Setting up Google+ for your eCommerce Site

In late June 2013, Google released a subtle shift in language in their Webmaster guidelines. Previously, the text read:

In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by increasing the number of high-quality sites that link to their pages.

This suggested that Google believed better websites had more people linking to them. Therefore, to artificially inflate the value of your website in Google’s eyes, all you had to do was create lots and lots of links to your website: “link building.”

Now, that same language reads:

In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by creating high-quality sites that users will want to use and share.

This is an important shift. Most read this change to suggest that Google believes now that better website have better social signals – more shared pages, more “friends” in social networking services. No doubt Google will be placing more weight on its Google+ social sharing service as a ranking-driver.

As Google+ is seeing an increased importance, SimplePart wants to make sure you are set up correctly for your eCommerce site. Please continue for step-by-step instructions on signing up for your G+ page.

Open up your web browser. The Simplepart team recommends Internet Explorer 8, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Go to www.google.com. Your page may differ slightly from the one shown above but you are looking for the "sign in" button in the top right hand corner.

If you have a Google+ account, please sign in.

If not, you can sign up for a new Google+ connected account. You can even use your existing email address and tie it to a Google+ profile and page.

After signing in or signing up, click on the top left corner of the page - on the "+You" link. The screen above is showing the dashboard within Google+. From this dashboard, you have control over many of the different functions of Google.

Select "Pages" from the Dashboard to create your eCommerce business page. Once doing so, click on the blue button for "Create Page".

Select the category for your eCommerce site. Typically our customers prefer to list themselves as a business for better visibility on Google.

Locate your eCommerce brick and mortar address by putting in the requested information. Business pages require a physical address to be the most effective.

After confirming your address, you will be taken to your newly created page. Please note that you are now able to add additional managers to post to your page.

Select the "Managers" button to add the Simplepart Social Media team as a manager of your new page.

Click "Add Managers".

Enter the Social Media Team email to the "Add Managers" pop up box. We will confirm the email and begin posting to your new eCommerce page.

Among the options of your newly created page is the "Business Information" page - making sure that the information is correct and matches your other Social Media accounts is important.

In our next blogpost, we will cover both Facebook and Twitter sign ups.