building a powerful google+ network - smx west 2013
DESCRIPTION
Why Google+ may be the most powerful networking and influence tool among all social networks, and how you can make it work for you.TRANSCRIPT
Virante Web MarketingMark Traphagen - Director of Digital Outreach
Building aPowerfulGoogle+ Network
Virante Web MarketingMark Traphagen - Director of Digital Outreach
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This is me holding a mockup of the wheel of the Mars Curiosity Rover at the launch two years ago.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
This is Courtney Ramirez, a Google+ user.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
One day Courtney searched on Google to find a Quora page about Google Authorship.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
These were her top results.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
She recognized that the #2 result was from someone she knew and trusted.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Me!
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Why did she get this result? Because I’m in Courtney’s Google Contacts (G+ Circles and/or Gmail).
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
This is Google’s “Search + Your World” in action. The icon shows my result was boosted for Courtney because of our connection.
Image copyright © by Beshef http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharif/457552633/
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Google+ is the most powerful network for building influence because it extends your reach into Google search, and other Google entities.
Image copyright © by Jon Diez Supat /http:/www.flickr.com/photos/84651101@N00/3675154020/
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Google social network patents suggest that this reach can extend into one’s extended network: the contacts of people who are contacts of me. Thus Google+ posts are like seeds scattered by the wind.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen Here’s a recent search I did, logged out of Google.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Logged in to Google I get a much more useful result from a real person who seems to carry some authority.
1 - My Google+ post2 - Google+ page post3 - Another Google+ post by me4 - Share of Google+ post by friend5 - Home page of site6 - Inside page of site7 - Another page of site8 - Another page of site
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Google+ posts also help you claim more of Google’s valuable Search real estate. Here’s how we captured 8 of 10 1st page results for a week for “backlink removal tool,” a valuable keyword for our RemoveEm tool that helps sites recover from a Penguin penalty.
Feb 6, 2012
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Another feature of Google+ posts is that they can not only rank in search but last. This post of mine has been #1 or #2 for “google+ page analytics” for over a year now.
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
We need to stop thinking of social networks as just linear chains of friend connections, just because that’s how we experience them.
Image copyright © by Rebecca-Lee hhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/lorelei-ranveig/2294885420/
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
A Google+ network is more like the neural network in your brain. Every interaction you have there creates new pathways and connections all across Google.
Image copyright © by Dave Nicoll http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicoll/150272557/
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Let’s get practical: How do you build a powerful Google+ network?
Starter Tips
Image copyright © by Mike Schroeder http://www.flickr.com/photos/dialect/1363583973/
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
All Tips at bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Let’s start with some basics everyone should do. (These all apply for brand pages as well!)
1. Find Conversations
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Use Google+’s search to find good conversations on your topic of expertise, and enter in. TIP: On Google+, you don’t have to be circled by someone or circle them in order to comment on their public posts.
1a. Evaluate: GPlusData.com
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Use GPlusData.com to check out the popularity of people you find, segmented by KWs & demographics.
1a. Evaluate: CircleCount.com
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Further vet their popularity, who recommends them, and their average engagement with CircleCount.com
2. Find Communities
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Use the Communities filter in G+ search to find good communities where you can engage & get known.
Create Communities for Influence & Branding
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Both persons and brands can create and moderate Communities.
Communities Can Rank in Search!
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Communities themselves can even rank in Google search!
3. Watch the mentions
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
“Mentions” of others by influential users can be good clues for other people you should circle & engage.
3. Watch the mentions
Bonus Tip:
+mentions generate a notification to the mentioned user
bit.ly/gplusnetwork
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
And +mentioning someone in a post sends them a notification. Nice way to let an influencer know that you called positive attention to her!
Time to Level Up!
Imag copyright © by KD1s http://www.flickr.com/photos/kd1s/2738819787/
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Now on to some more advanced techniques for Google+ influence building.
1. Relevance sort
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Sort your circles by “relevance” to find out who engages with you the most.
2. Ripples
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Use Ripples on any post to discover who reshared it, and which of your resharers give you the most reach.
2. Ripples
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
In Ripples, the larger the name and circle, the farther “reach” that person gave your post. TIP: Use the Ripples right sidebar to go to the posts of your best influence-spreaders to thank them. That also keeps you in those conversations about your post.
3. Create Influencers & "Stalking" Circles
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Create “influencers” and “stalking” circles of people on whose radar you want to be. Periodically scan those circles for posts you can reshare or engage.
4. Detailed profile
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Fill out your profile in great detail, not only to establish your “creds” with people deciding whether to circle you, but also because your profile provides main keyword clues to Google to rank you in search.
5. Google Authorship
Google+ Authorship Community:bit.ly/AuthorshipCommunity
Mark Traphagen | Virante.org | @marktraphagen
Be sure to make use of Google Authorship so when you show up in people’s search results because of personalization, their eye is immediately drawn to your result. Also builds your personal brand.
Mark TraphagenDirector of Digital OutreachVirante.org
Google.com/+MarkTraphagen@MarkTraphagen
All My Google+ Guides:bit.ly/GplusGuides