Google+ Still Long Way To Go To Win Marketers Trust

Although many reports suggest that marketers have an increasing interest in Google+, the truth is that the social platform still has a long way to go before becoming a major competitor to others like Facebook, especially when it comes to number of users and dwell time.

I read recently that major retailers, in particular, do not think very highly of the platform. However, there is still a chance for Google+ to start playing significant role in search ranking results in the long run.

A recent research from e-Consultancy, jointly conducted with NetBooster, polled 315 client-side marketers and 200 agencies. Results show that they have different attitudes towards Google+ and its impact on performance. It appears that agencies are more aware of the medium’s impact on campaigns; a clear majority said they knew it could affect them, which is in sharp contrast with the 63% of client-side marketers admitting they didn’t understand how Google+ impacts search campaigns. While agencies do understand how the platform influences search rankings, 51% of the sample claims the impact is rather neutral. Some 20% of agencies said the impact was positive and none of them believed it was negative.

When asked to elaborate on the perceived factors that impact search rankings when using Google+, agencies lauded its power to deliver greater visibility and improve click-through rates. Some also believe the medium ensures higher rankings for those using Google+ accounts and have social share icons on their blogs.