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The post Equipping Your Business With Google+ appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . I may be the first blogger to admit it, but I didn’t use Google+ very frequently as my preferred Social Media outlet. Having Facebook, Twitter, and several other mediums for connection felt like enough, right? But when you consider Google+ has only been around for three years, 1 Billion enabled accounts is quite the accomplishment. Like any new and similar service, people are slow to adopt something they already have. What everyone has been missing, including myself, is the unique and powerful features Google+ possesses that many other networks cannot compare with. Even if you’re not on Google+ socially, your business will greatly benefit from all the integral features Google+ provides. Here’s a few reasons to ignite your interest:   Virtually Everyone Uses Google’s Products Whether it’s Gmail, Maps, Play, Drive, YouTube or just an old fashioned web search, we’re all on Google to one degree or another. Having one account makes it possible to utilize all these amazing services, and before you know it Google+ may just become as popular as Facebook. As of 2014 Google+ boasted 359 million active users, a number that has increased at a rate of 33% annually. What’s more, is that everything you post integrates with every other Google platform under one identity. For example, if you post a video to YouTube (The 2 nd Largest search engine in the world) users will be able to click on your profile taking them directly to your G+ account. Here, many marketing wizards have begun creating engaging/brand oriented videos that make it incredibly easy to steer potential customers back to a page equipped with all of your contact info and a link to your website. Having someone add your business page to their circles will begin to optimize your Google+ page, thus increasing your visibility performed for local searches.   Be Seen In The Local Carousel Results You’ve probably seen something like the image above, a ‘carousel’ that appears in Google after you search for a business, keyword, or product in a specified location. These results get displayed after getting triggered by a collective list of keywords that signify inquiry towards finding a tangible location based on distance from the user and what they’re looking for. The carousel has greatly improved visitor counts for many websites due to the ease in which customers are now finding the services they’re looking for. Ranking factors in the carousel come down to +1s on the Google+ Business Page, a good quantity of quality reviews, even the number of photos you provide to assist searcher’s are considered an important factor.   Google Authorship Many up and coming writers are delighted to engage with a feature that not only provides proper authorship, but will also allow you to link your written content on any domain to your Google+ profile. -Why is this awesome? Essentially it’s allowing Google to interpret what you’ve posted online, who you are as an author/business owner, and to create strong links between all of your activity and your Google+ page. When done correctly, your results will be seen above others. For more information, and to sign up, click here .   Deeper Brand Engagement With Google+ Hangouts and Communities One of the best techniques for securing loyal customers involves getting to know them on a personal level. In Hangouts your business can get in touch with anyone in the world by hosting a meeting using video chat. Most commonly, pioneers of the customer/business relationship have hosted live video conferences to allow customers to contribute feedback and work towards providing a better service in the future. Using Google+ communities is also a great way to stimulate conversations over shared interests associated with your brand or service. Personally, I actively engage with my followers who are interested in learning photography techniques, and simultaneously receive feedback on more of what they’d like to see. Giving your time to a customer extends a bond that will help when they choose to recommend a service to a friend.   We Are Talking About Google Here, After All Google isn’t just a search engine anymore, it’s practically a way of life. We’re communicating, sharing and building businesses through it’s services, most of which are offered to us free of charge. But because they’re still a business, it’s easy to see why they provide incentives for partaking in a their social medium instead of others. These incentives only serve to help your business, and you’d be extremely wise to start taking advantage of them.   Image Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EDln3g_Fzyg/T5XrXBhRE-I/AAAAAAAAFnI/w10FfYL7Qnc/s1600/Google-+-your-Business.png web hosting Continue reading →