What are Google Plus and Google Plus 1s?

Google continues to rewrite the way people use the internet. Many confuse Google Plus and Google Plus 1 because they don’t understand the difference. Google Plus is a social network similar to Facebook. Google Plus 1s are web link votes similar to StumbleUpon. They can be used in conjunction with one another in that Plus1 votes can be shared or posted on the Google Plus profile pages.

Google Plus is a relatively new social networking service. Owned by Google, this multilingual service is currently used by over 100 million users. While this is considerably less than Facebook’s 1 billion (yes, that’s billion with a B) users. It is a viable option for those who are looking for new social networking options.

There are many features of Google Plus that are similar to Facebook. You can network with friends and share links or photos similar to Facebook. However, Google Plus doesn’t want to copy what Facebook has done. They are constantly modifying and incorporating new concepts to make it unique. One way Google Plus is unusual is how users can easily share recommendations with those they connect with most often whether they are friends, friends of friends or business contacts.

Contacts are added into “Google Circles.” Users choose the categories for each person. This could be friends, family, college friends or business network. One benefit of these circles is that each circle can be connected with differently so business contacts don’t hear about your child’s first tooth.

Another tool unique to Google Plus is Sparks, which is similar to Google reader. This tool allows users to get interesting content from the web by bringing it to the user rather than the user having to searching for it. Topics of interest will create a “spark” page that connects various links to content related to the topic. Video chat and sharing and uploading pictures are similar to Facebook but are a part of Sparks.

At this point, it has not been determined if linking to a Google Plus profile will help website rankings. You don’t have to have a Google Plus account to share content, which is already on the web. The publicly visible link can be seen by others whereas Facebook profiles remain private.

Google Plus 1 (or +1) is similar to Facebook’s “Like” system. You can Plus 1 a URL by a Plus 1 button on the web page but that is a newer option. This button gives users the ability to “vote” for the content on the page that they like which are a similar social signal to those given with Facebook’s “Like” button.

The number of +1s a link gets can greatly increase the opportunity for the link receiving a higher click-through-rate. This increases the chance the link will be shared with others. As more links are voted on, the chance that Google adjusts the page rank will increase as well. No one knows for sure how Google Plus 1 will affect search engine optimization because Google hasn’t made its impact clear. Rather than depending totally upon Google Plus 1 to increase your page ranking, stick with tried and true SEO methods like link building and effective use of keywords.

Develop an effective online marketing strategy that includes traditional SEO methods but be sure that Google Plus 1 and Google Plus profile are included. Take the time to share your business website content on Google Plus profile as well as asking visitors to click the Plus 1 button.

If you’re still unsure of how to benefit from using Google Plus and Google Plus 1, give us a call. We understand both and can help you incorporate them into your internet marketing plan. Bay Area Online Marketing, your go-to source, serves businesses in Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Fremont, Danville and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area cities. We’re available to speak with you at 925-736-5808.