What is Google + and How does it Help SEO

The thrilling world of social networks has brought with it various new benefits such as easy interaction with people from around the world, easy access to entertainment and information, and so much more. What's even more exciting is how positively certain social networks can affect Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for websites and how effortlessly it can be done.

Is Google + Worth It?

You are probably wondering how this works and how you can get into using social sites to boost the recognition of your website. Google launched their social network; Google+ which many people have found to be vital to SEO. Therefore, setting up your company's profile on Google+ makes it easier for the search engine to find you. Additionally, Google+ is a growing market for potential customers. With over 250 million active registered users it is a well-known fact that Google is the most popular search engine in the world and since Google is behind the innovation of Google+, the social site will be able to pick up back links posted on the Google+ profile of your company. 

What is the +1 Button?

However, the most relevant feature that affects SEO is the +1 button. It is not similar to Facebook's ‘Like' button given that it does not directly share content to a user's social stream. Instead the +1 button can be seen on the user's +1 tab on their Google+ profile, in Google search results and on websites with a +1 button, once the user +1's a piece of content. The +1 button allows users to +1 different types of content such as websites, advertisements and Google search results. But at the end of the day, the +1 button is still a mechanism that allows users to discover and share content from the people they already know and trust. 

What Happened When Something is +1ed?

When a Google+ user +1's a piece of content, he gives it his ‘approval.' This +1 makes that web page rank higher in both the normal Google search results and the "Search Plus your Word", which is the rankings a user sees when they do a search while logged into their Google + account. This has a large effect. Perhaps one of his connections from Google+ searches for the same or correlated topic. As a result of ‘Search Plus your World', his friend is more likely to click on the same link the original user +1'd. This is because according to Google, content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more significant than content from strangers. This is why so manysocial media companies are setting clients up with Google +. 

Is Google + the End All Answer to SEO?

The answer to this is no. Just because the +1 button can provide all these benefits does not mean that you should abandon SEO methods all together. Traditional SEO practices are still just as crucial. Onsite optimization and linking building are still critical. 

It is important to point out that the +1 button feature is still in its early stages; thus needs more data to be gathered to draw a statistical association to search. However, currently the button is helping rankings for people both logged in and our out of Google. So get your +s going right away!

Need help with a Google + page and strategy? Contact us today!