Did you know that more than 540 million users are active are Google+ today? 

Google My Business (formerly known as Google Places) is a subset of Google through which a business can claim a listing and provide extra information for
Google to then display when a business or location is searched. Almost 50% of all Google searches are location based or local and Google Places helps
to steer searches in your direction.

Optimizing your company with the tools provided by Google is a simple and indispensable step. Google+ (or Google Plus) is Google’s social networking site
that aims to associate an individual or company with everything that they write and produce. Google+ Pages are profiles set up specifically by companies
or organizations in order to connect them with their fans and customers. Within Google+ you can create a user profile with the usual bells and whistles
along with an identity service section that allows you to link with all of your other accounts or sites on the internet. This can further connect each
aspect of your company and help consumers locate more information about you. Google+ allows you to establish what are called “Circles” of contacts
further increasing the control you have over who sees your content and what content you get to see. Finally, Google+ offers “Hangouts” which are free
video conferences that can support up to 10 people. This great feature can be helpful when you need to have impromptu meetings within your company
on the go. Most importantly, having followers of your Google+ profile can boost your Google search ranking and the more +1s (Google + equivalent of
a “like” on Facebook) you have, the better your ranking will be.

Another excellent feature managed by Google is Google My Business. After signing up for this service, your business will be connected to the Search, Maps,
and Google+ parts of Google, across all device platforms. Essentially, what Google My Business does is to create a business card for your company that
appears whenever searched. Generally this will contain your company’s name, address, phone number, and hours of operation. Other options include features
such as customer ratings to show how highly you are ranked among similar businesses. Google My Business is free and easy to manage. You can edit your
provided information, get feedback from customers, and share any updates about your product. Signing up for Google My Business increases your chances
of showing up when searched in Google by providing another avenue of information for Google to provide its users. Furthermore, it allows you to track
customer reviews, ratings, and usage over time. By utilizing the subprograms folded into having a Google account, you can easily boost the rank status
of your company online.