Google+ and its effects on SERPs
-
Hi all,
With the recent launch of Google+ I've looked into the possible effects of +1'ing sites and whether or not it has a direct effect on other people with whom I'm connected within Google+.
So far I cannot see any direct correlation, however I running a bigger/wider experiement with more people to get a definitive answer.
What does scare me as an SEO, is that Google+ users will (most likely) use Google search whilst they are logged in, which, as we know personalises results based on a myriad of suspected metrics such as previous visits, personal +1, etc...
How is this going to effect the SEO world if/when a Google+ attracts more users.
Experienced this first hand when a client called me to congratulate a jump from position 9 on Google to first position over the weekend, which when I checked, the website hadn't shifted, the client was logged into her Google account due to the fact she had been playing with plus.
Thoughts?
Cheers
Aran
-
I'm talking about having the +1 button on pages of your website - e.g. product pages (info here). If there have been a number of people +1 a particular product then that may help the position of that page organically - I think even if you aren't signed in.
You wouldn't +1 at the SERP stage if you haven't been on the site but your friends might have done which could input into it.
All guesses though
-
Agreed CCA.
I don't get +1's on SERPs, when your google something and you get the SERPs you generally haven't visited the sites before, so why would you +1 at that point?
-
Aran,
I think that it will have some sort of an affect on the SERP (by considering your different circles) when being logged in to Google.
But also, http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1152948 shows that the +1 button at least has some impact on rankings and therefore we should all adopt it - I'm not sure it will ever be as popular as a like button, but, who knows!
-
I've conducted an experiment with several friends in my 'Friends' Circle within Google+
To start I +1'd a clients site whilst signed in to Google. Then I Signed out and went on to tweet the URL for another clients website and finally facebook shared yet another clients website (within another industry)
I asked my friends to +1, tweet and FB share a URL which I gave them.
Now when signed into Google the +1'd website (normally at 9th in Google) is now ranked 3rd with a note under the SERP telling me my firend +1'd the site. The website which received the Tweets is now 9th on Google, it is normally 12th when not signed in. Also a note appeared under the serp saying my friend had Tweeted the URL.
The page that received the facebook shares didn't change in position!
All the people concerned all follow each other on twitter, belong to the same circle on Google+ and are friends on Facebook.
Not a very well set up or executed experiement, I made it up as I went along and put into practise within 5 minutes of conceiving the idea. But interesting results all the same.
If Google+ takes off and people adopt the trend of staying logged into Google when searching, Social Metrics are going to have a huge impact on traditional SEO.
Now all we need is someone to setup a 'proper' experiement.
-
oh, you missed off Android and the efforts to takeover the mobile OS market!
Kowtow to Google.
-
Agreed, the number of personalised searches will increase if Google+ catches on. Is this the beginning of the end for SEO?
-
Google has crossed all the lines from being a pure search engine, to being the source of data. There are many people who, if you ask them, would tell you that Google has no data related to them personally. Most are quite mistaken. If a human uses a pc, Google is going to have tons of data available unless the person makes a very specific effort to avoid Google's services.
Gmail, Spreadsheets, Analytics, Desktop, Adwords, YouTube, Google +, WiFi, Chrome browser, translator, picasa photos, Google maps and I am sure there are a dozen other Google apps. Many of these services are independently very highly rated. YouTube alone is the #3 website in the world.
It really brings to reality the phrase "It's Google's world. We are just living in it." They are poised to further widen the chasm between themselves and the next closest competitor. Clearly they will leverage these resources to a greater extent in time.
-
I think that personalized search is making it much more difficult to get sales from customers who have an established history with your competitor. The introduction of Google+ will most likely increase the number of searches that are personalized.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Google Analytics Social Settings
Hi, I'm a bit confused about the actual purpose of the social settings in Admin > Property > Social Settings. I've read some blogs saying it just helps analyse traffic that has arrived from your social media pages. Then I've found other sources saying you should add your own domain in there so you can track likes and shares sent from your website to social media platforms. What do I actually need to put in there and how does it help my data? Thanks!
Social Media | | Sally940 -
Google+ currently DOES support hidden addresses?
We noticed yesterday that many of our clients with hidden addresses are now able to get a verified G+ page through the Places dashboard. Anyone else have any insight on this? Are they classified as "Local" pages, or just verified "Business" pages?
Social Media | | AvalancheSearch0 -
Finding authoritative sources on Google+ - is there a tool?
I'm looking for a way to find authoritative sources on Google+ on certain subjects. I define an authoritative source as someone who is in a lot of people's circles, and the content they curate gets shared, +1, and commented a lot. The subjects are variable, but for an example: What's the best way to find authoritative sources on Google+ on the subject of auto technology. Does anyone know of a tool that can do this?
Social Media | | reidsteven75
If you can't recommend a tool, how would you approach this?0 -
Google Plus Cover image
Does anyone have any tips on getting a super crisp cover image uplaoded to G+? I have a clear image, full dimensions of 2120 x 1192, but once I've uploaded it, G+ appears to compress it and it loses sharpness / quality. I have turned auto-optimise off, and and tried both JPEG and PNG files - PNG seems to work better, but still not quite there. Example: https://plus.google.com/116325067504054061939 (scroll up to see blurry text) Thx!
Social Media | | David_ODonnell0 -
Expand your google plus circle
Since there is no way to promote your posts on google plus it is difficult to target the audience that is in one particular niche. What are good ways to connect to a larger circle if one is in a very small niche with very few professionals?
Social Media | | TVape0 -
What could Google+ do for your SEO?
If your a Google+ wizard and do everything right, so optimise your profile, pick up 1000's of followers, followers engage with your posts by adding a comment or a plus, followers are even going to your website and sharing content using the Google plus button etc. What kind of effect would this have on your SEO? Would this kind of activity improve your Auth? Side question: Forget the above, what movement would you expect if one of your pages received 1000 plus's from real users, would you expect to see a jump in SERP's I know every website is different, im just looking to see what I could expect if the work was put in to achieve the above.
Social Media | | activitysuper0 -
Why is Google+ so confusing?
I have to update my data in 3 separate place is there anyway to just update one area and it filters into all required places. I have a 1)Google+ places page 2)Google+ profile page, what I would expect others to use for my business 3)Google+ page seems to be the one I should be using for my business? Anyone seen a good guide on Google+ ?
Social Media | | tempowebdesign0 -
How are Google Plus pages related to Google Plus Local pages?
How are Google Plus pages related to Google Plus Local pages and what is the best way to join/link them? e.g. if I go to Starbucks Google Plus page https://plus.google.com/117575809843355974839/posts, where can I see their store locations or google Places pages? If I go to a Google Places page from Google Maps - which now takes you to a Google Plus 'Places' page - how is that Google Plus Places page related to that companies main Google Plus page - I can't see a way to go between them. See: https://plus.google.com/117861970252906134982/about?gl=au&hl=en Is there a way to connect these two kinds of pages for a business?
Social Media | | TracyMu0