On Monday I shared why Google+ is my new boyfriend, haha! Or, more specifically, why Google+ is a more effective sharing platform than Facebook.
Today I want to share some tips on how to use Google+ effectively, especially if you’re a blogger. If you have a business, these tips should be helpful for you too.
I already told you that Google+ has SEO benefits unlike any of the other social platforms. So of course you want to know how you can make the most of Google+ for your blog or business! I’ll start with the basics and move into more detailed information. Hang tight!
10 Tips to Optimize Google+ for Your Blog or Business
1. Get a Google+ page if you don’t already have one.
Yes, this is obvious, but it’s the best place to start! You will also want to decide if you want to create a Google+ page for your blog, or if you want to use your Google+ profile for everything you do.
I do not have a separate page for my blog, as I do with Facebook. I use my Google+ profile for everything so I can maximize my reach. While Google+ has a social component like Facebook, it is all public so I don’t feel like I have to keep a personal profile for me and a public page for my businesses. I just keep it all together. If you run a business with a partner, then it might make sense to have a separate page for that, but for most bloggers, I think it makes sense to keep one Google+ profile.
2. Fill out your About page, and optimize for SEO with keywords and links.
This could be an entire post in and of itself. I attended a Google+ workshop once where we went through this process, and it took a while. But the most important thing is to fill out your profile completely and link to all your various profiles. Treat your Google+ profile like a resume. You can use links within your story, so use them wisely. Feel free to stuff it with keywords as long as they’re relevant and the copy is organic. Whatever you want to rank for on Google, use those terms and link to your blog. Take a look at my Google+ About Profile for an example.
Whatever you have for your most recent employer will show under Employment, and it is also what shows at the top of your Google+ profile, so I wrote mine the way I wanted it to show over my header photo.
Also make sure to fill out the Links section with your various social media profiles and whatever sites you contribute to. You should connect all your accounts, and you can choose which ones show publicly. I have no idea why my YouTube link shows above the “Other Profiles” — I guess because YouTube is in bed with Google??
3. Add people to your Circles.
Start adding to your network. Like any other platform, the more people who are connected with you on Google+, the more exposure your posts will get. And the more people you have giving your posts +1, the more SEO juice you get.
I have circles for Friends, Family, Bloggers, PR, Philly, Fashion and Gluten Free. You can make as many circles as you want. This allows you to tailor who you send your posts to, and you can also sort what you see by Circle if you want.
4. Optimize your author pic for more traffic.
First of all, use a photo of yourself, NOT a logo. And use a good one. Evidently, it matters.
Make sure you implement Google Authorship if you haven’t already. This is something you might want to put on your “to do” list for another day. It’s not hard to do, but it takes some time and concentration, but it is super important if you want to claim your work on the internet!!
5. Use keywords and hyperlinks in your google+ posts. Also, use hashtags.
The first sentence of your Google+ post becomes part of the title tag, so when posting links to your blog posts on Google+, make the most keywords in the first sentence. See how I did that with this G+ post for my 25 Best Pumpkin Recipes blog post? I also put asterisks around my keywords — best pumpkin recipes — to make those words appear in bold type.
Notice how I linked to the post AND THE PIN. This is a popular new Google+ trend, and I’m hopping on the band wagon. I like it as a publisher and as a reader. Pinning the post is a great way to bookmark something you want to find later, so this makes it easy for your audience to do that, while also encouraging sharing on another prominent social media platform so your posts get more exposure. Win, win!!
Also, I’ve seen a lot of people putting the hashtags below the copy, which makes it look neater, so I’ve started doing that rather than inserting them in the title as I used to do.
6. Use the +1 button liberally!
This is a fun one. When you’re on Google+ and scrolling down through other people’s posts, click that +1 button in the bottom lefthand corner beneath the photo whenever you see something you like — especially if it’s a topic within your niche. Rumor has it, when you +1 posts that are relevant to your niche, that increases your visibility in Google search results. It’s akin to the LIKE button on Facebook, but it has more weight. Also, when you have time, leave comments and tag the person you’re talking to.
7. Upload full size photos with your Google+ posts.
If you post a link to an article you’ve written, it will pull up a title and description and a little teeny thumbnail photo from the post — much like Facebook. To make your Google+ posts more visible and entice more clicks, it’s best practice to close the preview box and upload the best photo from your post instead. I’ve started doing this, and look at what a difference it makes!
This is okay:
But this is MUCH better:
8. Always share your posts with PUBLIC.
Don’t tag individual people or circles unless you want them to get an email. I do NOT recommend that. No one wants more email!!! So share your posts with PUBLIC. Also, this way you get more eyes on your posts, which means more sharing potential. YAY!
9. Comment and interact.
Remember, Google+ is a SOCIAL network. Be social! Share others’ posts, click the +1 buttons when relevant, leave comments, and spread goodwill.
10. Write killer content.
Content is still king. The best advice for growing traffic is ALWAYS to write killer content, first and foremost. THEN use what time you have left to optimize your social networks.
You might also like:
Pinterest for Bloggers
How to Organize Your Pinterest Boards
15 Essential WordPress Plugins for Lifestyle Bloggers
How to See Updates from Your Favorite Facebook Pages
How to Write a Killer About Page
How to Write Blog Comments That Get You Noticed
Resources:
Philly Social Media Moms Google+ Workshop with Lynette Young
Internet Marketing Ninjas: Can I Use My Company Logo as Google Plus Profile Picture?
The Moz Blog: How Optimizing My Ugly Google+ Pic Increased Free Traffic 35%
Media Shift: Google Authorship and Why It’s Important
Smart School House: How to Use Google+
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