Google announced last week that it has launched Business Pages on its Google social network.
I covered this topic on my “Social Retailer” blog last week and listed what I suggested three potential benefits.
- Direct link to search. By using the “1” button, Google has linked Google directly to your search. There is also a feature currently in experimentation called “Direct Connect” that will allow searchers to find Google Company Pages directly from search.
- Better targeting audience. With Circles, Google offers businesses a better way to segment audiences, which means messages can become more relevant and timely.
- Face-to-face connection with customers, employees, and vendors. Real-time, live video The component of the platform, Hangouts, enables businesses to create live, face-to-face virtual connections with customers and others.
In this In this article, I describe how to set up a Google for merchants who want to do it.
How to Create a Google Page
Setting up a page is a simple process that shouldn’t take more than five minutes.
Step 1. Go to the Google business page and click on n the blue “Create Your Google Page” button.
Step 2. Choose a relevant business category r and add your information. The categories to choose from are: “Local Business or Venue,” “Product or Brand,” “Business, Institution, or Organization,” “Arts, Entertainment, or Sports,” and “Other.”
If those sound familiar , it is because they almost literally reflect the same categories used by Facebook in its pages platform. I was especially surprised by the use of the term “Place” as it’s been a Facebook staple for some time.
Step 3. Add a tagline, upload a profile banner , click the “Continue” button and your page will be created.
Once done, Google gives you the opportunity to share the page with your circles. The post will come from the person who set up the page, not the page itself.
How to use Google Pages for Business
During the page creation process, only a small amount information is requested, so you will need to add more content to the “About” page of your profile. Options include providing introductory information, contact information, a link to the website, and links to other recommended sites.
The types of information available depend on the category chosen. For example, if you choose Local Business or Location, you can add hours of operation. You can also set visibility to determine who sees what information.
Once your business page has been created, there are six main activities you can participate in.
- Post status updates. Posting content is probably the number one way people use Google. Also, like Facebook, Google allows Page owners to interact as the “Page,” not as individuals.
- Link your Google Page to your website. Google provides a badge that connects to your page, which you can embed on your website. This gives your page more visibility on Google and helps increase the number of recommendations (1).
- Create your circles. Once the users add your page to their circles, you can add them to yours. Google automatically provides Pages with a set of circles, including: Following, Customers, VIPs, and Team Members. You can also create other circles, if needed.
- Start a Hangout. Hangouts are live video chats through which you can connect directly with up to nine other people.
- Add button 1 to your website. When Google users click the button, it’s shared with their circles.
- Add Google Direct Connect, if eligible. This is an experimental feature currently only available to major brands. However, Google will make the feature more widely available over time. For those who qualify, Google requires that there be a link from the merchant’s website to the Google business page.
Conclusion
The functions of Google business pages Google falls short of those available on Facebook, one of which is the ability to add custom apps. Google is likely to add more features over time. Until then, the social network can serve as a second-tier channel through which you can build some brand equity and perhaps improve search results as well.
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