Does your business have a Google Plus business page? If not you should consider creating your Google+ business profile to help you get ranked/indexed by Google for search engine optimization. The more followers and +1’s your Google+ page receives, the more influential your brand will appear. Google+ can help you build relationships with your audience and also help you attract new followers. Setting up a Google+ business page is easy, just follow these 5 steps to get the most out of the social media platform.
Step 1: Create a personal Google account
This is an important first step that you must do before creating a Google+ business page. Google+ pages require a personal google account to act as the owner of a business page. The owner will remain anonymous to followers of the Google+ page and if you would like to add additional managers to your page you can do so later on. Go to http://plus.google.com to first create your personal profile or to sign into your current personal profile.
Step 2: Create your Google+ Business account
Visit http://www.google.com/+/business/get-started.html and click “Create a Google+ page” to get started. Then you are able to select a category (Local Business, Company, Product or Brand, etc.),then you can add your company name and website (if you have one), click “Create” and your page is live!
Step 3: Optimize your Google+ page
There are a number of things you can do to optimize your Google+ page to attract your audience and boost your company’s image:
- Enter a tagline – tell the world what your business is all about in 10 words or less.
- Add your website URL
- Add a profile photo – use your company logo or other pic that identifies your business. Upload an image that is 500 x 500 pixels for best results.
- Add a cover photo – The new cover photo dimensions are 2120 x 1192 pixels, giving you plenty of space to work with. Get creative and feature a team image or people using your top products.
- Fill out your About section - add a description, contact information, business hours, social media links, etc. for your company
- Add photos and videos to enhance your profile
Step 4: Promote your new Google+ page!
A) Add a Google+ Badge to your website. Place it above the fold, preferably in the header of your website so it can be seen on every page. Also, to help Google show your Google+ page on the right side of search results when people search for your company name, link your Google+ page to your website. Here’s how:
- In your Google+ account add the website in the “contributor” section of your profile, then add the following tag to the header of your webpage:
<link rel=”publisher” href=”GOOGLE_PlUS_ACCOUNT_URL>
Wait a few days for Google to reindex your site and you should be on your way! Of course this doesn’t guarantee that Google will include your profile in the search results.
- Here’s a different way:
1. Make sure your site’s home page is available to appear in Google’s search results and isn’t blocked by a meta noindex tag or by your robots.txt file.
2. Update your site’s home page by adding a link to your Google+ page.
3. Link to your website from your Google+ page.
4. Verify your business with Google.
5. Use the rich snippets testing tool to check your markup and make sure that Google can extract your page info from your content.
For more detailed steps click here: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/1708844
B) Post on Facebook, in your email signature line, in your newsletter, on twitter, etc. inviting people to Follow you on Google+. You can even give them an incentive for following you like the opportunity to enter a giveaway or download a free ebook or coupon.
Step 5: Verify your Google+ Business page
After you get some followers, complete this Google+ Page Verification Request form which will help your Google+ page show up in search results when someone searches your company name which includes a follow button! (Example: search on Google “Ben & Jerry’s” without the quotes of course. See the right side information that shows up with and follow button. This is for Google+.) : https://support.google.com/plus/contact/page_verification?hl=en&rd=2
Once you’ve finished setting up and optimizing your Google+ business page, start sharing quality content by posting links, photos and videos on your profile. Share some of the same content you post on Facebook or Twitter and interact with your followers to encourage +1s. You can follow your fans’ posts, +1 their updates, and comment on status messages. You’re also able to create your own circles for customers, fans, clients, etc. and see who has added your company to their circles.
Please share if you think this post was helpful and Like Social Media 22 on Facebook!
Blog written by Tasha Mayberry, Co-Founder of Social Media 22, LLC
Tasha is the Co-Founder of Social Media 22 with her husband Pavel. Social Media 22 is a web design and internet marketing company that helps companies gain online visibility and obtain new business using easy and affordable techniques. They specialize in custom website development, website revamping, blog and newsletter design, search engine optimization, social media marketing, public relations/media outreach, and overall marketing for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Tasha has gotten clients on major news TV networks including Good Morning America, Fox, and NBC. Additionally, their clients have been seen in many magazines including In Touch Weekly, Marie Claire, Baby & Child, The National Enquirer, Pregnancy & Newborn, and more as well as major radio shows. To contact Tasha email [email protected].