Google+ launches branded pages

After months of waiting, Google has finally unveiled brand pages for Google+ to allow businesses to join Google’s social network.

If your company isn’t on Google+ yet, now is the time to join.

Google has hinted that having a Google+ business page will have a dramatic impact on your search engine rankings because the search giant will favour those who use its social network.

Michael Cain, head of search marketing at dpi21, said: “Social media has a real impact on search engine rankings.

“With Google, the world’s most influential search engine, in direct competition with Facebook, it is vital that you consider implementing it into your online marketing strategy.”

Google+ could even affect how your business’s website gets found on Google’s search engine, with the possibility that nobody will have the same search results when they search for the same keywords.

In addition to affecting search engine rankings, the new platform for businesses, ‘Google+ Pages’, offers numerous other benefits - including direct search and targeting consumers.

Staying up-to-date with new opportunities for spreading brand awareness and connecting directly with your audience is critical to your online marketing strategy.

So when search engine giant Google makes a move in social media, it is essential to pay attention. Businesses must understand and identify how Google+’s new innovation, Google+ Pages, can be leveraged for your business.

While Google+ has a much smaller user base than Facebook, that doesn’t mean you can ignore it.

Google+ is driven by content – in a professional, informational and industry-specific manner.

This means brands can create more direct and personal relationships with their audiences.

With ‘Google+ Pages’, you can create public pages for a local business, place, product, brand, company, institution or organisation - in any category.

“For businesses and brands, Google+ Pages help you connect with the customers and fans who love you,” says Google.

“Not only can they recommend you with a +1, or add you to a circle to listen long-term. They can actually spend time with your team, face-to-face.”

By 2012, Google+ will greatly increase the functionality for businesses to help them get exposure on the social network.

To find out how dpi21 can help you with your social media strategy, call 01254 660 560
or email sam@dpi21.com.

How dpi21’s experts think Google+ Pages should be improved:

Vanity URLs: As it stands, Google+ Pages do not offer vanity URLs. Instead, they have incredibly ugly URLs.

Negative Circles: At present, Google allows users to choose which circles to broadcast in. It would be easier if users could choose which Circles they did not wish to broadcast to.

Analytics: Although Google does not offer analytics for Google, it is rumoured that Google is preparing to launch an analytics dashboard - allowing you to track people interacting with your page.