10 July 2014 Update: When I wrote this 2.5 years ago (wow!) Google Plus One was brand new, now it’s a part of the online landscape but has not been embraced as vigorously as the big G expected.
Google Plus is relatively new. However, whenever the Big G brings out something new, you can be assured that the internet marketing community will pounce on it very quickly. This is certainly true with Google’s new love
This is the second part of 2 articles I’ve written about how local businesses can take advantage of Google’s products to ensure higher ratings for their main keywords. The first strategy can be found at this link Google Places Reviews.
Strategy 2 – Google Plus
I have recently advised all clients to incorporate a Google + button on every page of their websites*. For WordPress and Joomla sites it is relatively easy to set up, as you only need to install a plug in. For other sites you may need to talk to your webmaster if you haven’t already talked to me. Your webmaster will be able to do this for you. Hopefully they won’t charge you an arm and a leg to do it. It’s really just a small piece of code and takes about 5 minutes if you know what you are doing (so don’t let them tell you it’s more difficult than that and what to charge you an excessive fee)
* Note: The Google button is page specific, rather than site specific. What I mean by that is that clicking on one Google + One button on a site will not Plus One all the other pages. It will only affect the page you are currently on.
Here’s what the Google +1 button looks like;
Google +
Because you need to have a Google profile in order to click on +1 buttons and recommend a site, you’ll need to inform your clients and customers about how to set up their Google profile so they can go onto your website and publicly recommend it.
It’s just like clicking on a Facebook “like” button that you see on sites that you visit. It’s the same concept.
To set up your Google profile;
- Go to www.google.com
- In the top left hand corner you should see “+You” – click on that
- Sign into your Google account
- Fill in your details then click “Join”
- Now you can follow Google’s step by step, set up process. You can upload a profile picture, add friends etc. Once you have completed the process you will have a Google profile (Once again it’s a bit like having a Facebook account)
How to Google Plus a web page;
- When you are on a website, if you like it and want to acknowledge this, find the +1 button and simply click it.
- Check out other pages on the website and, wherever you see the +1 button, click on it. You’ll be doing the website owner a big favour.
Good luck with this. These methods are proven to improve website rankings. If you have any questions about Google’s latest feature feel free to contact Andrew on 0414 320 016. In case you you want to have a look at the first strategy have a look at Google Places Reviews