Shall I bother with Google+ in my tourism business?

Do I need to bother with Google+?

It’s long been thought that Google+ is dead and buried, or somewhat the walking dead. This is because no-one has ever really understood Google+ or its benefits. And that might go a long way to explaining its decline or rather it’s failure to ever rise in popularity. But, now with Google My Business, this social media ‘layer’ will add value to your business.

Google+ is not Google search

First, it’s important to understand that Google+ is not Google search. Google+, pronounced “Google Plus” is, as many would describe it, a social media network like Facebook. Except everything you know is by a different name – Circles are your groups of friends (or family or acquaintances), Collections are themed posts, Communities are similar to Groups in Facebook and Home is where your news feed appears. And instead of liking a post you “+1” (plus one) it.

Google+ improves your SEO

So, that’s it, right? Wrong. Google+ is so much more than a social media network. Because, let’s be frank, as a social media network it’s not doing so well. But it’s the crowd that it’s amongst that gives it its power, rather than it’s own identity. It’s part of the Google Account – One Account. All of Google.
Google+ is called a ‘layer’ by Google itself, as it sits alongside Google search, Google Maps, Google Reviews, Google My Business and every other Google you can imagine. So why is this relevant? Because it will improve your SEO, by moving you up the ranks in every other Google product. It essentially helps your organic search ranking in Google.

But I’ve tried it years ago

Ok, let’s be honest, Google+ can at first seem about as attractive as sanding back the paint on your house. It requires you to spend time and effort and to be organised. The news feed can also seem somewhat lacking in quality content. But then so do your other social channels. If you manage to find some time to spend here, Google will be happier with your business. And at the very least, it will give you the discipline to set up Google My Business if you haven’t already, a Google dashboard where you will manage your business page.

Let’s be frank – it may disappear at some point

While Google+ has had some recent updates with the addition of Collections and a move away from Classic Google+, many diehard Google fans know that Google does have a reputation for sometimes dropping a product with limited notice. Will this happen to Google+? Possibly. But not while they are able to use all of the data it collects for them. And if it does disappear your efforts are not wasted, you’ll still have access to all the other Google products through your Google My Business dashboard.