Is 2013 the year that Google+ hits the big time?
Over the last 18 months, Google+ has quietly built up an astonishing 235 million active users. That puts it right behind Facebook, and just ahead of Twitter, as the second most popular social network in the world.
Google+’s astonishing growth (last year at this time they had just 90 million active users) is no accident and it’s not likely to slow down. Here’s a few of the reasons why Google + is an unstoppable social media machine.
Google+ is SEO Gold
It’s no secret that Google+ postings get indexed fast and rank well. SEOMoz blogger Cyrus Shepard points out, Google + profiles almost always outrank Facebook and Twitter profiles and for good reason, Google knows SEO.
Some say Google is gaming the system, and that’s debatable. What’s not debatable is that Google+ posting are SEO gold and that’s only going to fuel the social network’s growth.
It’s a Google World
Google has a captive audience of 435 million active Gmail users who are slowly being turned into Google + users. Throw in Google’s 68% share of the search market and 23% of the browser market and Facebook’s billion + user base is a lot less impressive.
The Google eco-system is the perfect platform for promoting Google + and it’s an advantage Twitter and Facebook just don’t have.
And then there’s the Androids.
Sales of Android powered smart phones are outselling their iOS counterparts by a hefty margin and don’t appear to be slowing down. The rise of the Androids, along with an elegant mobile app, means that Google + has a major toehold in the fast growing mobile market that’s only going to grow.
Privacy
Privacy issues are huge in social media circles and that’s one area where Google+ outshines Facebook in a big way. Google’s Data Liberation features make it easy for users to pull all their info off the network. Easy-to-use privacy controls also allow users who stay on Google + a level of control that Facebook users just don’t feel.
Over time, the privacy factor will only work in Google Plus’ favor.
Affiliates and Google+
Gaming affiliates have a real love/hate relationship with Google, and many of them have stayed away from Google+. But if you’ve been burned by Penguin and Panda, Google + is a free, easy-to-use SEO tool that comes complete with Google’s blessings and that’s tough to beat.
Finally
The internet stars are aligning with Google+ and its continued rise seems inevitable. Affiliates who don’t get on board with Google + now are missing out on a good deal.
How have you integrated Google+ into your social strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.