A lot of local business owners that I speak to are often really sceptical about social networks. Just like you they don’t have the time, there’s other more important things they need to focus on. 
But Google+ is definitely the one social network that I would always recommend having a business presence on.
Why is Google Plus great for business?
Google plus is very similar to the likes of Facebook and Twitter. You have followers, you can follow other people and businesses. But there are some key benefits:
- It can improve your Google SEO click-through rate if you optimise your Google Plus page itself, through your description and your photos.
- It can improve your Google SEO click-through rate if you get your best customers to review you.
What’s the best way for you to get started with Google Plus? Setting up a page is easy. Once you’ve done that…
One of the easiest ways to use Google Plus is to share / link to content that you add to your website. 
So, when you write an interesting, valuable news item that’s going to provide value to your potential customers (you are blogging on your website aren’t you?), share it on Google Plus as well. This will widen the potential reach of your piece of content and provide you with another backlink to your website, benefiting your website’s search presence.
2) Get your best customers to review your business
Have you seen local business listings on Google, and they have star ratings and customer reviews associated with them? Getting your customers to leave reviews on your business Google Plus page is how you achieve this. 
Take a look at ours (shown above) when you search Google for ‘web design company dorset’. When potential customers do a search on Google (and your page is optimised), your star rating will help make you stand out from your competition and increase your click-through rate. I still can’t believe how many business owners aren’t taking advantage of this!
3) Optimise your Google Plus business page description
Once your page is set up on Google Plus, be sure to take time writing the ‘description’. 
This should be an introduction to your business, but think about including the key phrase you’d like the homepage of your website to be found for – for example “accountants in salisbury”.
4) Add photos to your profile
Often, when you search for a company directly by name in Google, you’ll get their business page show up on the right-hand side of the results. Here your reviews / ratings will show, so that’s another reason point #3 above is so important. BUT, you’ll also see photos. These are the photos you’ve uploaded to your business’s Google Plus page. 
Here’s a quick look at the photos someone will see when they click our logo in the screenshot above. 
Adding photos just makes you stand out and allows a potential client to get a feel for what your offices are like, what your people are like, and if you work in a visual field, count your blessings because you can showcase your work here too!
I hope you can see from these quick tips that Google Plus is worthwhile for business owners. Once you’ve got your page set up, it really doesn’t take a lot of management. It’s more about developing a habit of sharing content you publish on your website, engaging in a few discussions on other pages and finding a prime time to ask your lovely clients for a review.
