Google+ and Organic SEO

In the world of organic and paid search engine optimization, Google is always at the forefront. As we’ve mentioned before in our content and blogs, Google+ should be a priority for any local business. This is because Google+ can play a role in your business’ organic search engine rankings.

Isn’t Google+ Just a Social Network?

No. Google is very smart about integrating all of its products and services. What this means is that Google+ is linked to Google Maps (called Google+ Local) and to YouTube and to Google Search…and the list goes on. All you have to do is look at the top bar in your Google+ or Gmail or Google Calendar…etc.
This can be used to your advantage though. Because Google+ is so closely linked to all other Google services, Google+ Posts and Business Pages appear in Google search engine results pages (SERPs). There are a few things you can do with your Google+ Business Page to increase your business’ real estate on Google.

Google+ Local: Merge It

If your business has a Google+ Business Page, you have likely already merged it with your business’ Google+ Local listing. If not, Google has instructions on how to merge your Google+ Business Page with Google+ Local Listings. Optimize your Google+ Business Page and verify the Name, Address, and Phone Number of your business are all correct in your Google Listing with an NAP Audit. Also, ask happy clients to leave you a review on your Google+ Local Page. Having a fully optimized Google+ Local Page that includes reviews and social postings will give online consumers more information from the SERPs.

Google Authorship

See the byline at the top of this blog? That’s Google Authorship. It let’s Google know who wrote this blog and more information about the author. By adding a quick snippet of code to your blog that links back to your personal Google+ profile, you are improving your SEO. This is how a blog with Google Authorship appears in a SERP. Google Authorship automatically adds the Google+ photo to your blog listing in the SERP – which helps it to stand out from the other results and adds authority on the subject.

Adding Google Authorship only takes a few steps. Click this link to follow 4 Easy Steps for Authorship Setup.

Optimize Google+ Posts

There are two things you can do to optimize the posts you share on your Google+ Business Page. First, use relevant keywords in your posts. In this post “Local Search” is used as a keyword in the actual post introduction and the metadata for the blog (which you don’t see on Google+). Second, you should include keywords as hashtags. The hashtag “#localsearch” was added to the post. Google then adds the hashtag as a searchable term in Google+ (and Google’s search engine).

Keywords and hashtags must be relevant to the post and information. Never hashtag something that is popular but completely unrelated since this will likely damage your SEO. By following these few steps to optimize your Google+ Page, you can get more real estate in organic search results. For example, my post comes up in a search for “video testimonials.” Get more information on optimizing your business online. Call 1-800-IMATRIX today to schedule a one-on-one live optimization with our knowledgeable Internet Consultants.

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