SO you’ve heard people talking about Google+, but you’re not sure exactly what it is? Is it just Google?

Don’t worry – you’re with the vast majority of small businesses who are just starting to look into Google+ to see what it’s all about and how it can be used for their business.

Basically, Google+ is another instrument in your social media toolkit.

Bringing together all of Google’s services under one easy to use system, it can help you to get your message out effectively and cheaply to a whole new audience.

Google+ also brings with it a multitude of extra benefits, particularly target specific marketing and an increased emphasis on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Sharing content and showing appreciation by encouraging others to ‘+1’ your content on Google+ works basically the same way as Facebook ‘likes’, but the impact on your SEO efforts is far greater as Google favours sites that have received more social credibility from others.

Search engines rate what ‘real’ people do (rather than computers and robots) very highly.

Therefore, because social networks are used by real people, revealing what they genuinely like and feel is worth sharing, liking, retweeting or +1’ing, it’s not surprising that search engines rank social media indicators, (particularly Google rating Google+), so highly.

The SEO benefits are just the tip of the iceberg – Google+ is the fastest growing social network at the moment with more than 500 million users, and brings together all of Google’s services under one banner so there are lots of handy features at your disposal.

Google will be joining us in Ripon on Friday, December 12 for a special Google Juice Bar event discussing Google+, Google Adwords, Google Analytics and more.

Places are available free of charge for eligible businesses across York and North Yorkshire.

For further information, to check your eligibility and to book your FREE places, please visit www.sfny.co.uk, phone 0845 002 0021 or email enquiries@sfny.co.uk