SEO for Google+ Profiles, Pages, Local, Communities & Updates

Want to maximize your visibility in Google's search results? This Google+ SEO guide explains how to optimize your profile, page, local, communities, and even your updates for specific keywords – as well as how Google handles outgoing links.

Google+ Profile Optimization

First, let’s look at Google+ profiles.

SEO Title

The SEO title for your Google+ profile is your name followed by Google+.

Meta Description

The meta description for your Google+ profile begins with your name followed by your tagline, occupation, current employer, current location, and first part of your introduction as framed in red in the above image. Anything after 160 characters gets cut off in search results, so keep that in mind. In my case, everything after my location is beyond the character limit.

Dofollow Links

Highlighted in yellow are the areas of your Google+ profile where you can get dofollow links back to your website. Previously, all links on your Google+ profile were dofollow, but now only the ones in your Introduction and links to other sites are. Links to your Other Profiles and Contributor To sections are now marked nofollow.

Google+ Page Optimization

Next, let’s look at Google+ pages.

SEO Title

Again, the name of your page will be the SEO title, followed by Google+

Meta Description

The meta description of your page will be your page name, followed by your page’s tagline and then the first part of the introduction.

Dofollow Links

Dofollow links from your page can be obtained within the introduction and other links section. The official linked website on your page is marked as nofollow.

Google+ Local Optimization

If you have a local business page on Google+, the on-site optimization isn’t as exciting as profiles or regular pages.

SEO Title

The SEO title of your local business page is the name of your business followed by Google+.

Meta Description

The meta description of your local business page is the description you enter about your business. If you haven’t claimed your local business page on Google+, you will want to do this so you can fill in this section.

Dofollow Links

Unfortunately, the linked website for your local business is a nofollow link. Unlike profiles and regular pages, you are not able to add links to your description. Nofollow or not, the fact that it appears in local search results and Google maps makes it worth it to claim your page and add it.

Google+ Community Optimization

Finally, there are Google+ communities.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of on-site optimization beyond the community name in the SEO title. While you can add links to the community’s description to drive traffic, they are nofollow links.

Google+ Updates

Can you optimize your Google+ updates for specific keywords? Absolutely!

SEO Title

The SEO title for your update starts with the name of your profile or page, followed by Google+ and then the beginning of the status update itself.

Meta Description

The meta description of your update is the main text of the update, as framed in the above image.

Dofollow Links

When you use the link-specific status update, the link will be dofollow. If you post a photo and then add the link within the update text, it is marked as nofollow.

Why On-Site SEO Matters on Google+

If you want people to be able to discover your profile, page, business, or community on Google+, then you’ll want to know what elements of each Google+ property are most important. By analyzing what Google chooses to use to optimize each property for search, you can find out what you need filled in and where you need to place your keywords for maximum results.

On Google+, the things that count toward where your Google+ property will appear in search results are whether the person is connected to your property (following, a member of, etc.) and the name of your profile, page, business, or community.

After the name, having keywords in your tagline, occupation, and introduction also seem to help your property rank well in search results on Google+.

In regular Google search results, Google+ profiles and pages tend to rank on the first page in branded searches.

They also come up as additional information to the right of search results, along with the latest status update posted to the profile or page.

And last, but not least, if you have connected your Google+ profile to your content using Google+ authorship, your profile will get additional exposure wherever your content appears in search. Likewise, your content will get additional clicks by those who recognize you as the author.

Have you optimized your Google+ profiles, pages, businesses, and communities for search? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments!

Bringing Together Paid, Owned and Earned Media
Sept. 10-13, 2013: With a newly announced, completely renovated agenda,
SES San Francisco could be the most valuable online marketing conference you attend this year. Register today and save up to $400!
*Early Bird rate expires August 15.