Google+ is the official social networking platform of Google, one of the world’s largest and most popular search engines. Google+ officially debuted in June 2011 and includes all of Google’s peripheral products (Gmail, Google Maps, search, Google Calendar, etc.) into one cohesive network. This is meant to be open and acts as a connecting platform by incorporating everything that searchers use at Google into a comprehensive social and content dashboard.
Google+ Pages provides businesses, products, brands and organizations with a public identity and presence.
Google+ Features
In order to use Google+ efficiently, it is required to understand a few of the Google+ terms:
Google+ Circles
Members use Google+ Circles to organize their social contacts. There might be one circle for family, one for work colleagues, and one for the favorite hobby. How the user chooses to interact with these circles is completely up to them, and they can share different content with different groups. It is also possible to choose which part of personal profile information is to be shown to which circle, showing differently to different groups.
Google+ Stream
The Google+ Stream is similar to the Facebook news feed, where all the contents are shared in one centralized dashboard by the people connected with on Google+. Information found in the Stream could include text, images, videos, links, and maps.
Google+ Hangout
Hangout is a group video chat feature which can be used to hold conversation among connected people, up to 10 Google+ members. For example, the hangout feature can be used to have a virtual meeting or a chat among friends or family.
Google+ Huddles
Huddles are group text chats that are held among Google+ members. For example, it is possible to have real-time, private text conversations with other Google+ members rather than using a separate instant messaging service, email, or telephone.
Google+ Sparks
Google+ Sparks is a feature that is used to get all the information about member interests. Sparks are keywords related to specific topics that the user would like to keep track of on Google+. For example, a spark can be used to keep tabs on conversations related to business of the members or keywords related to that business. Spark can also be used to share content about a specific keyword with Google+ connections or discuss content with the members of specific Google+ circles that members have created.
Google+ for Blog Promotion
Google+ works well to drive traffic to the blog by allowing members to connect with the target audience and share links about useful blog content. A specific type of content can be targeted to a specific group by placing them in circles, so that the members will only see updates from the blog that are likely to be interesting and meaningful for them.
Google+ can be used to reach the right mix of audience. But this will not help in building the brank rank. For this purpose it is required to build natural links on a variety of websites which are relevant to the subject.
Compiled by Mahesh Reddy, Senior Analyst with DART. He can be reached at mahesh@dartconsulting.co.in
