Google +

[christinagilman]

Okay, I apologize in advance for this thread. I need to rant briefly, though.

First, a little background on me: I'm 27 years old and practically grew up on the internet. I was one of the very first people ever to get a Facebook account and I hit the ground running. I consider myself to be internet fluent. I can find my way around the internet and quickly learn how to use new applications. It's never been a problem for me.

But for the strangest reason I just cannot figure out Google+. Everyone is raving about it and people are loving it and I just don't see what the big deal is. First of all, I find it very confusing to use. ESPECIALLY if you have a "business page." I have trouble doing anything with my business page. I can't follow other people from it and I'm not sure how to promote it. And on my main page, I know that I can "select who I want to see what content." But I personally find this all very confusing.

Okay, sorry my rant is over.

Anyone else having Google+ problems, or successes? Maybe I can get a little encouragement from the forum to keep on trying with Google+, or some advice to just give it up (that's what I'd really like to hear. ;)

[greenoak]

welcome christina, hope you will stay around and share some of your ideas...i saw your marketing site and would like to hear ideas on getting good content on facebook apart from posts...we have a page with 2000 fans andi am trying to decide between notes and tabs for some good content.....
im signed up on google + but not doing anything....

[christinagilman]

Hi Ann,

I took a look at your FB page and you have an excellent amount of engagement! You've done a great job on that.

As far as using content on your page: what kind of content are you thinking of creating? I think that is the most important question to answer before you decide on using notes, tabs, etc?

What is your overall goal with your content marketing? It's best to clearly define that goal and work backwards from there.

[greenoak]

WELL my goal is to get some good info onto thepage and easily found.....its more to fill out the page than to sell...but indirectly it would be about selling too
... the subjects are....special ordering....what i want to buy... calendar of events.... and a paint recipe...and maybe the info about a birthday club...... all these would be good info for my fans....
i think a lot of the f ans use facebook more than the website etc..... i dont really have a feel for the different values between notes and tabs....
can you imagine other content that would be good?
facebook has been a good thing for us..its sure changed things......
.. glad you took a look....i try hard not to have every post about selling....
we have alot of chicago customers...ones who have lake homes down here....

[greenoak]

its not that its too hard.... ...its that my customers arent there....if they go to google + i will too...
so far im not hearing much about active users......not even on here

[christinagilman]

Ann: I am no expert on Facebook tabs vs notes, however I personally find tabs easier to see and read than notes, from a viewer's perspective. I think the subjects you mentioned are definitely good things to tell your customers and should be included, but are more related to your business operations rather than focused on the customer's questions and interests in antiques.

Some great content marketing posts would be "how to's" or "top 10 reasons..." etc. Without knowing too much about your business services, off the top of my here are a few more suggestions: 1. how to care for your antique furniture (specifically wood and iron) to keep it looking as good as the day you bought it, 2. how and when to get your antiques appraised, or 3. how to decorate with antiques

Hope that helps!

[greenoak]

i think tabs too...just for the reason you said...i dont usually go to notes on other pages.....
we arent really all about antiques now,,,but have had the name so long we dont want to change it...so i would put different subjects on...i really think our facebook is becoming almost another website....and needs almost as much info as a website....
i like top ten reasons .. right now im using pinterest as a main content marketing post...they seem to really like it....
thanks for the feedback....

[ThirdSEO]

Give Google time to work out the kinks, they'll get it done. I think they're focusing on taking the business market share first, then they'll move on to the personal accounts later. That's when they'll get the feedback they need to improve the user experience for personal accounts. I used to not 'get it' either, but now I'm enjoying it for my business page. In the SEO and SEM community Google+ is growing very rapidly. Give it time and it'll outperform every social media network.

[KristineS]

I missed this post the first time around, but I'm with you on this. I've been experimenting with Google+ for the business and I'm not seeing how it will be useful yet. I know people from our industry are there, but making connections has been difficult. Of course, it could just be I'm trying to expand into too many areas too fast. It's hard to supply good content when you're supplying too many accounts.

[vangogh]

Give Google time to work out the kinks

I agree. Google didn't originally release the branded pages. I think they're prefer people use Google+ as individuals. However people did use their personal profiles for business and forced Google into releasing the brand pages before they wanted. You can switch between the personal and business. Right next to your avatar it shows how many pages you have and you can switch to the brand. After doing that you can add people to circles and do much of what you do with the personal account. It is different than how other networks work.

I do like Google+ because it feels like there are better conversations than I find on other networks. That might be more to do with the specific people I follow on all of them though and not with the network itself.

[KristineS]

I would guess that some of my dissatisfaction is because I was a much earlier adopter with Google+ than I usually am. Mostly when I've gotten involved in social media in the past, it has been after the site had been in full swing for a while. It makes it much easier to find people and to figure out how to use the site.

[vangogh]

There are advantages to being an early adopter too. By the time the masses are on board you've figured out the system pretty well. You are the expert and know better how to make it work for you.

[KristineS]

Yeah, I suppose that's true. I also have to admit I haven't spent a lot of time working with Google+ because other platforms are claiming my attention just now. So that probably has something to do with it as well. If you don't spend a lot of time updating your account, you can't be surprised when the platform doesn't work as well as you would like.

[vangogh]

You do have to spend time using any site to understand how it works. Same for most anything in life. Few things can we expect to understand entirely the instant we encounter them. That said the Google+ brand pages could be a little easier to understand.

[synconlinemedia]

I agree...the business page does not seem very useful...yet. However Im sure Google has a master plan, therefore I adabt! That being said we do focus on G+ as part of our social strategy. Social signals will be a big part of SERP in the not so far future.

[vangogh]

I think they already are strong signals and for Google, G+ is going to be the strongest signal since for Google it's the cleanest data. It'll be interesting to see what G+ grows into. The growth of registered members has been impressive. On the other hand there were some recent reports that G+ members weren't exactly spending a lot time on the site or visiting as often as they visit other networks.

Google is clearly pushing G+ and sees it as a big part of its future strategy. They might not need the high engagement with G+ itself since many other Google properties are just a menu link away. It would be interesting to see if more people are using Gmail and YouTube, Google Docs, etc. since G+ launched. I haven't been using G+ a lot recently, but I find myself using YouTube a lot more. Prior to G+ I had never favorited a video at all and now I do it all the time.

[KristineS]

I think Google's strategy of linking everything will pay off for them. I'm like you Vangogh, I didn't used to do things and now I do because it's so simple. I've never been a huge fan of the cross pollination thing, but now it's so easy it's hard to avoid. I'm guessing that's where Google will come out on top because they'll be able to make sharing stuff so much easier.

[Harold Mansfield]

I've gone through the motions and created an account and a business page. And I did install the Google Plus Author widget so that my profile shows up in the search results with my blog posts:
WordPress › Google Plus Widget « WordPress Plugins (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-plus-widget/)

But, no. I don't see the benefit either. Mainly because I really don't want yet another social networking thing to have to worry about, so I haven't spent anytime trying to learn what it does.

If these platforms start cross pollinating, so I can share Facebook stuff on Google+ and so on, the way My Space does with Facebook share, I'd be a lot happier.
I'm pretty burned out on it all.

As it is now, I've spent well over a week learning all of the (yet again) changes for Facebook for when all pages are timelines. And the fact that things keep changing everyday doesn't help.
I'll get around to Google+ when I see that others are on it more than Facebook.

And now I'm getting calls for Pinterest integration. I just learned the thing existed a month ago. I just learned it was all the rage 2 weeks ago.

I'm good right now on new Social Networking sites. I'll learn Google+ when I see a way for it to make me some money.
That's my opinion on the whole thing.

[vangogh]

If these platforms start cross pollinating, so I can share Facebook stuff on Google+ and so on

I used to think that was a benefit, but not anymore. If everything we share in one place is automatically shared in all others, it becomes pointless to have more than one network. I know it can be a pain when you want to share something on more than one network, but it's not that hard and realistically you don't need to be sharing the same thing on every network.

When I think about social networks online I try to think of them offline. We don't share everything with every friend we have. I share certain things with my family, different things with friends, and still different things with people I work with (when I used to work in an office). Sometimes what I shared overlapped and even within my different circles there were sub circles. I don't necessarily share the same stuff with my mother that I do with my brother for example. I have friends who I spend more time with around a meal, some around going to the movies, and some around playing or watching sports.

If anything the idea of one giant social network online where we share everything with everyone doesn't make sense. And trying to connect every network so we can share the same things across all of them doesn't make sense either. What's more sensible is being part of several networks where you interact with different people and share things about different subjects. There will naturally be some overlap between networks and sub groups within networks.

The problem is for business we sometimes feel like we need to be on every network that has even a little bit of popularity and it's too time consuming. You don't need to participate with every network. You should try as many as you can and see which ones work best for your business.


I'll learn Google+ when I see a way for it to make me some money.

You might want to consider how Google+ is going to influence search results. That's the social network that is and will be influencing where web pages rank more than any other.

[Elias]

In my opinion until now g+ is a huge fail. Because the first thing a network needs is users. And the are stuck to facebook. So they should attract them with features and not just the business community.

[Matt121]

Google+ is slowly getting a lot of users but it is still far from the likes of Facebook. I don't see Google+ as a threat to Facebook but I post there for a reason - to get more traffic and backlinks.

The good thing about G+ is that you can specifically target your posts to be seen by a specific string of search results through the use of their hashtags. Let's not forget that it is owned by Google, hence you can get high authority links by posting anchor texts in your profile page.

[vangogh]

It's definitely far from Facebook. I think it's less about where they are now though than where they'll be a few years down the line. A year or so ago people wondered if G+ would still be here now. It is and Google is still pushing it. It's a growing network and we'll have to see where it is down the road. I know it seems like Facebook will always be #1, but you never know. A few missteps, another network hitting on a must have feature, and you could see significant amounts of people moving.

[ozetel]

Hey there - yep have had the same issues with Google+ It appears to be designed (as vangogh mentioned) for individuals rather then businesses. I am meeting with a network group who are running a couple of hour sessions on setting up and using G+ so hopefully I will have something to contribute and help you with in a couple of weeks. It is a challenge!

Good luck...

[Harold Mansfield]

I know it seems like Facebook will always be #1, but you never know. A few missteps, another network hitting on a must have feature, and you could see significant amounts of people moving.

Just off the top of my head, a few things that seemed like they'd always be #1 on the web:

1. AOL
2. Yahoo/Yahoo Mail
3. Internet Explorer/Hotmail/MSN
4. My Space
5. Blogspot
6. GeoCities

This thing is constantly developing. Anything could happen. Facebooks #1 problem is that it basically sucks on mobile. It's a few functions patched together, but not fully functioning on mobile devices nor properly monetized for mobile. That right there could give G+ it's edge going into the future.

[vangogh]

Yep. Things change and they change faster on the Internet. It's hard to imagine Facebook not being what is it today, but most people would have said the same things about the 6 sites you listed. Facebook obviously has a lot going for it right now, but it also has some weaknesses. They seem to be trying to address them. For example they recently redid their mobile app and changed it from a web app to a dedicated app. Will that fix their mobile problems? We'll see. Google+ on the other hand doesn't seem to have the same engagement as Facebook. Will they be able to correct that? Again we'll see.

These sites are really about people connecting with one another. If the people you want to connect with move to another network, guess where you're going?


I am meeting with a network group who are running a couple of hour sessions on setting up and using G+

SEOmoz had a post today about Google+. More about setting up profiles for seo, but I thought you might be interested. 10 Dead Simple Tips to Take Advantage of Google+ for SEO (http://www.seomoz.org/blog/tips-to-use-google-for-seo)

[Gabe]

Aww Steve, you beat me to it, I saw that article too.

Yeah, I don't like social networking at all (I probably have 5 Facebook posts since 2009) but I want to get into Google+. Between authorship, do-follow links with the ability to add your own anchor text and other SEO boosts, it seems worthwhile. I'd probably be more willing to participate if I could automatically post stuff from G+ to Facebook and Twitter (or better yet post from WP to G+). I'm sure there's a way, I just haven't been motivated enough to look into it. G+ seems like a network that you don't use because it's fun, but because it's useful. Besides, using G+ is like betting on the house...or rooting for the Yankees for that matter (ducks).

[vangogh]

I actually thought of you when I posted it, since I know you're an SEOmoz reader. We'll have to race to see who can post their articles first. :)

You can probably post to all of them through a 3rd part service. I think HootSuite lets you post to all of them, though you might have to be part of the pay service. I'm not sure what the restrictions of the free service are. I know what you mean about betting on the house. Let's face it. Google is going to weigh things on G+ more than they will on other networks. It's already happening.

[cheaper accountant]

I agree with an earlier post and use Google + for backlinks and plus one's to my website.

I do think there is a lot of benefit from having a number of Google backlinks.

[AccountantSalary]

If it's any consolation, I experienced the same frustration with Google+. I tried it out, given all the hoopla about it, but discovered that it did not offer the same results as Facebook. So I abandoned it to devote all my energies to the more successful social network.

[Gabe]

I'd be careful. Despite G+'s shortcomings, Facebook and Twitter are short term solutions just like PPC or other forms of marketing. They're hamster wheels. They only return as long as you keep putting in.

G+ on the other hand helps organic rankings, which helps you longer-term. Twitter and Facebook would be better if they were more search engine friendly. Aside from the SERPS, if you had a G+ relationship with your customer base, they'd be more likely to find your content in the search engines. For example, on my financial website I come up on the first page for insurance and real estate topics for my G+ acquaintances when my PR for the site is only 3 or 4. That site has never had any SEO or backlink strategies either.

Sure, G+ isn't perfect, but it's worth investing time now. The other social networks are worthwhile as long as that's where your customers are and you're getting a positive return, I'd just against writing off G+ completely. Chances are your investments now will pay off down the road, especially if most folks aren't participating.

[vangogh]

I wouldn't write off any of them. Not that you need to be everywhere all the time. They all have benefits and mostly that's in being able to reach people you couldn't otherwise reach. Try each and see which you like and think you can best contribute to. Think about where your customers are. Do well with one and then add another. I do think long term G+ will likely provide the most benefit in terms of seo, but that's mainly because it's Google feeding Google. They have more access to their own data and are more likely to trust it, so they're more likely to use it.

[vincevirzi]

How are you trying to use Google+ I use it to set up all of our agents across the country with Google numbers and local numbers at their specific addresses.
These agents work for us locally in these towns for merchant services and business cash advance. So we have to be very smart and diligent in how we drive traffic. Let me know how I can help you. I use Local.com, Yelp, Merchant Circle and others.

I have been doing online marketing for 13 years so I will be glad to help you.

Vince Virzi

[Jeremy Bratcher]

Let me make no amends here, if you are small business owner with or without a website Google+ is critical to get local rankings in Google.

I'll be the first to admit I don't even use Google+ as a networking resource at the moment. When it launched I added family, friends, and people in my network but, other than adding people, I don't buy into the soical authority side of it at all.

The key of Google+ for small buisness owner is creating or claiming your local business page on Google+ Local (formerly Google Places).

When you search for local businesses in any given city, you get that 3-7 "pack" of Google+ Local results right at the top of the organic listings.

Getting visibility for my business is why I use Google+ and nothing more (at least right now).

[Harold Mansfield]

Let me make no amends here, if you are small business owner with or without a website Google+ is critical to get local rankings in Google.

I'll be the first to admit I don't even use Google+ as a networking resource at the moment. When it launched I added family, friends, and people in my network but, other than adding people, I don't buy into the soical authority side of it at all.

The key of Google+ for small buisness owner is creating or claiming your local business page on Google+ Local (formerly Google Places).

When you search for local businesses in any given city, you get that 3-7 "pack" of Google+ Local results right at the top of the organic listings.

Getting visibility for my business is why I use Google+ and nothing more (at least right now).
I concur. That is definitely what it's good for.