<\/p>\n

In the world of social media, many internet users have yet to try out or are still new to Google+. First launched in 2011, the site has over 540 million users but almost half do not use it for social networking purposes, according to\u00a0The New York Times<\/a>. If you have Google, then you have a Google+ profile, which is located at\u00a0plus.google.com.<\/p>\n

As a home improvement contractor, you’re probably wondering: Where is the value in being part of this network? Well, for starters, Google is the most used search engine in the world. Well written posts on Google+, which contain relevant keywords, will show up in search results for people in your network. The more frequently you post, and the more relevant your posts are, the better your chances are of showing up in search results.<\/p>\n

Second, Google+ allows its users to create author profiles. If you are a home improvement company that writes blogs and news articles (and you should be!), your name and Google+ profile picture will display alongside the content in search results. Not only are you building authority and credibility by utilizing Google Authorship, you’re increasing the chances that people will click the link and head to your site. According to the Online Marketing Institute<\/a>, some companies have even seen their click through results double because of adding authorship!<\/p>\n

Another reason to use Google+ is because of its integration with YouTube, which is also owned by Google. You can add videos right into your Google+ posts, and any comments that people leave will show up back in YouTube. You can also use Google+ and YouTube to live stream events, such as a webinar or major company announcement.<\/p>\n

Like other social networks, Google+ uses profiles, comments, hashtags, social share buttons, and Likes \u2013 or in this case, +1s. Unlike other social networks, you can tailor your messages to specific audiences. Google+ allows you to create Circles, or groups of people, within your network. You can also join communities, such as this Home Improvement group which has thousands of members. Using Google+, you\u2019re able to connect with current and prospective customers, share content from your website or company blog, and engage in conversations with likeminded people within your industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  In the world of social media, many internet users have yet to try out or are still new to Google+. First launched in 2011, the site has over 540 million users but almost half do not use it for social networking purposes, according to\u00a0The New York Times. If you have Google, then you have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9,34],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10842","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"category-social-media-marketing-for-contractors","9":"category-contractor-websites","10":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n