Google+ Just Got Important

Google+ has been in out of discussion for a couple of years now. In marketing circles and amongst SEO Agencies, the discussion has continually focused on the importance of Google+. More specifically, how important is Google+ to a websites SEO rankings and performance?

There’s still a lot of speculation and time will tell, but according to Moz’s 2013 Future Of Search report, Google+ just got important, very important.

Why is this report so important? Each year Moz compiles a comprehensive report on the various search engine ranking factors, to figure out what gives you that number 1 keyword ranking basically. This report combines the research and analysis of 100 of the leading SEO experts from across the globe, so it should be viewed with more than a little credence, whether you’re an SEO Agency, SEO, or business owner yourself.

Why?

The Future Of Search report broke down all of the research, analysis and findings into an interactive chart. This chart provides an overview of all the various ranking factors. These ranking factors are pieces of the SEO puzzle, when you combine them all, you get an effective SEO result.

Google’s ranking algorithm reportedly takes into account over 200 factors to determine search engine results. Without hearing it direct from the horse’s mouth, it’s impossible to be 100% accurate as to the accuracy of these results. However, as Edward Tufte quoted: “Correlation is not causation, but it sure is a hint”.

This year, Google+1s was the ranking factor most correlated with highly ranking sites. Put simply, it topped the list as the one thing it would be wise to focus on if you want to start generating SEO results. If you’re an SEO Agency, take note, Social Search is here and it’s here in force. Simplistic? Maybe, but there’s no need to overcomplicate things.

Getting Started With Google+

Google+ is going to play a hugely important role moving forward, not only in terms of offering a huge SEO benefit, but being a great platform to distribute high quality content. For the Google+ beginner, whether you’re an SEO agency, a marketer, or just an interested party, I recommend Marc Pitmans article on 6 Steps To Getting Started On Google+.

For some more advanced tips on generating Google+ engagement, check out Megan Conley’s article on 6 Ways To Maximize Your Google+ Engagement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you’re not currently taking Google+ seriously as a key part of your SEO strategy, it’s time to rethink things and start reading up! The search benefits alone make this social media platform an absolute must for any serious SEO agency, and for any small business looking to supercharge their SEO efforts, this is a platform that will you to do just that with little technical knowledge. As long as you can create good content and follow basic social media best practice, this is way for small businesses to hit back at the bigger guys with bigger budgets!