If you were to look at only the raw numbers, Google+ is likely to be written off by many as a waste of their time. Google+ has 29 million unique monthly users on its website; Facebook boasts 128 million monthly users. Google+ has 41 million users on smartphones, while Facebook has 108 million on phones (according to the Nielsen Company).
But despite the lower numbers, Google+ remains vital to social media marketing for a number of reasons:
1. Google+ helps you and your posts get seen by more potential clients. And as Google obtains more data about you, it can match you more accurately to detailed searches. Sure, if someone looks for a “San Diego Personal Injury Attorney” or a “Nashville Real Estate Agent,” you want to be high in the search engine rankings. But if someone is searching for information on “nursing home abuse in California” or “music festivals in Nashville,” and you blog about those topics, you want to be ranked high in those searches, too. Using Google+ is one good way to accomplish that.
2. Your Google+ user profile will usually appear on a Google search for your name (unless you happen to share a name with a famous or historical figure). The profile includes a your photo, your business contact information, and a link to your Google+ content.
3. Let the Google Authorship feature complement your Google+ user profile. Once you’ve created your Google+ profile, you may choose to link it to what you publish on your blog. Google Authorship increases the perception of you as an industry leader or as an authority in your profession.
Different social networks attract different kinds of consumers. On Google+ there’s some overlap with Facebook and LinkedIn, but you’ll also connect with potential clients you probably wouldn’t encounter anywhere else.
