Google+: The Social Platform We All Love to Hate

I currently work as a social media marketing manager for a busy online marketing company.

In my job, I work on a variety of different social media marketing platforms and explore new and emerging trends.

When I talk about things such as why businesses need to be on SnapChat in 2016,most people don’t think twice about listening to and agreeing with what I have to say.

However, there is one subject that has become almost taboo in the world of social media marketing: Google+.

Nobody wants to use Google+ and there’s certainly not many conversations going on about it these days.

Needless to say, I get a few strange looks from my co-workers and other social media marketers when I tell them about my secret love for Google+.

Am I crazy for loving it?

Maybe, maybe not.

In all actuality, Google+ has many benefits that marketers tend to ignore.

Here’s why I just can’t seem to quit the social platform we all love to hate.

Google+ is a Must-Have for Local SEO

It can be hard to market small mom and pop shops that have a single store located in downtown Philadelphia or a smaller suburb.

It may not have as big of a following as say, Walmart, or another massive chain store. This means it is easy to get lost in the sea of search engines.

However, Google+ is a game changer for these smaller businesses.

When smaller businesses use a well-optimized localized Google+ page, they can easily be found in the search engines.

What’s more, businesses can create multiple listings for multiple locations.

It’s a SEO Tool Not a Social Network

If you view Google+ as a social network on the same lines as Facebook, then yes, you would be correct in saying that it has “failed” or it’s “dead.”

But here’s the thing: Google+ never claimed to be the answer to Facebook; that’s all our own doing.

It isn’t meant to be a place for a ton of engagements or on-page conversations.

If it were, don’t you think they would have rolled out paid advertisements such as boosted posts, followers ads, or something similar by now?

I learned a long time ago not to view Google+ as a social network.

That’s precisely what it’s not.

Instead, it’s a great SEO tool.

Content posted on Google+ is indexed.

This means you can start to see the positive effects of your Google+ marketing almost instantly.

It’s a gold mine for SEO rankings.

It Practices Quality vs. Quantity

I like to read a lot of well-written content about my industry.

Sure, I can find this content on other networks such as Facebook or Twitter.

Twitter is the king for having a large quantity of articles related to the world of digital marketing.

However, I noticed that with a large quantity of articles available, the quality usually falters. 

Google+ users are different.

They may not post several times in one day.

Heck, they might not even post at all for a few days at a time.

But when they do, I find the content is much more valuable than what I’d find elsewhere.

It’s well researched, thought-out, and worth taking the time to read.

To keep reading and to find out more on why I secretly love Google+, click here.