The Close Connection between Google+ and SEO
You heard that it could be done, but how exactly does one go about doing it? I’m talking about Google+ and search engine optimization (SEO); many people are talking about it but no one is really explaining the mechanics about how to go about doing it. That is going to end now. Here we’ll cover some concepts to get you started on optimizing your Google plus profile for SEO results.
If you think about it, Google+ and SEO go hand-in-hand. Google is the giant of all search engines. SEO involves the process and technique which allows search engines to properly index and rank search results. If you employ proper SEO techniques, your website or Google+ profile will be highly ranked in Google’s search engine results.
How Google+ Relates to Google Search
Since Google+ is, after all, a Google product, it obviously has a very strong correlation and effect on Google search results. Google+ is also configured in such a way that it translates very well into Google’s pre-established search matrix. Google plus is basically the social face of all of Google services including their search. Google’s underlying search matrix ties users’ preferences to their search results; personalizing is key. The tie-in to your Google+ profile is clear; more data is gathered from your profile which will better translate to greater personalized Google search results.
Google harnesses more powerful data when users in the Google+ network +1 or sharing information. The Google+ network is an invaluable tool for Google search. With real people sharing real information across social networks, Google search can use this information to greatly enrich its search results. This has a financial benefit for Google as its ads can now be more custom tailored to its search users. Your posts and G+ activity can be indexed, as well.
Google+ SEO Techniques
Even though we don’t know that much about Google search algorithm and probably never will, we do know how page rank works. Google plus profiles rank higher when they have links from authoritative websites. Google+ profiles also gain rank when they link to other Google+ profiles. Below is a list of techniques to help you increase your page rank
Backlinks are Key
As with regular websites, having a fair amount of backlinks to your Google+ profile from authoritative website will increase the page rank of your Google+ page. Work on finding quality links to your profile page as well as building connections inside the Google+ network.
Diversify Your Connections
Increase in page rank can comes from your connections within the Google+ network and from the web as well. You would want to have a good mixture of the two in order to increase your overall page rank. For example, you may want to find a list of social media sites that allow you to have a dofollow link your profile. In addition when you write or post on other websites, include your Google+ profile link.
Join a G+ Community based on niche or personal interests, and identify the key members of the community. Establish a relationship with them, and circle them. Exactly who has you in their circles matters more than you may think.
Use Google Authorship
Google Authorship (https://plus.google.com/authorship) associates original content that it finds anywhere on the web with its original author. This can be done through linking in your Google+ profile page. You link from the content sites to you Google+ profile; from your profile – in the “contributes to” section – you link to the content site. Doing this will help increase your author rank and thus translates into increasing the page rank of your Google+ profile. This only increases Google+ value for SEO purposes.
In addition, you’ll find your G+ picture listed along with the meta description. The tags are reported to increase click-through rates from SERP by authors who are currently using them. Not only does it lend credibility to the piece, and establishes the writer as a thought leader, it contains a link to the writer’s Google + profile, directly in the search engine results page. Here’s an example:
How can you make the most of the rel = author attribute?
If you contribute or have contributed to many pieces in the past (guest posting, for example) you can add each of those sites to your Google+ profile. Now you have effectively used multiple authorship tags to backlink to your G+ page. Your Profile PageRank will grow over time. In addition, your willingness to “claim” your content weeds out a ton of spam. In the end isn’t that the point? Implement these strategies, and you’ll see your content move further up the G+ home page feed without the need for substantial +1’s or shares.
Here’s an Example on the G+ Home Page Feed
For sake of everyone’s privacy we won’t use names here. On the G+ home page on the “What’s Hot” feed, we see a typical situation. Someone with hundreds of +1’s and many shares managed to find their way to the front page. However, Mr. Michael has landed the spotlight with a one-liner and a link to a blog post. The content has a usual rate of engagement: some plus one’s, a few shares, and a comment or two.
How has he managed to claw his way to the top? We clicked through his profile, and found a ton of content. As in, multiple posts a day, going back for longer than I cared to look. However, what was most interesting was that none of his individual posts in the past year or so had more than 30 +1’s. This shows that +1’s are not too important in building page rank . In case you were wondering, his profile is a PR4 page. Where is most of his link juice coming from? A pretty solid Page Rank 4 blog….with an authorship tag at the end of every single one of his posts.
If you follow these techniques you will find out how valuable it really is since you now know a bit about how G+ and SEO are interconnected.
about the author: Prateek Maitra