3 Secrets to Help You Create an Optimized Google+ Business Page
By jabel@mannixmarketing.com
Google+ is one of the top social networking sites on the web today (in fact, Google+ received a higher likeability score than Facebook!). Since Google+ can benefit your website’s SEO, businesses from every industry should have a complete and active profile. Keep reading to learn how you can design a complete and more effective Google+ page for your company!
1. Add a Custom, Unique, and Engaging Cover Photo
Your Google+ Cover Photo is typically the first thing people see when they land on your Google+ page. First impressions mean everything, and your Google+ company page is no exception.
Check out these awesome Google+ Cover Photos below, and notice how each one highlights the brand, while speaking to the product/service end-user.
Ebay:
2. Complete the About, Photos, and Videos Tabs
On every social networking site there is a place for businesses to provide an overview about themselves. For Google+ pages, the overview section is your About tab.
There are 5 key components to the About tab:
- Tagline- What makes your company unique? This is also great for brand slogans and catch phrases!
- Introduction- In a few brief sentences, what does your company do? What would make me buy your product/service over a competitor?
- Contact Info- Even if you don’t want to include a phone number, always provide a company email address.
- Website- Does this even need an explanation?
- Links- Do you have a blog, Facebook account, Twitter profile, Pinterest account, or YouTube channel? By adding links to those social media profiles it is easier for people to connect with your brand through multiple channels!
Make sure that you’ve filled out each and every part of the About tab. Since you can include hyperlinks within the Introduction area, make sure your calls-to-action are directing people to strategic pages on your website.
Here’s a great example of an optimized Google+ About tab by Hawaiian Surf Adventure:
The Photos tab is ideal for sharing your company’s photo albums. Add a few albums with brand-oriented categories and catchy titles, such as the ones from Cadbury UK:
Because YouTube is owned by Google, you can bet the Video Tab is a key element in Google+. Videos are powerful for connecting on an emotional level with your target audience. The Cerebral Palsy Family Network does a great job using videos on their Google+ page, with family testimonials and their efforts to contribute to CP research.
3. Post Engaging, Discussion-Worthy Content (and Don’t Stop!)
We’ve all heard the phrase “content is king,” but in reality, content that leads to meaningful discussions is the real king. We can +1, Like, and Tweet a thousand posts each day, but that doesn’t mean the content captured our full attention.
Content that earns user-comments makes people think AND forces them to speak their mind. With comments and feedback from your Followers, it’s easier to learn what customers are interested in, and how your content makes people feel.
So what type of content encourages Follower discussions?
Here are just a few awesome examples:
Virgin poses timely questions to their Google+ Followers. On the opening day of the 2012 Summer Olympics, they posted the following question:
And check out the responses that post generated: 43 comments, 46 +1′s and 5 shares!
Another great tactic is to use ‘fill in the blank’ questions. Something as simple as “My favorite day of the week is (fill in the blank)” is an easy way to get the conversation rolling!
As always, make sure your content follows the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content is about your industry, while 20% is about your products/services. The Home Depot shows us what a good post looks like as they offer advice to their Followers that adds value, without appearing self-promotional.
Get Your Google+ Business Page Optimized Today!
Do you have a Google+ business page? Is it fully optimized, with all the bells and whistles? Are you posting content from your blog and engaging with Followers? Contact Mannix Marketing today and we’ll help you discover how you brand can benefit from Google+!
