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Google’s integration of Google+ into organic search marks a fundamental shift in the search landscape:
Google announced Search plus Your World through the company’s official blog on January 10, 2012, where they summarized the transformation of search results by introducing three main new features:
With the introduction of Search plus Your World, Google is making a strong push to increase personalization of search results based on social media connections – primarily those users connected through their Google+ circles. As a result of this update Google is hoping to make it easier to “discover people and brands related to your search." Essentially, this means that Google+ brand pages have come to the forefront of organic search and open up exciting new opportunities for search marketers to align social media and SEO.
As we noted on Currents, Rosetta’s blog, in an initial overview of Search plus Your World, “this update is giving brands that develop relationships with users in Google+ a potentially huge upper hand in the online market. The rumblings are that the Search plus Your World update is providing brands utilizing Google+ a direct route to the top of search engine results pages for their followers. Relevant posts are seen mixed within results at the top of personalized results pages, and in some cases even dominating the top of the page.”
There has undoubtedly been much ongoing discussion surrounding the influence of social media on organic search and, more specifically, how to properly leverage it for SEO benefit. With the introduction of the deep integration between Google+ and organic search, it is apparent that social media can now directly impact SEO efforts. Personalization is a cornerstone of Search plus Your World, though Google will be making some elements (such as business pages or other suggestions for related Google+ profiles) present even for users who are not logged in to a Google+ or other Google Accounts.
Although hard statistics surrounding the engagement levels on Google+ remain minimal, CEO Larry Page did announce through a Google+ post on January 19 “that there are over 90M Google+ users -- well over double what I announced just a quarter ago on our earnings call.” Google is unquestionably driving users directly to its social media site through increased exposure in organic search and even building in a Google+ profile as part of the sign-up process for a Google Account. There has been some publicized dissent from representatives of other social media companies and media speculation surrounding anti-trust implications, as obvious emphasis has been placed on Google+ ahead of sites like Twitter and Facebook. Despite some initial backlash, it appears Google is primed to move forward aggressively with Search plus Your World.
Because Google+ will be so closely integrated into organic search, and overall increased interest in the site will likely continue to grow, it is important to note the following: Google has not yet made available detailed analytics for business pages but has stated that data will be available in the near future. Due to the "personalized" nature of many of the features associated with Search plus Your World, it will be difficult to understand the full impact of Google+ on organic search based solely on rankings. Ranking data for non-personalized search results will continue to be available, and Rosetta will be working closely with leading industry analytics providers to improve reporting capabilities. While analytics is still forthcoming, that does not mean brands cannot begin building a Google+ presence and commence testing new and creative SEO-infused content and linking strategies.
Successfully utilizing Google+ to influence organic search is inherently reliant on the size of your follower network and their affinity for sharing your content. More specifically, the greater the number of followers who engage with your content through Google+ (or the +1 button), the greater the reach of your shared content in organic search. Subsequently, the size of your followers’ networks directly impacts just how far that reach truly is. This may seem somewhat intuitive from a strategic social media standpoint, but it is important to keep in mind that these fundamentals must now be considered with distinct regard for SEO.
Shares from followers, as noted, are important – but potentially in a different way than with Twitter or Facebook. Google+ shared content will appear directly in search results for the followers’ network, but more importantly – as with search in general – content will appear when a user is actively seeking specific information or products. The significance of this is that shared content is highlighted not just at one moment in time but is presented when it is most relevant to the user. Additionally, it is important to note that the integration of social media content into search engine results pages is currently only supported for Google+ and not Facebook and Twitter, as no agreement has been reached for those companies to provide Google the “firehose” of data necessary to integrate them in the same way.
It is important to consider that building a presence early in the adoption phase can set you apart from competitors, while establishing your page as a useful tool and building a following. It is still early on, and now is the perfect time to start testing things out. There are some good examples of businesses already building a healthy following – proving that Google+ can be a viable option for reaching your customer base.
Consider building out an individual Google+ content strategy. While some similarities may exist with Facebook and Twitter, specific consideration for SEO is an absolute necessity. Obeying typical strategic social media tent poles for sharing engaging content is still warranted, but don’t feel constrained without considering all potential opportunities pertaining to SEO.
The first step is creating a page – if you have not done so already. It is also recommended that you integrate the Google+ badge code on your site to better assimilate your Google+ page with your brand (viewed as a verification method as well). One of the key benefits for integrating your Google+ page into your SEO strategy is the appearance of recent Google+ posts below your home page on searches directly related to your brand, even in instances where users are not logged in. Adding the badge to "verify" your profile and actively posting updates will greatly enhance the likelihood that your Google+ page appears in search results – exposure that will be important to growing your follower base. Algorithms still ultimately drive Google, so providing the proper signals and being active will help increase visibility.
Optimizing your business profile “About” page is important as well. This provides an opportunity to link together your Google+ page with other social media profiles, your website and other recommended links. There is even an opportunity to include contextual links within the body of your profile introduction. (Be sure to think about other creative uses of the profile pages as part of the overall experience.)
At this point, building and testing content and linking strategies will be extremely important. Google+ business page integration into organic search results opens up a wide world of potential opportunities. For example, when Google returns Google+ posts below the home page for branded searches, that space could be used to advertise deals, release important news or new products, or simply provide other engaging content or links. Simple tests can then be used to measure shares and engagement of posts, clickthrough performance of links to content articles and how specific content contributes to gaining new followers. These strategic recommendations are based on initial observations, though Rosetta is actively embracing Search plus Your World as a core opportunity for SEO and will continue to develop strategies and best practices across all industries and clients.
Aggressively looking to grow your follower base is key to success. Aside from the placement of the Google+ button on your site, it may be worthwhile, for example, to publicize your Google+ page through your more mature social profiles.
As noted, one potential opportunity to grow your followers is by sharing weekly coupons or deals in Google+ posts (as in this Macy’s example – a brand that currently has more than 118k followers). But then consider that by posting content and links to a particular product, your followers are much more likely to see your shared content when they are not searching for you by name but are shopping for a product or service you offer.
Additionally, consider the potential opportunities to release important and timely news through Google+. When posts appear below a brand home page, there is a distinct opportunity to quickly spread information, the reach of which might be directly related to the number of impressions your brand receives – especially given the fact that these posts are likely to appear even for users who are not logged in to Google+ or who do not currently follow your brand.
As your Google+ brand page begins to build a following, it will become important to consider the full reach of your shared content. Unfortunately, due to the encrypted search announcement from Google in late 2011 and the anticipated growth of encrypted search (as more users interact with Google while signed in), reporting on reach remains challenging through current analytics platforms. Ideally, the forthcoming reporting capabilities from Google will do just that. That being said, it is important to consider the popularity and influence of your followers (again not easily quantifiable) which logically represents the actual reach and impact of shared content on organic search and SEO. Parallels can be drawn between traditional link development strategies, which focus first and foremost on quality mentions from influential and authoritative sources in order to be successful.
With the announcement of Search plus Your World, Google is attempting to blend the lines between search and social media. User adoption of Google+ will dictate how important it becomes, though it is obvious that Google is actively working to build up the user base and in turn increase engagement on the site. Much of the emphasis has been placed on personalization of search results, but many opportunities exist for brands to promote their Google+ pages to users who are not actively following the brand and, in some instances, for users not even logged in to a Google Account.
It is important for businesses and search marketers to start considering the impact organic search and SEO strategies. Having a Google+ page and integrating the Google+ buttons on your site increases the likelihood of Google+ pages appearing in search results. Building a dedicated following of users who engage with and share your content exponentially increases your reach. Now is the time to capitalize on an early-mover advantage against competitors – developing a presence, testing new ideas and remaining focused on developing unique strategies that closely incorporate SEO.
It is safe to assume that Google will continue to test new features and push for further integration of Google+ in search results and across other Google products. Google has already acknowledged forthcoming analytics data and API integration, and it is likely that Google+ may be incorporated into Places pages in the future.
Google+ and Search plus Your World continue to change and evolve. Rosetta recognizes the importance of embracing the changing search landscape and is committed to helping our clients unlock the potential of search and social media to drive business results. The information enclosed in this POV is an accurate reflection of the Google search landscape as of 1/25/12. Additional thought leadership commentary will be provided by Rosetta in the future as further testing has been employed and best practices are defined. In the meantime, speak with your account representative or strategist to discuss opportunities to leverage Google+ as part of your search or social media program.