Google+ Brand Pages and Search Results

Posted by Caleb Dann on Nov 15, 2011 in Articles by Caleb Dann, Google+, SEO | 0 comments

Google+ Brand Pages and Search Results

Previously, my Intrapromote colleague Dylan Price weighed in on Google+ Pages for businesses from a social perspective, and whether your brand should be utilizing them in your social media arsenal. Now let’s talk about Google+ Pages for business and their affects (both current and potential) on a SERP (search engine results page).

To kick off our search exercise, let’s go “Raw” and look at one of Google+’s Pages for businesses partners, WWE, and see if its page is bringing the “Smackdown.” (All right, no more wrestling puns).

A quick Google search for [WWE] displays some interesting results:

What we see is WWE’s Google+ profile integrated into the result for its official site, rather than a standalone result. Interestingly, this is different than a search for another early Pages partner, Toyota USA:

Here we see Toyota USA’s Google+ Page as a standalone result. These two SERPs show us slightly contrasting views of brand searches, but what about content searches? We’re talking some non-branded or long tail queries here, folks. This is where we really see Google+ Pages for business being a boon.

What happens if a user searches for content on Google+, but that user does not follow a brand’s page? Nothing much and here’s an example. Currently, a search for [where is the undertaker] (which is, by the way, taken directly from content posted by WWE) has WWE’s Google+ Page nowhere to be seen on a SERP. We get the same non-result with a [Long Beach Racers Toyota Tacoma] query for Toyota USA.

Now, let’s see how those results change for a user who follows a brand. On November 11^th, Toyota USA posted content publicly (meaning, to no specific Circles) on Google+ about “The Camry Effect,” an interactive social media campaign. When searching [the camry effect], a user who does not follow Toyota USA receives relevant results (including The Camry Effect page as the first result), but nothing for Toyota USA’s Google+ Page. However, a user following Toyota USA on Google+ receives more tailored results:

This SERP depicts the obvious advantage to building a brand’s following. Not only does a user following Toyota USA on Google+ receive the notification along with The Camry Effect page’s result, but they are also presented with Toyota USA’s Google+ post on the initiative as the fourth result.

The Bottom Line

We suspect that as brands continue to leverage and learn how Google+ Pages work best for them, that we will start to see Google+ posts on the SERPs. That said, just as with other social media channels, brands are going to get out of it what they put in.

Staying diligent on Google+ by regularly pushing out fresh and enticing content, interacting with users, and actively courting new followers will lead to said users sharing and +1-ing that content. As shares and +1’s grow, we suspect Google+ content to perform well on SERPs, further supporting a brand’s main site and its content.

Should your brand leverage Google+ Pages as another “Rock”-solid weapon to drive user engagement, share, connect, and ultimately, drive traffic to your site lest you be “Undertaken”? (Okay, so I lied about no more wrestling puns). We’d love to have a discussion about how we can help you succeed on all fronts! Lastly, don’t forget to check out Intrapromote’s Google+ Page.

Caleb Dann, SEO Campaign Director, joined Intrapromote in 2010 when he brought his experience in marketing from a traditional New York advertising agency. At Intrapromote, Caleb works with both large and niche brands, helping them present their site on the web in as search friendly a manner as possible. Particularly, Caleb’s specializes in working with brands in the hotel & hospitality and food & beverage industries. There is no doubt that his love of both travel and a great meal lend to his passion for working with such brands.

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Caleb Dann

Strategist, Organic Search at Intrapromote

Caleb "Handsome" Dann is one of our SEO Strategists and wow, can he strategize. With his ever trusty sidekick, Violet the terrier, he routinely makes plans to take over the world (one moustache at a time). Caleb knows only one speed when it comes to his SEO proficiencies: warp speed. And we're happy to be along for the ride. He's also one of our Star Wars geeks who thoroughly enjoys trivia contests. And good beers. And fashionable facial hair.