Why Google+ Matters to Real Estate Agents

I have been invited to speak on Google+/Google Hangouts this week and wanted to share some interesting aspects of my research. For those who may not know, yes Google+ is owned by Google. It is a relatively young social network at just less than 4 years old but has over 350 million active users! Some estimates have the number of total users close to 1 billion. (believe it or not, Google is a little tight-lipped about their accounts.) With numbers like these and other reasons listed below, Google+ could be your Social Media Secret Weapon. 

So What Exactly is Google+?

Google+ is said to be the social layer of all Google Applications and this is one of the main reasons for its quick rise in active users. This can also give some insight into the large number of perceived inactive users too. For example, do you have an android phone? If so, you have a Google Profile with access to a Google+ account. This means even if you do not have an active Google+ account, it is simply a few clicks away. If you use Google Chrome, another of Google's many applications, you may recall the small +you or +Chris (your name) button in the upper right corner of the start screen. This link is also on your Gmail inbox screen. These are one-click buttons to access your Google+ account. They have made is pretty simple and seamless to find and use your Google+ account, chances are some of you will click the button now... and with good reason.

The New Social Network?

A recent article displays a great case for having a Google+ account. It mentions the direction of social media as a whole. For example, do you remember the small social media site Instagram? Facebook purchased it because of its image sharing capability, especially through mobile devices. Google+ already has this capability. Couple this with Google+ Hangouts and you essentially have a social media site where you can store photos, video chat and here is the kicker...NO PAID ADS!!

What can Google+ do for Me? 

Google+ is one of the best ways to increase search engine optimization. Like other social networks, it should be a place to meet and chat with other people about interesting topics. Google+ has a few advantages for SEO like index-able pages, Search+YourWorld, and its association with Google Local. However, this is not a good strategy if you are not acting socially. Overall, great content is still the best strategy for SEO results on Google+. This brings me to the main fact when it comes to real estate, SEO, and Google+ - It can be easy after it is hard.

Keep the faith with Google+, practice often...

I know I will have some agents who will get all excited about the prospects of using Hangouts to video chat with inbound clients. I know they will immediately start posting on Google+ the next day and wait for the results. I know they will even use it to join groups and chat with other agents across the country. The one thing most will not do is dodge the fact of all real estate business. It is going to be hard at first, and it will get easier.

Google+ Presentation