Bummed that your business doesn’t show up higher in Google search results? You could change that by keeping an active account on Google+. Not sure that it’s worth the time commitment? The more you post to a Google+ account, the more likely your business is to rank higher in search results.
That’s right – each time you post thought leadership content about your industry or products, the more likely you are to generate new eyes on your website. And that’s important because your potential leads are most likely using Google to search for specific items or answers that could bring them to your page. Not sure how to get started on Google+? We've got you covered.
Interact with users, collections and circles
If you currently don’t maintain an active Google+ account, start by identifying people and pages that have the most promising leads. Follow them and add value to the conversation when it’s relevant so you can be considered a thought leader in the appropriate space(s).
You can also utilize other areas of Google+ like Google Collections and Circles because they encourage engagement and education about particular topics that may be beneficial to generate leads. Additionally, you'll also want to monitor your Google Reviews and respond appropriately and professionally as a business. I'll talk about that more below.
Maintain content consistency and format
Make Google+ a part of your editorial calendar so that when you’re developing new strategies each month, you consider content that will reach your defined audiences on this channel. Because the interface of Google+ looks essentially like a blog, make sure you think about using images and attention grabbing headlines that will entice users to click through to your content.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to reinvent the wheel, this is the perfect place to share your blog content. Your images and titles can also be repurposed here.
Not sure how to do that? When you use platforms like Hootsuite for content posting, you'll be able to see how posts will build including headlines and images.
Promote and utilize reviews to generate authenticity
When someone uses Google to search for your business, a listing populates with information about your business – including Google reviews. It’s important that you not only monitor these reviews for accuracy and customer service, but that you also encourage reviews from users who you’ve defined as brand advocates for your products.
Because these reviews also show up with a simple Google search, you don’t want to turn customers off with negative or untrue reviews about your products or services. Promote these reviews within Google+ to further establish credibility and to share users’ experiences.
Our free workbook will help you get started with prospecting on Google+
If you’re looking to add Google+ to your editorial calendar content or if you are just looking to pick this channel back up and start engaging with new leads, download our social prospecting workbook . We’ll help you define appropriate brand keywords and search for the right people and Circles to start talking to.
