When it comes to social media impacting search engine rankings, no network has more potential influence than Google+. Besides affecting your placement in Google's local search results, your Google+ business page will often be the result page that searchers click on.
Optimizing your Google+ business page, therefore, is an activity that can really pay off.
Populating Your Google+ Page
One problem commonly seen on Google+ local business pages is that the page owner fails to fill out all of the available fields. Besides not giving Google any information to index, an incomplete profile gives the same impression as a run-down or abandoned storefront: users have to wonder whether the location is even in business, let alone worth visiting.
Besides filling out every field, you need to fill out each of them correctly.
- Photos: Google+ is not kind to businesses that do not upload any photos, displaying rather prominent (and not very attractive) blank spaces where photos should be. You will need at least one square image for your profile picture. In addition, you need five more to fully populate the photo gallery.
- Business name: Use the official name of the business or the individual location. You want it to match up exactly with the way it would be referred to anywhere else on the web.
- Address: Again, use the full, official address. If you have multiple locations, you will need to do this for each location. Your information should appear exactly as it does on other official listings, to help Google make the connection.
- Phone number: Use a local phone number. Any toll-free number can be listed as an alternate phone.
- Web address: If you have separate web pages for each location, you should use those individual URL addresses for each physical address.
- Categories: Google+ will only display two categories, but adding more can help with search. They need to be relevant categories, though, and they should be one of the official category options listed by Google.
- Hours: Hours are important to include, especially if you have extended or unusual hours of operation. If no hours are listed, some searchers will decide that the safe bet is to assume you are closed, rather than bothering to call or drive by to check.
- Description: This is where you can "sell" your services, as well as include keywords for SEO.
User Interactions
No matter what information you provide, it is the interactions of the public that will indicate to Google (and to other users) whether you are a popular, locally relevant business or just somebody who knows how to create a good Google+ page.
- Encourage customers to leave reviews. Or, at least, encourage your loyal, satisfied customers to leave reviews.
- Be an active Google+ user. Interact with people. Share content. Respond to comments. Activity encourages more activity.
- Promote events. The Google+ event function allows you or your customers to set up an event at your location and invite their circles to attend.
Besides improving search rankings, having an attractive, up-to-date and popular Google+ local business page will indicate to searchers that your physical location is likewise popular and worth visiting. And more customers will generally lead to more Google+ interactions, continuing the cycle.
* Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
