In our last post, we gave you the scoop on the features that would be available to businesses once Google+ greets them with open arms. Below I wanted to outline specifically what it is that Google+ Pages will bring to your social media tool belt that will be good for small to medium-sized businesses. See below for the top 5:

• A New Meaning for Live Streaming? Recently, Google disabled Realtime Search, which displayed tweets from Twitter and posts from Facebook. The end of Realtime Search might be a hint for what Google has planned for the future – Google’s live feed. If Google integrated this feature into its search options businesses with a Google+ page could utilize live streaming to appear organically in real-time on a search query.

• Location, Location, Location. Facebook uses location so it’s inevitable that Google+ will too. Companies may also have the ability to link their Google+ to their Google Maps and Google Places listings. The Google+ profile “Info” could be directly linked to a Google Places page. This could also allow users to have a live feed of business reviews from customers and feedback or promotions from the business owners and employees all in one place.

• Apps & More. Google’s Apps for Business productivity suite offers businesses everything they need & more once you look at the benefits of being able to share spreadsheets, calendars and documents online. These tools, in addition to Google’s booming Apps Marketplace & Google+ provide companies with a web presence and social networking platform in one – quite possibly the perfect pair.

• Click +1. Facebook users can “Like” and comment on Web pages, but Google lets you help your friends find the best products, sites and services by simply clicking “+1″. The Google+1 system only arrived in March, but is quickly catching on. If Google+ grows in popularity, it’s possible that the “+1″ could become the new “Like.”

• Google+ Sells. Google+ may be competing with more than just Facebook. PayPal may also have a new rival in the Google Checkout payment system. If Google+ utilized the Google Checkout system on business pages, customers could actually purchase products on Google+ business pages.

Taking a new spin-off of what is currently available to you through Facebook Pages, Google+ is planned to be much more robust. It will be interesting to see who wins out in the long run, but one thing is certain: If your target audience is represented on Google+, your brand definitely should be as well.

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The internet as a whole is trending toward a social platform, where consumer interaction and engagement are key to keeping people involved and loyal to their connections, brands and products. The biggest of these social trends is allowing customers to review, discuss and react to their experiences related to business engagements. Taking this trend into their own hands is the search giant itself, Google.

After a number of hairy starts in the social media realm, Google has launched the testing phase of +1, a way for users to socialize and engage with their search engine results. Essentially, +1 gives users a “like” button for sites, ads and even on page content. So, for example, if an individual searches for “recipes” and someone in their network (such as a friend or acquaintance whose opinion would matter to that individual either as a Gmail contact or Google Talk contact) “+1′d” a site or ad, that site will show up higher on the search results for that individual. In a nutshell, the site gets rank for being voted as useful by a friend. Google also mentioned that they are going to integrate into other social media tools, such as Twitter, to expand recommendation possibilities.

What will this mean for Search Engine Optimization?

As of now, Google’s +1 is an experiment to merely collect data on the efficacy of this tool and to watch the behavior of users who receive +1 recommendations. Additionally, positive ratings carry big implications for PPC ads. If users +1 an ad, then that can bring down the cost per click, raise the average position of the ad and make the ad stick out next to competitors because it has the +1 logo where others might not.

The real question is, what’s to stop a blackhat SEO company from making a bunch of Gmail accounts and +1-ing them? This question has yet to be answered. The algorithm that Google puts into place for +1 will have to take blackhat techniques into account and it’s still not certain how much weight positive clicks will give the site overall. Recently Google has taken online reviews into consideration when giving rank, making the user aspect more measurable and holding more weight.

Stay ahead of the curve on Google’s +1: update your content!

When was the last time you added new information about your services, products or industry? The most important tactic for your website, AdWords ads and blog postings is to be as relevant as possible. Stay on top of information and don’t forget to maintain a user-friendly website. If users find your site frustrating, disorganized, filled with errors or requires more than just a couple of clicks to get what they are looking for, then it’s time to update or have professionals come in and streamline your site for you.

Remember, Google’s business is to bring the best search results possible to the users, not to cater to advertisers and websites.

For more information on Google’s +1 or to find out how to enable +1 when you search, visit their informational content or contact Pop Labs today!

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The press release still holds its ground as one of the most widely used forms of information dissemination. Combine that with the popularity and usage of social interactivity and you’ve got a delivery method capable of fully engaging the public.

Let’s face it – the press release is sticking around. It’s been around for decades and if you aren’t familiar with it by now, you should be. It is one of the most effective ways to convey and deliver your message. Combine that with social media and you have virtually free publicity that reaches thousands. Brush up on your grammar and prepare yourself for the ultimate in viral PR. Here are a few tips and tricks to creating a successful social media press release.

Before writing there are a few things you need to know. (more…)

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