5 No-Brainer Reasons Google Plus Is Right for Your Business by Janet Johnson

Many businesses are still skeptical about Google+.

They don’t know if having a Google+ business page will actually add any value.

I don’t blame them — Google hasn’t done the best job explaining the network.

But that’s no excuse for ignoring Google+!

Google’s social network is important — for many reasons!

And here are 5 no-brainer reasons to get your business on Google+ today.

5 No-Brainer Reasons Google Plus Is Right for Your Business

1. You’re On Google+ Already — and Don’t Even Know It

Do you have a Gmail account? Then you’re on Google+.

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When you set up a Gmail account, you automatically set up a Google+ profile, too.

To get to Google+, log into your Gmail account. In the upper right corner you’ll see your name (or the name that you used to set up the account) with a + sign in front of it. Click it to be taken to your Google+ profile.

It’s very important to at least add a good head shot & fill in your profile “About” info.

How should you fill out your profile? Here’s an excellent explanation:

• How to Write an Effective Google Plus About Story and Introduction

2. Local Google Listings Connect to Google+

For a local business, a Google Places listing is one of the most important online listings you can have. Google gives preference to the Places listing when a city is entered into the search bar.

But, what many businesses don’t realize is that Google integrated the Places listings with Google+ a while back.

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Now, when a Google Places listing is clicked it links to what’s called a “Google+ Local Page”. This page must be filled out by the business. Many haven’t been & some even link to the wrong Google Places page.

An easy way to find out which Google+ Local page links to your Google Places is to type the name of your business in the search engine. Find the Places listing (it should look like the below example) and click “Google+ Page.”

If you’ve properly set up your Google+ page & linked it to your Places listing, it should contain a profile picture, cover photo, about information, links, etc.

Here’s an example of what not to do:

3. It’s Easy to Connect with Potential Clients & Influencers

Other social networks have become so big & noisy that it’s hard to actually have meaningful conversations. That’s where Google+ excels.

People on Google+ take their time to converse.

For a major social network, Google+ is still small. It’s not as crowded as Facebook, which makes it a lot easier to chat with others.

4. It Helps Your SEO

The people you have in your Google+ circles & interaction you receive on Google+ posts can affect how you & your business appear in Google search results.

In other words, Google+ IS Google. Need I say more?!

Using Google+ can improve your SEO!

Your Google+ posts are indexed by Google & can appear in search results. And what business doesn’t want to be found on page one of Google?

Below is an example of a Google+ post that was indexed on page one of the search results.

5. Hangouts On Air Are AWESOME!

If the first 4 reasons in this article don’t attract you to Google+, the Hangouts On Air feature should because it’s a game changer!

All businesses should use video to build rapport with clients & potential customers. But you used to need lots of equipment & it took lots of time & energy to create videos.

Not anymore!

Now you just need a smartphone & Hangouts On Air.

Google explained Hangouts On Air like this:

With Hangouts On Air, you can broadcast live discussions & performances to the world through your Google+ home page & YouTube channel. You can also edit & share a copy of the broadcast.

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The possibilities are endless. Here are just a few of the powerful ways you can use Hangouts On Air:

• Meeting / Consultation
• Video
• Interview
• Client Testimonial
• Show — Video or Podcast

Hangouts are automatically recorded right to your YouTube channel. When you’re done recording, you can edit right inside YouTube OR download, edit & upload.

Be sure to add keywords in the title, body & tags to give you a better chance of getting indexed by the search engine. Since Google has given preference to Hangouts On Air over other videos uploaded to YouTube, your chances of front page results are even greater with a Hangout!

I edited this Hangout with a few keywords & within minutes, these were the results:

Conclusion

Unfortunately, bad press gave Google+ a bad rap — and undeservedly so!

Small business owners are afraid of Google+… and that fear must end. Google+ gets better every day.

If your business cares about how Google & video affect your results & sales, then I think it’s best to look deeper into what this platform can do for you.

Google+ has been a tremendous asset for me!

Courtesy of Post Planner, Inc.

Getting Started With Google Places for Business by Amanda DiSilvestro

Google Places is one local listing you don't want to miss. Having a solid Google Places listing is a great way to position your company as a leader in a your business niche in a particular location.
While some industries might cater to this more than others (restaurants for example), every business can benefit from connecting with locals. The local sphere is smaller, and although you might have a lot of competition, you have a much better chance of connecting with relevant users than if you just focus on the national Google search engine.
Long story short: This should be a priority for any company looking to take advantage of the online community.

How to Submit Your Site to Google Places

Google Places makes it incredibly easy to get started. In less than 5 minutes, you can get your business listing up and running on the largest search engine out there. Follow the steps below to get started:
Step 1: Visit this link, agree to the Terms, and start adding information about your business in the blanks.
This might seem like more than one step, but it's so quick that clicking the link and agreeing to the terms doesn't need much discussion. You will be asked to type in your email address (use the one you want associated with your listing), and then you're on your way. You will be taken to a screen like the one shown below, so simply fill in your information as best you can:

Step 2: Verify your business, or continue and come back later.
At one point or another, you're going to have to verify your business by mail. This will ensure that your business really is located where you say it is. You will be taken to the screen (shown below). For now, we'll skip the verification.

Step 3: Get started filling out information regarding your listing, AdWords, and other offers from Google.
This is essentially the final section of your Google Places listing, but there are several parts that go into this section. As showns in the screenshot below, there are four options on the left sidebar (the below screenshot is the general "Places for Business" overview tab). You can click each tab to begin filling out information.


As you can see, none of the edits will show up until you have verified that you are the owner of the business (Step 2). Other tabs include listings tab, offers, and AdWords Express.
Extra Step: Get started with AdWords Express.
The AdWords Express tab will take you to a new page where you can create an ad and set your budget. This isn't necessary right away, but those companies using AdWords could really benefit from this feature.
As shown in the screenshot below, there is again a tab on the left with different options and categories. These include select your audience (screenshot shown below), create your ad, set your budget, review your ad, and checkout.

It's as simple as that! Once you're verified, all of your edits will show up and your listing will become a part of the Google Places community.
Next comes optimizing this business listing so that it shows up at the top of a SERP – the same way it works when trying to optimize a website for Google search. A few quick ways to make sure your listing is optimized:

• Fill in all of the information allowed (description, contact info, hours, headline, address etc.).
• Add high-quality, relevant photos.
• Work to improve your number of reviews by making it easy to find your Google+ page.
• Consider using keywords throughout your listing.
• Put your Google Listing on your website and in your email signature.

Claiming your business isn't going to do much if your listing isn't optimized. Remember, people come to your listing in order to learn more about your company, so not only will your listing likely not show up in a Google search, but it wouldn't help customers consider your business when it comes time to make a purchasing decision.

Google+ Local versus Google Places

Now that Google+ Local has entered onto the local search scene, the distinction between the two has become confusing. Essentially, Google+ allows companies to have business pages (much the same way that Facebook allows you to have a business page).
This is where your customers and clients can go to rate and review your business. It helps bring your business into the social sphere for more visibility.
You can, however, merge all of your Google Places information onto your Google+ Local page. In short, Google Places can still be used to manage your business listing, but it is Google+ that is likely going to give you all of your engagement. Whether or not Google will completely do away with Google Places is unknown, but for now it seems that many companies can get away with just a Google+ Local account, so the choice is up to you.

Google Places Overview

So a quick recap of Google Places:

• Google Places is one of the most effective ways to get your website in front of the eyes of relevant and local users.
• You can visit this link to get started following the steps to claim your business. It only takes a few minutes to claim your listing and fill out all of the information needed.
• AdWords Express makes it easy to create an ad for your audience.
• It's important to optimize your Google Places listing by filling out all of the information you can, including high-quality photos, utilizing keywords throughout the listing, and engaging with reviews.

Courtesy of  Search Engine Watch

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