Search Plus Your World
Just one week ago today, on January 10th, 2012, Google announced the release of one of the most significant search algorithm changes in the history of their existence. The update has been named, “Search Plus Your World” and is revolutionizing what is being referred to as “personalized search”. Search Plus Your World offers personalized search results by tailoring the information and webpages that you find on Google according to your social connections on the Google+ network. Personalized search only requires that you are currently logged into your Google+ account while you are conducting a search within the engine.
Personalized search results implies that you will be fed information that is meant specifically for only your eyes to see. This tailored information will be based upon all past conversations, profiles, photos, videos, and websites that you have shared or visited previously within the Google+ network. Thus personalized search results will show you more of the same information that your friends and family have recently viewed and less information that you have never seen before.
Social Media Marketing Becomes a Player In Search
What are the immediate ramifications of Google Plus Your World in terms of SEO? Social media marketing will immediately play a much more significant role in search. Consider that the top search engine results pages (SERPS) for any personalized search will be those webpages that have been viewed before by a social connection of the search user.
For example, Brad has a friend Mike. Mike searches for cars all day online. The webpages and car manufacturers he enjoys most he engages with via his own Google+ social profile.( He comments on their Google+ brand page…)
Brad decides its time to buy a new car. While logged into his own Google+ account, Brad searches using the query, “Cars for sale.” The resulting webpages are not necessarily the best webpages to find cars for sale. Instead the resulting webpages most likely include those websites and brands which Mike has become so interested with. These resulting webpages are thus personalized based upon Brad and Mike’s friendship on the Google+ network.
Adapt To Personalized Search Results
The reason Google opted for personalized search is to be debated. However one thing is certain. Personalized search does press website owners to become more socially active within their Google+ network in order to rank highly in Google’s search engine for personalized results. How is this so? Well website owners must not only have a Google+ brand page but they must link their website to their brand page in order for Google to recognize the association between the two. By doing so Google+ users can recommend a website to become a top organic listing by adding that website’s Google+ brand page to their circles (friends list for non-Google+ vocab users). Thus the objective for website owners is to grow the following of their brand page as much as possible in order to gain a better ranking position in Google’s personalized search results.
1). Create A Google+ Brand Page
The first move for adoption is to create a Google+ Brand Page. Below are easy to follow steps to set up a brand page.
- Log into your Google+ account
- Navigate to http://www.google.com/+/business/
- Choose which category your business fits into. Choice are business or place, product or brand, company/institution/organization, arts/entertainment/sports, or other.
- Enter you business name and information. Then select a sub-category for your business
- Choose a tagline and upload a photo
- Spread the word with you circles of friends about your new page and you’re done!
2). Add the Google+ button to your website
The second move in adoption to personalized search is to add the Google+ badge to your website. Notice how we said badge not button. That is because there is a difference between the Google+ button and the official Google+ brand badge. The badge has a code snippet that links your website to your brand page. Thus when people add your brand to their circles they will be officially “recommending” your website to their friends via personalized search.
Google is sneaky. The brand badge is also required to show up in Google Direct Connect. Google direct connect allows users to to find a brand on Google+ by typing in “+” in Google Search, followed by the brand or business they want to follow. For example you can find the DinoMite SEO brand page by typing in, “+DinoMiteSEO” into Google.
Below are the easy to follow steps to add your Google+ badge to your website.
- Log into your Google+ account
- Copy your brand page id onto your clipboard or write it down if you are old fashion. *Your brand page id is the first long string of numbers that you see when you are currently on your brand page. Example: 102834149929830169614
- Navigate to https://developers.google.com/+/plugins/badge/config
- Enter your brand page id into the box requested
- Choose which size badge you want to fit on your website
- Copy the HTML code snippet that was generated for you (towards the bottom)
- Paste this code amongst the current code for the homepage of your website and you’re done!
Promote Your Google+ Brand Page
Alright so you have your Google+ brand page set up. You have your brand page linked to your website. Now it is time to promote your brand page like your life depended on it. You should promote to your customers, clients, friends, family members, babysitter, dentist, neighbor, kids, grandmother, and even your your mother-in-law to visit your website and hit the Google + 1 button your badge. After all you could be securing yourself a top listing in personalized search when a friend of a friend of a friend searches Google for the product or service you have to offer!
What are your immediate thoughts on Search Plus Your World? Are you a fan of the changes? Are you going to be an early adopter of the personalized search SEO strategy? Let us know what you think be commenting below!