Let’s be honest: in terms of being the “next big thing” in the social networking space, Google+never lived up to expectations.

At the time of its launch in June 2011, there was a lot of hype about the service competing directly with all the biggest names in the space.

Even though some people feel that Google+ is dead, nothing could be further from the truth. For example, this Mashable article from 2017 explains that the service is still popular among specific groups of people. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

“One major group is photographers, who latched onto the network early in its history as a place to share photos and swap tips. The Landscape Photography Community, more than a million members strong, remains one of the most engaged communities on Google+, according to the company. And, over on Street Photographers, 369,163 members share boatloads of photos a day.”

With more than 100 million active users, Google+ is anything but dead. In fact, it’s alive and well – and that’s why so many small business owners are still paying attention.

How to Use It

With all this in mind, you may be wondering how Google+ can help your business. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Local Search Results

Do you want to show up in the local search results when people search for keywords related to your business? Of course you do!

Google+ pages are now part of Google My Business, which is the platform for connecting your company with your audience via search results.

If you ignore Google+ and Google My Business, you’re potentially turning away a large amount of traffic.

2. SEO

While Google My Business and Google AdWords can drive a lot of traffic to your website, there’s nothing more exciting than seeing your company at the top of the search engines for your target keywords.

Google+ isn’t a big part of the SEO equation, but it definitely helps. Consider this passage from the SEMrush blog:

“And while many discredit the “influence” of Google+, the simple fact is that studies of SERP ranking factors continue to highlight the influence Google My Business signals (and therefore Google+) have on your company’s organic rankings.”

Enough said.

3. Engagement With Your Audience

In today’s day and age, engaging with your audience is more important than ever before. With the help of Google+, you have access to another platform for engaging with customers, prospects, and partners among many others.

What are your thoughts on Google+? Have you overlooked its power in the past? Are you changing your ways in the future?

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!