How to Set Up a Google+ Account for your Business

Social media is a critical component of any online marketing campaign. Data indicates that when a business is involved on social networks, they can increase customer engagement with the brand and boost searchability on the web.

LinkedIn is a popular network for the professional set, but Google+ is increasingly being embraced for its strong SEO benefits. When a potential customer searches for you brand in Google, ideally the company website is the first result on the page. But, after that, it’s a bit of a crapshoot. Setting up a company profile on Google+ can cause that account to rank highly on the search page and accurately represent your business.

Even better, the more engaged your audience is with your brand  on Google+, the more influence you have over the search results they see.  For example, lets say you run a clothing brand.  For the people that have added you to their circles on Google+, whenever those people search anything related to clothing, Google will move your site up in the search results.  That is the benefit of being active on a Google-owned social network!

Is that enough to convince you to get started?  If so, here are 3 easy steps to get rolling.

Step 1: Pick your Category

First, you need to go to the Google+ homepage and choose the category that best reflects the field your company falls under. There are four pre-designed categories, or you can select “Other”. It can be confusing for some businesses to figure out what category is the best fit. For example, is Coca-Cola a “Company, Institution, or Organization” or a “Product or Brand”? For smaller businesses it is usually easier to determine where you fall in the scheme of things, but if you’re unsure, that’s ok too. You can set yourself up as a “Local Business or Place” and make edits down the line if necessary.

Step 2: Agree to Terms

This step just requires you to include the official company name and a link to your website. If your content is inappropriate or in need of restriction, you can add those privacy measures here as well. Finally, agree to Google’s terms and conditions, check the box, and click Continue.

Step 3: Add Details to your Profile

At this point, you get to the meat of your profile. Fill out the “story” including your company’s motto or mission in the “Tagline”. You can grab key company information from your website to include in the “Introduction”. Make sure you include any keywords here that you want to associate with the business to enhance Google’s association between your brand and the keywords. Finally, make sure all the contact information is current and add any additional links. Once this section is complete, you can start expanding your circles and posting content on the homepage.

Don’t shy away from using Google+ as a resource simply because you already have Facebook or other social media accounts established. Whether you’re in a technical industry or you’re a more community-oriented organization like the World Transformation Movement, Google+ can be a boon for business.