23Oct

Why Use Google+?

social media, Google+Now Facebook and Twitter are two of the largest social sites, and if you aren’t on both, you’re at least on one. But what about Google+? It recently has suprassed Twitter and is now considered the second largest social network. But what benefits does having a presence on Google+ reap for your dealership?

Google+ was introduced to the social world in November 2011, and has since grown to over 500 million registered users. Due to it’s connection with various Google products and technologies, such as Google Search and YouTube, it allows businesses to interact and reach a growing audience, making it an important business tool for your dealership.

social media, search, Google+By having a Google+ page, you become more relevant with Google Search, allowing your dealership to claim more real estate on a results page. Since Google+ is a Google product, the search result that appears for your dealership’s page is optimized to reflect your page’s profile information. The great thing about this is that you have control over the content that appears there!  Another way to perform better in organic search results is to add the +1 button to your website, which allows people to easily share your website with friends, which grows your reach while helping you rank higher.

Now that you know a little more about Google+ and why you should be using it, here are some tips to maximize your efforts on the platform:

  • Use Google+ Circles. Circles let you categorize people you follow based on a related topic, behavior, industry, skill, etc. You can group industry professionals, partners, consumers, and employees all into separate circles, and then target specific messages to your different audiences. All you have to do to share with these circles is choose them via the plus (+) feature when updating your status. Google+
  • Use Google+ Communities. Google Communities, not to be confused with Google+ Circles, are a great way to share engaging content with others with similar interests.  Communities are a collection of like-minded individuals who want to engage and collaborate over a specific topic, such as Google Plus for Small Business or Heavy Equipment and Construction. You can add to a Community under the navigation section, then search by interest and ask to join, or create your own!  You can also share with these communities, once you’re part of one, by adding them from your Google+ Page, just like with Circles, via the plus (+) feature when updating your status.Google+
  • Use hashtags. Much like on Twitter, hashtags are a great way to stay connected and involved with conversations happening on Google+ around that content. You can also start your own hashtags and monitor the conversation around it.Google+
  • Use visuals. We can’t stress this enough throughout this series. Visuals are a great way to connect with your audience as so much more can be expressed than through text, and they draw more engagement from your followers than simple text updates. Also, take note of how JCB used hashtags in their post! Google+
  • Encourage Reviews. Google is looking for reviews in order to improve the user’s search experience to help them find the best products and/or services.  Your dealership should encourage reviews on your Google+ business page in order to help you rank higher on Google.  Reviews are a great way to build authority and trust with those searching for you. So how do you encourage customers leaving them? Just ask! By asking you are able to learn more about your business’ strengths and weaknesses, as well as engaging with your customer base.Google+Google+

Don’t have a Google+ account yet? No problem, get started here! And feel free to leave any questions, comments or concerns in the comments below!

 

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COMMENT (2)
Why Use YouTube? | Commercial Web Services Blog / March 31, 2015

[…] that is optimized for being found makes sense.  Finally, YouTube is owned by Google. Much like Google+, Google favors YouTube profiles when it comes to content and authority, boosting your SEO benefits […]

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Social Media 101: Google+ | Powersports Business / July 28, 2015

[…] presence on its own. It just became the second largest social network, which means it has over 500 million registered users. You cannot turn a blind eye to a social network with this much influence and […]

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