Why you need a Google Plus profile and how to make the most of it

Are you:

• A beginning blogger just starting out?
• A young (year to two years blogging) or casual blogger vying to get traffic and attention?
• A seasoned blogger with traffic, attention, and some money rolling in?

If you are one of the mentioned, do you want to know why you need a Google Plus profile and how to make the most of it? If so, keep reading…

My Experience

I fall into the young blogger category. I am committed to writing, committed to blogging, and committed to the audience that I do have. Here’s what happened for me this past week as a result of being more active on Google Plus:

• My average visits per day have rose from 10 to 27. That is almost a 300% increase in traffic!
• My largest traffic day was 31 views which rose to 54 views this past week! As a young blogger hustling for attention, this excites me!
• I have connected with other bloggers, and began to learn from each of them.
• I have started down the road of awesomeness with a mastermind group called Forward Thinkers – check out An Awesome Benefit of Social Media Connections In Your Local Community and Beyond.

Why You Need A Google Plus Profile

• Well… Increased traffic is always nice. My 300% increase is huge, however, even for a 25% increase it will still be worth it.
• Improved click through rate in search results. Using authorship you can link your photo to show in search engine results. Having your photo in search results increases your chances of being clicked on.
• Improved Search Engine Result Positioning – Read more on Why Google+ will be critical for your blogs success in 2013.
• Simple way to network with other bloggers. Communities enable people to learn from and grow with each other.  Read more on Google Communities – The Good and the Ugly

How To Make The Most of Google+

Increased traffic sounds nice, and networking is interesting. Ok then – Some nuts and bolts for your Google Plus experience:

Upload a profile picture

It’s hard to take you serious as a blogger if your missing a profile photo.

Engage

I’ve heard it mentioned 75% of people on Google Plus are not active. If all you do is create a profile, upload a photo, then +1 your posts to the public; you’ll not receive any benefit.

Take it slow, but be steady 

Don’t sign up and enter a bunch of communities right away. Start with one, yes one. You want to build relationship and connection with other people. This takes time, and commitment to responding in conversations. If you join too many communities, you’ll spread yourself too thin, and you’ll receive no value from any of them. Trust me, if you’re not yet a full-time blogger and are working a day job, keeping up with some people on G+ is hard work. However, I think in moderation, it will be worth the hard work and time investment.

Don’t spam communities

When you join the community it is normally good etiquette to introduce yourself to the group. It is acceptable and encouraged to give your background information and a link to your webpage. Then stop with the links. Build community rapport first. Don’t ask for link exchanges. Don’t let your second post ask for feedback from the community on your blog. Build relations within the community. A good rule of thumb is one relevant link post per every ten to fifteen interactions. If it takes you a week to interact ten times, then wait a week to post your next link.

Don’t lose yourself in G+

Make sure you keep focused on building great content for your own site. Interaction will be exciting, and you may shift focus to Google Plus instead of your blog. Remember, Google Plus is something to help you, it is not your main focus.

Man up (or Lady Up) and write guest posts  

Once you’ve built relationships and made good connections, guest post opportunities will come your way. People in the community you’re a part of will ask for help at some point, or flat out say they would like guest posts from people within the community. Do yourself a favor, take the hour or two, and write a quality post for them. It helps them, builds your relationship; and ultimately helps your blog as well.

Join a Blogging Mastermind Group or start your own

Once you’ve connected (I hope your catching the value of relationships), you may receive a request to join a blogging mastermind group.  Editor’s Note: I’ve referred to these in the past as blogging networks. These are closed communities which are dedicated to helping each member increase their platform. There will most likely be specific rules regarding post quality, length, social sharing, commenting, and group posting which need to be followed.

These guidelines are to encourage interaction and foster relationships with other members. Note: These mastermind groups are not an agreement to share a bunch of links and comments at will.

Mastermind groups are more support oriented, nurturing a learning atmosphere, providing valuable feedback, and creating opportunities for personal growth. This is a heavy commitment, but an awesome experience. If you haven’t yet, check out An Awesome Benefit of Social Media Connections In Your Local Community and Beyond. You’ll read a little about Forward Thinkers, a blogging mastermind group which yours truly, along with Larry Deane (the owner of this blog), Michael Belk, Lynnae McCoy, and Charity Rowell, are active in growing.

Your Move:

Are you active on Google Plus? What communities or practices do you find helpful? If you’re not – Are you going to start a Google Plus profile? Let us know by sharing your thoughts in the comments below.

This article is written by Brad Andres. Brad writes on his blog BradAndres.com thoughts, questions, comments, and explanations on God, Bible, and Life. His passion is to help people understand the Bible and maximize their God-given potential for life. Circle him on Google+. Follow him on Twitter. Find him on Facebook.