Maile Ohye of Google explains in this excellent video why Google+ is so important for your overall web presence. Watch the video and then review our comments at the end of this blog post.
My Comments
Google+ is much more than a personal social networking page, but it does start with the creation of your profile page. You can use Google+ Circles to decide what gets shown to people based on your intimacy level. Keep a Circle for your personal updates and a Circle for business. Choose what works best for you.
You don’t have to put everyone who follows you into a Circle.
Hangouts are audio video group chats. You can connect with up to 10 people where you can see their face and they yours. Hangouts can be recorded public or private. So you can use these as conference seminars.
Google+ posts that are more heavily visited will be pushed to the top of your Google+ stream; allowing popular posts to be seen more frequently.
Google+ allows you to see the impact of your posts using Ripples. Hit play on the left corner to see how your post has been spread on the Web.
The Google +1 button allows you to build a reputation on the Web. In search results you can +1 things you like. You can see what others in your network have liked too. This works on AdWords ads too. When you see friends and connections have liked a product, website, or ad you have the confidence to buy, shop, or view as well.
Google’s key is to return the most relevant search results, Google+ takes into account the number of +1 votes of a page or website in their algorithm.
When you are searching on Google.com, Google integrates Google+ posts, Google+ Circles and those you follow, as well as +1 from connections within your own personal search results.