Does Google+ Fit into Your Social Blogging Strategy?

blogging with google+How to make use Google+ to enhance your blog’s SEO, engage your followers and expand your audience

The Google world takeover continues with near-daily enhancements, upgrades and overall ‘improvements’ to its user experience. A recent example is Google integrating Google+ comments into Blogger, its popular blog hosting site. Those using the Blogger platform now have an option to let users respond to blog posts via a Google+ account.

This announcement and others like it are causing bloggers to rethink their social blogging strategy. Some bloggers are using Google+ already, others are not. For any blogger on the Google platform, it makes sense to integrate these accounts into a social blogging strategy as Google continues to dominate our everyday search use. As a result, the company has spent the last year broadening its reach to users with enhancements to Google + and Gmail, while tying together all the Google properties back to its sharing capabilities.

But not everyone enjoys the increased connections that Google is offering. Well-known tech investor Fred Wilson recently wrote that Google is trying to dominate the entire Internet through Google +. Maybe, but certainly those using Blogger will have good use for such tools.

Google+ has a reputation for not reaching the masses in a way that Facebook or Twitter has. One pundit said last year that “Google + is like a cool bar that I know about, but none of my friends hang out there.” Now, though, the winds of change are blowing. Social blogging strategy has a prime opportunity for enhancement now that Google+ comments will become a part of Blogger. And by combining and connecting other Google products along the way, a user could certainly have his or her Web eggs in one basket, as it were.



Using Google +

If you’re already using Blogger, adding the Google+ commenting system is going to make the concept of social blogging very intuitive. It’s strikingly similar to the Facebook comments plugin. The Google+ Comments plugin will seamlessly hook up comments on your Blogger page to your personal or business Google+ page, making it simple to share thoughts on the blog’s post on your social media platform. Will it be long until Google+ Comments makes its way to WordPress, LiveJournal, Tumblr and the like?

Already convinced? It’s very simple to add Google+ Comments to your Blogger plugin list. To add this feature to your Blogger site, visit the dashboard in Blogger, and click the Google+ Comments tab. Then find the item “Use Google+ Comments” and it will show up on your blog. Google writes that older comments in your feed won’t be affected and you will see them in the new widget.

Blogging Strategy

When it comes to your blogging strategy, did you know that Google+ has a network of nearly 360 million active users? Yes, that is a huge number, yet it still pales in comparison to Facebook’s 800 million-member base. Though Google is throwing many of its products into the mix to build up its community. So, if you’re looking to reach some of these 360 million users, how can you get the most out of Google+, and attract new and engaging users in the process? Let’s uncover ways to connect with readers and build your social media empire.

Google+ Hangouts

Google+ Hangouts is often touted as the best feature of Google+ integration. Through blogging, content sharing and management, Google+ Hangouts are a great way to add more life and luster to the words on your page. The ability to chat live offers followers (and the blogger) an opportunity to gain invaluable feedback from other fans and readers instantly. Think of it as a ‘live comments’ feature through video. These mini-webinars foster instant content feedback and creativity.

Google+ Comments

Google+ Comments gives bloggers and web publishers the benefits of viewing your blog and its comments in the same place, while your readers will be able to better comment on your posts and use these to connect with their own circles, according to The Next Web.

Google+ Comments will also allow bloggers to share blog posts on Google+ with one click, helping readers easily re-share your content, and make your posts more discoverable during a Google search. Bloggers can also discuss blog posts with their readers in Google+ Hangouts, see who +1’d your posts right from Blogger, and watch how your posts get shared with Google+ Ripples, according to Technorati.

Google+ Circles

Link up with ‘Google+ Circles.’ This feature has great potential for quick brainstorming sessions with specific people. It could be other bloggers, or people who are familiar with certain topics that are specific to your blog or business. Think of it as a little research group right at your fingertips.

Consider creating extra content to solely feature on your Google+ page. It works as an excellent traffic driver and will keep your fan base checking on your Google+ page, thus driving your blog’s SEO ranking higher. Insider content on Google+ is a great tactic to keep your existing readers happy and also drive new traffic to your blog.

And while we’re on the topic of blog content, help create highly-searchable content. This means providing great content for your readers and making it easy for them to find your blog. Give your readers a call to action to +1 and share your blog content on their Google+ sites. This too will drive your blog’s ranking higher in Google search.

Enhance searchability

Intertwining Google+ features in your blog and actively using Google+ platforms is priceless when it comes to searchability. Since Google is the number one search engine used today, adding blog content, comments, and conversations to your Google+ page increases the rank of your content because Google recognizes the use of its platforms.

What’s the takeaway? Welcome Google+ as a part of your social media strategy with open arms. Not only will it deepen and enliven user engagement, it will also help create a positive impression on your reader, like you’re pioneering the next incarnation of social media strategy for blogging. It opens up more conversation, receptivity, and innovation than most other social media websites.



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Editorial Staff

This article was written by SBMarketingTools.com editorial staff.