Get Ready for the Google+ 'Pages' Ripple Effect Through Media

Sarah Sikowitz The Google +1 button is quickly pervading the web, allowing users to explicitly endorse brands on their natural search results and even on Google paid search and display ads. With this week's launch of Google Brand Pages, these endorsements now feed into a brand's Google+ profile and contribute to ad targeting algorithms. This is a huge move by Google, and will have major implications for Google advertisers if +1 usage continues to rise. Similar to Facebook's "Like" button, the +1 is a form of endorsement by a user of a brand or web page. Google has stated that their advertising algorithm will start to factor in a user's +1 history, as well as the history of people in a user's Circles. The launch of the Google+ Brand Profile increases the impact of +1s on advertising in two important ways: It's hard to overstate the significance of this. Google is telling us that the days of planning, optimizing and measuring paid media performance in a vacuum, independent of earned or owned media, are over. A marketer's Brand Page might impact the performance of their paid search campaign, which might also have an impact on what appears in natural search results. For anyone who has spent time helping marketers understand how to use Facebook to reach their audiences, this is old news; Facebook advertising and Facebook Pages work very well together. But as the largest online advertising player, Google's play here is critical. Measuring this interaction and influence will be key to help marketers better plan for this integrated, cross-channel future. Facebook and Nielsen teamed up to measure this through the BrandLift Study. Given the tremendous amount of data sitting within Google, we anticipate a measurement solution from them as well. A relationship requires an investment in time and attention, as well as continuous focus. Google+ Brand Pages are a place where brands can do this. They will be a hub for Brands to start interacting with their audience within Google's already existing network. In order to impact paid search and display, brands will need to create content that engages the audience and maximizes interactions. Brands that do this successfully will have a truly integrated marketing program – with each piece playing a critical role in fueling performance.

Get Ready for the Google+ 'Pages' Ripple Effect Through Media

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