Is Google Plus Dead?
Well, Google Plus isn't quite dead... yet.
Google+ announced in October 2018 that it will be shutting down Google+ due to data breaches. And, also most likely due to general lack of use.
However, Google+ is NOT DEAD YET!
Google says that it plans to turn off the consumer version of Google Plus in August 2019, though a version built for corporate customers will still exist. That means the consumer version will still be up until August of 2019. So why not keep using it? Here's why:
Keep using Google+ for your Business websites' SEO:
I always tell my Website Design and SEO clients to create a Google+ Business page and account for their business, and post regularly. Why? Because it's basically like a direct line to Google – everytime you post a new page or blog post link to Google+, I believe Google will see your new content way faster than simply waiting for them to come and re-index your sitemap and pages. I always use Google+ to post blurbs, images and links to my new pages and blog posts as it helps them get indexed in Google within days instead of weeks or months. Just like with all social media, it's good to post regularly across as many platforms as you can, as the more social media and online presences you have, the more likely Google and other search engines will sniff out your website and you will rise in the rankings. It's like a popularity contest, the more inbound pathways to your website, the better you'll do in the rankings. Having lots of other websites and social media avenues link to your website or content is a big part of SEO. As a SEO Hero, I'm always telling people to build the most in-depth website they can about the keywords they want to get found for, then use Social Media to spread the word!
So, until they truly shutter the Google+ doors, why not keep using it? We have until August 2019 to continue to reap the SEO benefits of using Google+, so why stop now? I am also curious what they mean about keeping the Google+ platform for Corporate Customers, does that mean anything for small businesses? We'll see how things progress. I also wonder, did they make this announcement to get us all talking about Google+ since it has been such a forgotten platform by most? Who knows what will happen over the next year.
Business Websites are Important! One thing is for sure, don't rely on ANY social media platform for your business – seeing Google, one of the biggest companies in the world, shutter it's Google+ social media platform just shows us that everything on the web (and life) is temporary, so don't put all your eggs in one basket. Remember MySpace? It was a super popular social network that quickly fell out of favor when Twitter and Facebook and other social media networks came along! Make sure you are posting good content on your website first and foremost, and then use social media to promote it. But don't forget, all your posted content on social media is not owned by you, and it could disappear at anytime – so if you're posting business photos or other info, make sure to also add these to your website via blog posts, pages, galleries, etc. Please reach out if you're in need of a easy-to-use Website Design, we design custom websites and train you on how you can update your own website over time, so you can keep it fresh and relevant. We also optimize websites for SEO and train you on how to make sure you get to the top of Google and other search engines for the things you want to be found for. Contact us today »
P.S. You can also post to your Google Business (Map) Listing, which is also greatly helpful for SEO, and it's also more geared to your viewers as it will show your blog posts under your Business/Map listing when doing local searches.
