Effectively Using Google+ Social Media to Drive Traffic
A month back, I finally started paying attention to my Google+ profile, which was of course created automatically. So it was a basic profile, with a very stupid old profile pic that was my Gmail chat picture. That was only displayed as a tiny thumbnail view in chat! So of course, I had to change it the first thing!
Anyway, getting to the main point, I started getting traffic to my website from Google+.
- Here’s what I did.
- 1. Built up a great profile!
- 2. Added my blogs in my profile
- 3. Added everyone I knew.
- 4. Shared my blog posts on Google+
- 5. Embedded a +1 button on my website
- 6. Embedded a +1 button for EVERY post on my website
- 7. Embedded an ‘Add to Circles’ button on my blog
- 8. Embedded a g+ button (link to my profile) on my Author Page
- 9. Added my influencers in my Circles – when they liked any of my post, it spread to their own circles (find out what amazing Ripples do!)
- 10. For all this, spent only 10 (but dedicated) minutes every day!
Since my personal blog is a very small platform, I limited my SEO techniques to these 10 points.
Although, our SearchEnabler team has some extra tips for bigger portals! And I’ll come to that point in a moment, but first you need to understand Google+ as a social media site.
Google+ is a very professional platform, unlike Facebook. Of course, you can go ahead and have your own personal cyber world with your G+ (it is +You for a reason!). But if you start sharing your professional posts on Facebook, where all your childhood friends are, you wouldn’t want to exactly put that brilliant piece of art up to display for them now would you? Besides, Facebook doesn’t have a Ripple effect like G+.
What about LinkedIn, you ask me? Yes, good point. It’s a professional platform too. And a very good one at that, and so we will cover that topic as well for you. Twitter: we’ve already covered. What’s next? Ah, yes how can we forget Pinterest. We’ll definitely get to that as well, eventually.
For now, let’s get ahead with the brilliance of +You.
As Asif mentioned in his article on Plus Social Network which he wrote when g+ had just arrived, that the “killer” feature about g+ is the Hangout. And he was right about this feature becoming legendary in the near future. (And I guess g+ took your opinion to heart, Asif, and added Games!)
Hangout –> Nine fine friends +You!
Yes, so 9 of your best people (wherever they are) and you, all together virtually hanging out, beer in hand, doing whatever you all love to do! How’s that for a start?
You can also go “Live” with your Hangouts. So suppose you want to discuss about the new product you just launched, 10 best people on your marketing board can go ahead and nail it!
You can feature it!
Get creative!
Events
Organize events and invite people with g+ events’ elegant invitations and put up your photos for the world to see! Market your brand with celebration!
Pages
Just like a Facebook Page, g+ allows you to make pages as well! If you don’t have a company page already, don’t wait any longer!
Are you a restaurant owner? Café, bar, hotel, a museum? Any place of visit? Please, do yourself a favour and make your company page ASAP! Chances are you’re already listed in the Local – Recommended places near you.
Some Interesting “Plus” Facts About Google+ from G+ Business:
1 Million +
Business and brand pages created in the first 6 months!400 Million +
Users and growing fast!5-10%
Clickthrough rate uplift for socially-enhanced Search ads!
What’s your business? Let us know how G+ helped your business get more social!
