Google+ is Going, Going, Gone

Did you see that viral post on Google+ the other day? No, neither did we. And due to the consistent lack of use of this social network since its launch in 2011, Google+ will be going away for good sometime around August 2019.

The nail in Google+’s coffin was a 2018 security breach: about half a million profiles had data exposed as a result from a bug in an API. That data includes names, emails, and demographic information. Yikes.

This incident is just one of a mile-long list of recent security hacks in recent history, contributing to the privacy debate discussion and call for federal regulation.

But back to G+’s resignation…

What does this mean for you and your social property? Well, Google said “Over the coming months, we will provide consumers with additional information, including ways they can download and migrate their data.”

While we wait for further instructions, we advise that you start taking inventory of where you currently display a Google+ icon: website, business cards, email signatures, and especially, print materials. If anything is going to print in the next several weeks or months, make sure your designer removes that icon.

A Google presence you can focus on, especially if local search is important to you or you have a brick and mortar location, is Google My Business. Claim your location, update all of the necessary information, add photos, and encourage reviews. This will help you show up at the top of the search engine result page (SERP) because Google will serve up your My Business listing on the right-hand sidebar, known as a “Knowledge Panel”.

Social media and search engine optimization have been and will always be mutable forces. It can be frustrating always trying to “keep up”. But think of these elements as “evolving” rather than “fickle” and it may help you enjoy the chase.