If Google+ has got you confused, you're not alone. This guide walks you through Google+ as an individual (profile) and as a business (page), and includes navigating Google+ for local and an overview on how mobile search is affected.

1. NAVIGATING GOOGLE+
without going insane
by: Lindsay Mineo | March 14, 2014

2. PART ONE
Why use Google+?

3. WHY USE GOOGLE+?: IT’S GOOGLE
MYTH: No one is on Google+.

4. WHY USE GOOGLE+?: IT’S GOOGLE
FACT: Google+ is Google. Everyone uses Google.

5. WHY USE GOOGLE+?: GOOGLE AUTHORSHIP
Authorship
markup increases
the likelihood of
getting content
seen.
These guys aren’t
even in my circles
and they show up!

6. WHY USE GOOGLE+?: LOCAL SEARCH
The Local Search
Carousel returns
results for many local
searches from their
Google+ Local pages.
Organic results ten to
skew towards sites like
Yelp.

7. WHY USE GOOGLE+?: MOBILE
Google+ Local pages
bring mobile traffic to sites
and increase phone calls.
Reviews, ratings, pricing,
click to call, and more are
available thanks to
Google+ Local on mobile.

8. WHY USE GOOGLE+?: SEARCH RANKINGS
There is some speculation that a
Google+ page contributes to
improved search rankings.
Not all experts agree.
However, local results still show
up before organic results, and
having Google reviews (with a
high score) and a Google+ page
certainly cannot hurt.

9. PART TWO
Google+ Profiles

10. GOOGLE+ PROFILES
A Google+ profile belongs to a person. Find yours by going to
Google.com and checking the top right corner.
+YourName means
you’re logged in to
your Google account.
Your picture means you’ve
set up your Google+ profile.
+You means you are either not logged in or have no Google account.

11. Google adds
#hashtags
Profiles/pages
you added
Profiles/pages
that added
you.

12. Home View:

14. PART THREE
Google+ Pages

15. GOOGLE+ PAGES
A Google+ Page belongs to an entity, or a non-person. The top
right corner of Google.com shows the Page name and logo/photo.
+BusinessName
means you’re logged
in to your business
Google account.
A picture means the Google+
page is set up.

16. GOOGLE+ PAGES
Google+ Pages can only be created from a Google+ Profile.
1. Top left of profile: drop down menu
2. Select Pages
3. Select Create a page
4. This is also where you manage
your pages
Google+ Pages can only have
one owner, but can have up to
50 managers or communications
managers.

17. GOOGLE+ PAGES
Dashboard:
1. Page insights
2. Post to your page
3. Page overview
4. Local insights
5. Top searches
6. Google Analytics
1
3
4 5
2
6

18. GOOGLE+ PAGES
Credit: +PhilippSteuer

19. GOOGLE+ PAGES

20. PART FOUR
GOOGLE+ LOCAL

21. GOOGLE+ LOCAL
A Google+ Local Page is formerly known as Google Places.
Just to make it more confusing, some local business pages are
still Google Places.
Google is getting around to making all Google+ Pages, Google+
Local Pages, and Google Places listings all the same thing, with
the same look, the same rules, and the same dashboard. This
hasn’t happened yet. And it’s frustrating.
Currently, a Google+ Page is different from a Google+ Local
page, and both are different from a Google Places listing.

22. GOOGLE+ LOCAL
Google+ Page
Google+ Local Page

23. GOOGLE+ LOCAL
The Google Local Search Carousel
still shows up for some searches.
Information is taken from Google+
Local Pages.
These results show up above
organic listings (which are pretty
much all Yelp). However, you can’t
select how your business appears
in carousel results.

24. GOOGLE+ LOCAL
Google+ Local
Page!!!

25. PART FIVE
MOBILE SEARCH

26. GOOGLE+ MOBILE
1. Mobile search is expected to OVERTAKE desktop searches. This
year.
2. People use Google to search on mobile. Google is the default
search engine on most mobile devices.
3. Google mobile search is where businesses need to be.
4. The Google Maps app for iPhone was downloaded 10 million
times in two days when it was released (and still is one of the
top free apps).

27. GOOGLE+ MOBILE
Location finder off
Location finder on

28. PART SIX
GOOGLE AUTHORSHIP

29. GOOGLE+ AUTHORSHIP
Google Authorship is only for Google+ profiles. Google+ Pages cannot
have authorship markup.
Authorship promotes the person – the author. This is useful even
when the author is not part of the organization (or leaves) because
authorship increases the visibility of individual posts (higher search
results AND visual visibility of the photo) and connects posts to a
wider audience.

30. GOOGLE+ AUTHORSHIP
Links to other social profiles
GOOGLE AUTHORSHIP!
Links to other sites

31. GOOGLE+ AUTHORSHIP
Links to other social profiles and blogs
GOOGLE AUTHORSHIP! HOORAY!

32. PART SEVEN
Google Communities

33. GOOGLE+ COMMUNITIES
Google+ communities are a great place to make friends.
Both Pages and profiles can create and join communities and interact with
anyone within the community.

34. GOOGLE+ COMMUNITIES
Google+ communities drive traffic
back to your site!
Notice how mobile Facebook is
higher than Google+, but Google+
is higher than regular Facebook?
It’s all coming together, now.

35. GOOGLE+ COMMUNITIES
But don’t get greedy.
Communities can remove posts
they think are spammy.
Too much of this and you could
get banned from a community,
and everyone will see and it will
be embarrassing.

36. The End!
HAPPY PI(E) DAY!

37. QUESTIONS
by: Lindsay Mineo | March 14, 2014
Thanks!