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Google plus and its influence on search, in a nutshell.
Google's search engine is a vital source of traffic for online businesses. And Google+
presents an opportunity to positively influence search results.
When you post an update on Google+ it is indexed almost immediately. Google is effectively
giving you its ear; Google+ your opportunity to tell it about you and your business -- to
help it understand when to return you in searches. So, structure your profile and the content
you share around specific words, hashtags and topics you want to be known for.
For local businesses, provide all of the information Google wants to know via a Google+ Local page.
As an individual, use authorship markup to help Google link your Google+ profile to your
content across the web. You've probably seen when a blog is returned
in search results alongside someone's profile picture, well that's authorship markup.
Markup represents Google's move away from a 'faceless web' towards search as a more
personal and social experience. Google+ is at the centre of all this. Here's how.
Say you're a business with a shop and a website selling mountain biking gear. You're being
socially active on Google+, sharing content, building an audience, networking.
During your activity, a hugely influential mountain biker called Ben -- who happens to
have thousands of Google+ followers -- decides to follow you. Because he enjoys what you
have to say he uses the +1 button to like some of your content.
Later on, when Ben comes to use Google to search for mountain bike products, he's likely
to have your content returned higher up in his personalised results.
But it goes deeper than that -- all of his Google+ followers are also more likely to
see you higher up in their search results too.
All because Ben formed that social connection with your business, and by +1ing some of your
content. Now that's a huge influence on search. And
well worth taking notice of, particularly if you want your business to get found online.