Google is moving fast to adapt its Google+ social network into something that is able to be utilized commercially as are Facebook pages. Last week the Google+ team presented the ability for businesses to now make a page on Google+.
Most early adaptors have already created their business page. Looking at examples like Zappos, it seems the basic layout, images and information available are the same as their Facebook business pages but there are a few different features.
Main differences:
- On Facebook, page owners can create an html landing page that is customized and designed they want it. Google+ has yet to allow or develop this feature.
- On Facebook there are many apps that allow youtube feeds, twitter feeds etc, yet not such thing exists on Google+
- On Facebook, pages can have a branded url for easy access yet Google+ pages do not have a branded url such as: www.facebook.com/your business
So then what have Google+ done?
- On Google+ you need to add followers to your circles to activate them seeing your status updates in their news feed.
- Google+ have also developed the ‘badge’ that page owners can put on their website and it allows visitors to the website to follow the companies Google+ page without leaving the website.
- Of course Google+ will most certainly be linked with Google organic search engine results and effect your website’s results on the search engine. Google are keeping very tight lipped about this.
Do not discount the current state of Google+ pages. Even though Google+ pages only have some of the same features as Facebook and yet they do not have many other great features of Facebook pages, Google has a lot of room to grow. For example Google+ can integrate its pages with other great Google products such as: maps for businesses, google check out, blogger, Google Apps, Google calendar etc. This will give Google the competitive edge over its social rival Facebook and leave the ball firmly in the court of the development team of Facebook to innovate new features and create greater value for businesses and individual users to stay on its social network.
How to create a page:
To create a page you must have a Google+ profile and simply click on the ‘create a Google+ page’ on the right hand side icon and start filling out all the details needed. Once all of this is done I strongly suggest using the google code for a badge and placing it on your website.
What SEO benefit is there to having a Google+ business page and badge?
Firstly, Google+ is slowly taking off and there are estimates out there that it is already 20% the size of Facebook. That means that there is still a significant audience on Google+ worth your social media time and attention even though it is not as big as Facebook. If you build a Google+ business page for branding or communicating or networking with your clints/prospective clients, there is no doubt it is best to jump in now.
All this being said, Google is not leaking SEO information about the way the pages will be displayed organically in its search engine results. Nor is Google giving any indication if it will stop showing organic results from Facebook pages.
First there was MySpace, then there was Facebook and I predict soon the giant blimp of Google will overshadow its nearest rival and Google+ will become the most used social network worldwide. My only question is when.
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