So, it turns out that Google+ isn’t the social media revolution that everybody thought it was going to be. Facebook is still reigning supreme and no major shift appears to be on the horizon. The search engine juggernaut isn’t going gently into that good night though, Google is shoehorning other services into Google+ so that you pretty much HAVE to use it.

Clever girl.

For Auto dealer search engine optimization, Google+ is a must. This is because one of the features they built into it is Google+ Local (formerly called ‘places’). As a local or regional business, you NEED Google+ Local, and to get Google+ Local, you need to have a personal account on Google+. It’s all very circular, but Google didn’t raise no fools.

You need Google+ Local because it can singlehandedly put you on page one of search results. We’ve seen brand new companies with no other SEO jump above long-standing sites just by creating their Google+ Local page. You know when you search, and near the top you get business listings with map-marker pins, contact numbers, and directions? That’s Google+ Local. What’s more, if you mouse-over the listings, you can give other crucial info like store photos and hours.

Just be sure to use your keywords when you create your Google+ Local page. You can write custom content as well as select from predefined business categories. A good rule of thumb is to take a look at businesses who are ranking for what you want to rank for, and see what categories they have selected.

They can be a little tricky to set up, so if you need any help just contact Wikimotive for a free evaluation of your needs and advice on how to improve your listing!