Google handed Internet marketing a new tool today as it rolled out a much-anticipated new feature — Google+ Pages for businesses. (That loud noise you just heard was the sound of SEO companies across the world collectively gasping).
Google+ already has infiltrated the social media marketing scene, but just how will Google+ Pages impact internet marketing companies, SERPs and SEO campaigns for law firms? The answer is not certain at this point, but here are some things we can expect.
Take THAT, Facebook and Twitter!
Google+ Pages are, like personal Google+ accounts, more like social media accounts than local listings. There are some key difference for business pages, though. You can add your business page in one of five categories:
- Local Business or Place
- Product or Brand
- Company, Institution or Organization
- Arts, Entertainment or Sports
- Other
However, you aren’t limited to ONLY one of these categories. You can have a local business Google+ Page, brand page and company page targeting the different aspects of your law firm.
Of course, attorneys can have Twitter accounts, Facebook accounts and LinkedIn accounts, and strong campaigns in these social media outlets have shown correlation to boosts in search rankings. But it would be a pretty safe bet to expect social media use within Google’s family will be more significant when it comes to indexing than outside sources.
Oh, and then there’s this: Direct Connect. Although it’s a feature that is still being worked out and thus may not work for every Google+ Page, when it is available for everyone, it has promise to be a big deal. Basically if you add a + in front of whatever business or brand your searching for in Google, you will immediately be whisked away to their Google+ Page.
Differences Between Places And Pages
For attorney SEO specialists, things may get hectic for a while. Currently, Google+ Pages and Google Places listings must be managed separately. They are two different entities, with Places providing more basic information about businesses, and Google+ Pages allowing businesses and brands to build relationships and directly engage with their consumers.
- Pages have the +1 button, but can’t +1 other pages (or stuff on the Web).
- Pages can’t play games
- Pages don’t receive notifications via email, text, or in the Google bar.
- Pages can’t hangout on a smartphone or other mobile device.
Pages are also a separate entity from Google profiles, which are just for people, including individual attorneys, rather than the firm as an entity. Pages are similar but with some key differences:
If you’re interested in internet marketing for law firms or Search Engine Optimization help, contact Thunderhead Marketing today for custom-fit online marketing solutions.