Should UK websites expect any benefit from using Google+?

[mickburkesnr]

In several places, Google+ is talked about as something that should be used to help improve the SEO of websites and to engage better with audiences. The problem I am having with this is that these sources are usually from America, and that people I've spoken to in the UK don't even know Google+ exists.

So what I'd like to know, does Google+ give any sort of benefit to UK businesses in terms of SEO, even though it seems it's a platform used mostly in the USA?

[MoosaHemani]

If experts are discussing about any tactics (that does not specify location) usually means it works for anyone regardless of location. I mean guest blogging is a tactics that allow referral traffic to your blog, no matter where you are geographically no matter what your niche is, strategy will work for you.

As far as Google+ is concern, I am one of the believers that Google+ was another fail from Google after Google Buzz. As far as SEO benefits are concern, I don’t see much direct SEO benefits from Google plus even for Americans.

I think you only should be on Google+ when you have a community around you and you can interact with them to get some referral traffic. If your audience isn’t there what’s the point of investing and wasting time there!

Just a thought!

[RyanScollon]

Google+ is a great tool, if you are a local business. The truth is many people in the UK don't really use it as a social platform, but it is great for getting your business in front of people who are looking for a local shop or local service.

[SanjidaKazi]

I don't rate Google+ all that much.

We do it because.. well, just because. Probably the same reason you do it, but I don't believe it has helped in the slightest in terms of SEO benefit. It's nice that have that hub where you can feed your company information into Google but that's as far as it goes for us.

Might be wrong!

[mickburkesnr]

You make a good point, but how would you build an audience on Google+ if you don't invest your time on there? Otherwise you're relying on bringing traffic from other platforms to build up your community on there. I can see there are active users on there, but mostly in America.

[mickburkesnr]

Yeah I think this is the only benefit I see from it myself, that and the reviews that it provides. I know that Google deliver 2 G+ pages or posts on the first page of search results, whether the user has to be logged in to their "Google/Google+" account for this to happen I'm not sure of though.

[mickburkesnr]

In the 4 months we've been putting content on to our Google+ page, hashtagging it and posting on to UK communities we've had zero traffic from it. The same posts generate a good stream of traffic from LinkedIn and Twitter, so I think you're right. The information it provides to the searches are about the only use for it in my opinion.

[randfish]

Hi Mick - I'd say that if you're not finding value from Google+, I wouldn't worry about it. Google is investing less in it and unless you're in a community/niche where G+ is heavily used (travel, photography, online marketing are a few), probably best to put your effort elsewhere. The only real SEO benefit to G+ left is the personalization of SERPs, but that will only work if you have a large group following you who can be biased in their SERPs by their connection with you. Don't think it's geographically specific, but it's certainly niche-specific.

Best of luck!

[mickburkesnr]

Thanks Rand! I don't know many, well any, people in America so I couldn't work out whether G+ was a runaway success over there compared to here in the UK. But what you say makes total sense in regards to the communities that are heavily used.