Posts tagged Google +1
Google+ Releases Business Pages
Nov 16th
The following excerpt is from the article Google Business Pages Finally on G+ and They Are Available to Everyone written by David Amerland for SocialMediaToday.com
Google has finally brought out Business Pages to G+. Just a couple of weeks ago Google rewrote the code for search, changing a tradition which has been used for over fifteen years and taking the ‘+’ sign (called operand) out of the search queries.
At the time speculation was that Google was doing this in anticipation of the +1 Button popularity and expanding profiles in its social network and it appears to have been the case. Now with the ‘+’ before a Business Profile Google has created a direct connection, unsurprisingly called Google Direct Connect which allows those who look for a business page to find its G+ profile straight from Google search. All they have to do is place ‘+’ in front of the page name as in: +Angry Birds and they will be taken straight to the G+ profile.
For marketers as well as brands this is nothing less than the Holy Grail of Social Profiles and search. To give you an idea of how important this is think that when you create a Business Page on Facebook you then need to go into quite a lengthy social media marketing campaign to get Likes, comments and shares in order to increase its EdgeRank (a Facebook algorithm which determines the importance of a page inside Facebook) have it profiled high on Facebook so that it can then appear the moment someone goes to Google and types ‘Facebook Page name’ or keywords associated with it.
All this is now, potentially gone. All you have to do is create a G+ business page, and anyone on search typing +’Company Name or G+ Business page name’ will be able to go straight from Google search to the Page’s profile on G+.
This is likely to get a little more nuanced so we should not prematurely pop the champagne bottles. Google has spent the best part of this year refining search through the Google Panda Update so as to provide more relevant, spam-free results in search for the end user. What I have just described is a recipe for creating more spam pages than ever before and having them populate Google search, courtesy of G+ power, so it is likely that extra safeguards and steps will be added, in addition to the ones currently existing on G+.
One fly in this ointment. Google is restricting the service, temporarily apparently, as it checks stability and works out the kinks. Given that we are so near Christmas this may not be such a great move as it will not leave any time for businesses to take advantage of G+ in their Christmas build up efforts. This is a huge disappointment from Google who have for months now been receiving heat from business journalists at the delay.
The good news is that the wait is over and those of you who have been waiting to unleash the power of G+ to your clients can now start to prepare to do so, just in time for the post-Christmas rush. For those of you who want to get a headstart check out the Google+ Business page on G+, put it in your circles and keep checking back because you will be able to create business pages for businesses and brands from it, as well as get updates. The Official Create a Page Tool on Google Plus is here, make sure it is in your bookmarks!
Comments are now open on Foreword Online and we want your feedback! Do you plan to create a Google+ Page? Why or why not – tell us below! Already on Google+? Add MBS to your circles!
Social Media Series: Socialize Your Website
Jun 24th
The following article was originally published on Internet Retailer by Allison Enright, Senior Editor. View the full article.
Google Inc. and Twitter released separate tools this week that make it easier for retailers to reach online shoppers. The Google feature lets consumers influence the search results their friends will see on Google, including promoting products they like, while Twitter’s new tool makes it easier for consumers to receive messages from their favorite e-retailers.
Google today made available code that enables any web site to add a +1 recommendation button to any web page. When Google launched the +1 recommendation tool in March, it allowed web users to indicate they like a particular Google search result, similar to the way Facebook members use that social network’s Like button. +1 recommendations are reflected in the search results that other consumers see and are one of the signals used to calculate organic search results on Google.
MBS Systems inSite "Add This" feature lets students share their favorite merchandise across 340 social networks!
Google says consumers will soon see the +1 button on Best Buy and Nordstrom e-retail sites. “With a single click, you can recommend that raincoat, news article or favorite sci-fi movie to friends, contacts and the rest of the world,” Google says in a blog post announcing the expansion of +1.
Meanwhile, microblogging social network Twitter also released web code this week that makes it easier and faster for consumers to start following e-retailers’ Twitter posts. E-retailers that embed a Twitter “follow” button on their sites enable consumers logged into their Twitter accounts to subscribe to the e-retailer’s posts. Previously, to subscribe to a feed, consumers had to visit an e-retailer’s Twitter page and click to subscribe to the feed. Adding the new code makes it possible to bypass that step and keep the consumer on the e-retail site.
“For publishers and brands, adding the follow button to your web site and using Twitter to stay connected with your audience is a powerful combination. People who follow your account are much more likely to retweet and engage with your tweets, and to repeatedly visit your web site,” says a Twitter blog post announcing the follow button.
Webmasters can configure a follow button for their website by visiting the resources section of Twitter.com.
Did you know that adding these new features and other social plug-ins, for that matter, to your inSite page is as simple as copy and paste?
Once you copy the code provided by the social network of your choice, you can paste it within your e-commerce site using the design module of inSite Content Manager (iCM) Design Editor. You can add a like, follow, or +1 button, and even embed the Facebook status RSS feed to display on your website.
Along with this capability, we’ve also embedded our own social feature, “Add This,” within the platform. When enabled, this optional feature allows students to interact with your site by selecting the merchandise they like, and sharing it with their friends.
With 340 available social networking sites to choose from, “Add This” makes it easy to spread the word about your favorite merchandise, products, or services with the click of a button.
Even better, this interactive feature provides analytics to help your store determine its most popular items. To activate this function, simply navigate to the Social Networking Options menu within the iCM Design Editor.
To add any of these features, contact your inSite Client Representative for more information and assistance with making your website social!
