A common question I get from clients is “is it even worth it to have a X page?” Typically my answer is “yes, if you have the resources to maintain it.” In this case we will be tackling a Google+ Page and why it definitely IS worth it.
1. Search Results Listing – You may have noticed some GREAT search listings when searching for a local business and wondered, “how did they get that?” Having their Google+ page in order is the best way to ensure yours shows up and is correct when a user searches for your business name. When done correctly, it can look like this:
You will notice that over on the right it has a special section based on our Google+ page that we set up with photos, a virtual tour (see inside) and our contact and hours information. This is all very helpful for users and the spot Google puts it in is very obvious for users to see. The best part is, it is all free, you just need to set up your page, verify you are the owner and upload your information.
2. SEO Benefit – Everyone wants to know how to rank higher in Google. I am sure you know by now that there are many factors that go into ranking a website. One growing factor is social media. It is a pretty safe bet that Google gives the most influence on ranking to its own social media platform, Google+. The math is simple, the more +1’s your website gets, the higher potentially you can rank. Obviously there is lots of other factors going into your ranking, but why not take full advantage of all of them? Google+ allows you to put a +1 button on your website, which is similar to a Facebook LIKE button.
Additionally you will want to connect your website to your Google+ page. Google was nice enough to type up easy to follow instructions on this: https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1713826?hl=en
3. Google Reviews – Google reviews are VERY important for your business. Especially if you are doing anything service related. It is more and more common that the first thing a potential client does when seeking out a new service is to read their Google Reviews. You can have Google Reviews regardless of if you maintain your Google+ page or not, so having a well maintained one will definitely be more advantageous for you. You can also encourage users to leave reviews for you which will reduce the chances that they all end up being negative instead of positive.
4. Virtual Tours – “See Inside” is one of the newer features Google offers for Google+ business pages. It allows customers to take a virtual tour of your facility. You can see the one we had done for Econprint here: Econoprint Virtual Tour. All you need to do is hire a Google Certified photographer to come shoot your facility and they can then submit it to Google for you. Locally, we used Smith Photography.
5. Gain Followers, Push Content – Google+ is also like any other social network meaning you can post stories to your wall. This is a good way to push blog articles you may have written and other important information regarding your company.
