With the launch of Google Plus the search giant has quickly established itself as a quickly growing and vibrant player in the social networking space. Over the last few months Google has already started integrating profiles, pages and activity on Google Plus into search results.
How Google Plus will affect long term search engine ranking and SEO strategies remains unanswered. Here are some of the ways that Google Plus is already changing SEO as we know it:
Google Plus Pages Integrated with Google Places Results
Google Places has been an integral part of local SEO strategies. When people are conducting a local search, information from Google Plus is now included with Google Places. There is even an option to only display search results from Google Plus.
Taking Action
The best way to capitalize on the local SEO benefits of Google Plus is to create a Google Plus Business Page. Makes sure the information you include in your Google Plus Business Page includes targeted keywords and topics that relate to your business and geographic location. This will help to improve your overall visibility for local searches on Google as well as attract people to your Google Plus Business Page.
Google Plus Business Pages Integrated with Search Results
Content from Google Plus is now integrated into search results on Google. Just like Google Places, you can elect to only display results from Google Plus. The Google Plus button to share content is also present next to all search results.
Taking Action
To capitalize on this opportunity and increase your visibility in search results on Google makes sure your Google Plus Business Page is set up with SEO in mind. Make sure to include content and information that contains your target keywords. To make things even easier, apply for Direct Connect and quickly share content with your Google Plus Business Page.
Google Plus Profiles Integrated with Search Results.
Just as Google Plus Business Pages show up in search results, Google Plus Profiles are also displayed for with search results on Google. If you catch a searchers eye, they can choose to display a list of the content you have added to your Google Plus Profile.
Taking Action
Create your Google Plus profile and make sure to add content that contains your target keywords. This will help ensure you maximize the SEO benefits of Google Plus. Make sure to put in the time to build connections and populate your profile with engaging and relevant content. This will help to increase the size of your network on Google Plus, improving your social influence and potentially improve the SEO benefits.
Google +1 Button
The Google +1 button was originally released as a way to collect input from users similar to Facebook’s “Like” button. Prior to the release of Google Plus, Google was already serving personalized results to users with Google accounts. If one of your Gmail contacts used Google’s +1 button, that contant will automatically receive a better search engine ranking. With the release of Google Plus and the influx of new registrations, the SEO benefits of the +1 button has become even more powerful.
Taking Action
To take advantage of the Google +1 button make sure to place it on your website and blog posts. This makes it easier for people to share your content with their network, increasing your overall visibility while also giving social proof of the value your content offers. Content that receives a lot of +1’s from users can even show up in Google News. This is a huge opportunity for gaining exposure to the massive daily readership of Google News.
Conclusion: Google Plus SEO Makes a Difference
With the integration of content from Google Plus and personalized search results based on content shared by your contacts search engine optimization strategies will be forever changed.
Since Google Plus is only a few months old, a lot of opportunity exists for companies and individuals that invest the time and energy to build a strong presence on Google Plus. Give Google Plus a try today if you haven’t and start improving your search engine ranking and overall visibility on Google.