Why does my brand need to be on Google+?

This is part one of a three part blog about Google+. Already have a G+ account? How well are you maintaining it? Honestly? It’s easy to set up and unfortunately, very easy to overlook while you are focusing on busier platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. There are three major reasons for your brand to be on G+ that we will discuss in this blog.

1. SEO
   You may have heard that Google + enhances your SEO but without understanding why and how, it’s easy to dismiss the platform.  When you post information on G+ and people share, comment or +1 it on G+, that tells Google your information is valuable. This increases your Google ranking. For a more in depth explanation of this, check out How to Use Google+ for SEO.Another nice feature of G+ is that your success can be displayed along with your site on Google’s search results, check out how a search for Nike looks below:
   

   A Google search for Nike reveals their Google+ page as well.

   
    
2. Opportunity
   As of September, G+ had 400 million registered users and 100 million of them were active that month. There is a common thought that G+ is not as busy as Twitter or Facebook, however, I would disagree with that; G+ is simply more focused. It is the rare person who posts a simple status update on G+. The content is more valuable, thus demanding more of your brand. Don’t let that scare you though, as offering high quality content results in higher quality engagement, allowing you to better get to know your followers.
    
3. Brand Community
   All of the above may have sold you on G+ but don’t start posting just yet. The most important part of your decision involves listening to see if your brand community is on Google plus. Take some time to check up on what they are talking about, who they are talking to, and what kind of content they engage with.

Now you are ready to engage, it’s time to open that account and start posting the content your community wants.

We are planning two more weeks of G+ blogs, one on creating content and one pointing out some brands on G+ which make it all look very easy. These are the leaders that you will want to check in on for best practices. Do you have a G+ account? Let us know and we will add you! Also, let us know what your G+ questions are, what is scary, and what is concerning you.