The One Feature Of Google+ You Can't Afford To Ignore

Posted: 12/26/2013

I came across this gem on Google+ last week, you know, that social media site you've been meaning to get set up on but just haven't found the time for? Content marketer Emily Cretalla was comparing talking to her clients about Google+ to talking to her 3-year-old about eating vegetables:

Client: "But I don't like Google+."
Me: "How do you know? Have you ever tried Google+ before?"
Client: "No."
Me: "Then how do you know you won't like it if you try it?"
Client: "But I don't WANNA try it."
Me: "Google+ is really good for you. It has so many benefits. SEO, positioning yourself as an authority..."
Client: (looks off into space)
Me: "Look, just try it a little bit. Who knows, you might really like it."
Client: "I know I won't. But OK."
LATER...
Client: "I guess Google+ is alright ... hey, can you give me some more strategies?"
Me: (smug smile)

In a roundabout, but undeniably accurate way, Cretalla has summed up the attitude of most small business owners to Google+. And while you can extol the benefits of the second most popular social network on the planet until you're blue in the face (most of them start with the letters SEO), engaging on Google+ does feel a bit like eating your vegetables. It's time consuming, it requires real effort, and it isn't sugar-coated with photos of your school friends' cute babies.

But if you want to market your business online - and no matter what business you are in you should be doing just that - then there is at least one facet of Google+ that you simply cannot ignore: Google Places.

"One out of five searches on Google are related to location, and we want to make sure that businesses are able to be found and put their best foot forward," Google said when they introduced Google Places last year. Essentially Google's version of the phonebook listing, Google Places is where the search engine pulls its information from when a user searches for a relevant keyword. While your business's details probably exist somewhere on the internet for Google's robots to index, by supplying it directly to Google via Google Places you are controlling it and ensuring it is accurate.

How to set up your business on Google Places

Sign up for Google Places for Business here.
Click the "Get Started" button and you will be taken to a map page. Search for and select your business from here. If your business doesn't show up, type in your details from scratch.
Google will then ask you to go through a verification process to ensure you are the business owner, either by phone or mail.

TIP: If you don't have customers come to your business location (for example, if you are a cleaning company), be sure to check the box next to "I deliver goods and services to my customers at their location." This will let you choose a service area for your business rather than just one location.

You can then proceed to your Google Places for Business dashboard where you can add a photo, a description of your business (using those all important keywords), your hours of operation and any other fields you are presented with. Bookmark this page, and come back frequently to add to and update your business information.

TIP: Fill out this section as fully as possible. Google thrives on data, and the more you give it the better your results will be.

From Places to Plus

Now that you've choked down your first mouthful of spinach, it's time to tackle the whole salad and dive on into Google+. As of yet, you've not "officially" entered the world of Google+, Google Places is still accessible outside of the search engine giant's push to integrate all its services under the Google+ umbrella, but this probably won't be the case for long.

Considering a recent GlobalWebIndex Study found that "Google+ remains the second most actively used social network with 318.4 million active users in 31 markets," there really isn't a good reason to not have your business on Google+.

For most small business a Google+ Local Business page is the best option. It's essentially the same as a regular Google+ page, but with features that allow customers to easily connect with the business's physical location. For example, a local page includes a map of the business's location and features its address, phone number and hours of operation (which it gets from Google Places).

How to Set Up your Google+ Local Business Page

Go to your personal Google+ profile and select Pages from the drop down menu. (If you have a Gmail account you already have Google+. If you don't have a Gmail account, get one here).
When prompted to add a page choose "Local Business or Place" as your category; this puts you into the "Local" category.

As you have already set up Google Places, your business's basic information will automatically populate on your Google+ page, so now add more photos and more information - feed the data machine!

Next link your website to Google+. This step does involve basic coding, as do some of the other more advanced elements of the Google+ pages, so unless you are very tech savvy you'll want to have your webmaster set these up for you.

Now that you are all set with Google Places and Google+ you can manage them both from your Google Places For Business Dashboard, which you bookmarked back in step 4.

Plus your World

Dive into Google+, play around with it - that's really the best way to learn what it can do for you. Create and manage circles (similar to Friends on Facebook), start and join hangouts (just like Skype), join and engage in Communities relevant to your business and ones that can help you with Google+ (such as this one). Then, start sharing content such as posts and photos (just as you would on your blog).

Creating an authoritative Google+ page will help your site rank better on Google's search results and help you connect with your customers.

Author Bio
Myrna Vaca is the Head of Marketing and Communications at Lyoness America, where she directs media relations, branding, advertising and website development. Lyoness is an international shopping community and loyalty rewards program, where businesses and consumers benefit with free membership and money back with every purchase. Check out Lyoness on Twitter.