” button on individual web pages, articles, and posts.
(Note, the +1 feature also works like the “Like” feature on Facebook, also resulting in targeted referrals.)
BAM! Copy Writing on Google Plus
If you look at the bottom of this website, you will see a nifty new button. It’s red, and it says ‘g+’. Clicking this button will take you to this link: https://plus.google.com/114764851191921340541/posts and that is the Business Page for BAM! Copy Writing.
Because it is new, there isn’t much there. Not many “+1s”, not many followers, and not much information or communication. But the important thing is that is exists. The Page feature for businesses and brands is also very new, and there are some things you can’t do in it yet. Those limitations will be temporary as Google continues to grow and improve on the Pages feature, of course.
If you have any questions about setting up a business page on Google Plus, feel free to use the contact form on the left of this page. I don’t charge to answer questions, and it’s simple enough to get started.
The bottom line is this: do you want to wait until the Google + is heavily populated with competing business & brand pages, or do you want to stake your claim now and take advantage of the page rank benefits before while it is still new?
