Google has been driving local results since 2007. The world’s largest search engine influenced the shift to local internet marketing services. Because Google pioneered SEO, the company has always had the attitude that you either “play the game, or get left behind.” Over the last couple of years, Google has been promoting its local business listing service, Google Plus. In addition, the conglomerate has reserved first page ranking of search results for accurately optimized Google Plus pages.
Now Google has kicked it up a notch, by creating a separate space for Google+ pages for businesses, Google+ Business. Google’s goal is to help businesses become more socially active online. To achieve this Google+ Business will help organizations be found on Google a lot easier, interact “face-to-face” with their customers, and track and analyze their social media marketing strategies.
Being Found on Google Easier
When someone searches locally for products or services your business offers, Google has delegated a special section at the top right of the search results which will include your business information, (contact information, pictures, videos, and reviews) from your Google+ Business page. With a substantial amount of your business’ significant information available for display in the search results, this modification allows your business to be less than a click away.
Interact Socially Online With Customers
Your business can “humanize” itself through the channel called Hangouts that Google+ provides for you to interact with your customers. With Google Plus’ Hangouts, your company can connect via video chat to your customers online. Through Hangout, you can connect to with up to 10 people to video chat. Your company will even have the ability to record the video chats to replay them later. Other benefits of Hangouts, are product demonstrations, customer feedback, and focus groups. For example, you can use Hangouts to demo specific products to a group of online customers.
Analyzing & Understanding Your Social Media Marketing Strategies
The most difficult aspects of social media marketing are analyzing and tracking consumers. For businesses, it’s hard to attribute a purchase to an online social media interaction that may have happened six months prior. Google+ Business provides the tools to better track and analyze online social conversions through in-depth analysis of +1 recording and robust conversion reporting. Through Google+ Ripples, businesses will have a visual representation to better understand who is sharing or re-sharing information. Ripples is an online word-of-mouth tracking system.
Google has strategically positioned itself to be “the leader in local internet marketing services.” Once again, Google has recreated the way for businesses to be found online and how they can interact with their customers. A well maintained Google+ Business page, set up with full optimization will help businesses be more visible and increase the businesses’ exposure. It appears this will be a crucial tool for your business’ online growth and success in social media marketing and SEO.
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