How Google Plus Could Change SEO - More Information from Google Plus

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Of course, one of the easiest places on Google+ from which Google can get information about you is your profile data. This is where you can fill in your occupation, employment history, education, where you've lived, your birthday, and your gender. Are you associated with any web pages or websites? You can add those links. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this is called demographics data, and it's incredibly valuable to advertisers.

Chappell next mentions Google+ Hangouts as a possible function from which Google might garner useful data for its algorithm. He describes it as a group voice chat, and points out that some companies in the group video industry transcribe the conversations. He thinks that Google might be able to “listen” to the conversations on Google+ Hangouts and get useful data for ad targeting from them. I'm not quite so certain – in part because I foresee a major PR/privacy stink for Google if they're doing that and word of it ever gets out (and these things always get out). On the other hand, Google Romance, an old April Fool's Day joke from the company, suggests one possibility: contextual ads during the chat. It's unlikely, of course, but it wouldn't be the first time such a hoax got brought into the real world in some form.

Chappell suggests that Google could also use localization to aid its ad and search result targeting. Google+ happens to be integrated with Google Mobile right out of the box – and you can easily use the GPS to set your location. This makes it easy to target users based on their location – an option that advertisers will certainly appreciate.

Finally, Chappell suggests that photos on Google+ may be used by robot spiders with facial recognition to indicate a social bond between people. It's possible, but  I'm a little more skeptical; if that's the case, Google's own Matt Cutts will need to be a little more careful about who he's photographed with. Still, as Chappell indicates, it's one way that Google might try to understand who you're connected with in the real world. Of course, it's not the only way, and it shouldn't be thought of as a standalone signal.

Indeed, Chappell makes it clear that none of these signals are likely to be treated as if they exist in a vacuum when he gives an example of how the search engine might work once it taps into data from Google Plus. Say a user with a Google+ account starts a search. His Google+ activity tells Google that he's interested in the outdoors, snorkeling, organic food, green energy and gardening. He searches for “How to garden,” and what kind of results do you suppose he'll get?

Chappell things that “he will be served with results that are skewed with articles that discuss organic gardening and gardening with a low impact on the earth...Sites that might never have ranked before in the top 10, now are ranking because they have data that Google+ interpreted as the most relevant 'Top 10' result.”

What does this mean for SEOs? If you thought you could avoid engaging on social sites and still rank on Google, give that idea up right now. Maybe you can, but you're going to have to do it by being the best in your niche (which is not a bad strategy for the long term in any case). On the other hand, if you're advertising with Google, you just might be able to get even more targeted traffic. And on the third hand, over time you may have to consider what a top ranking on Google means; you not only have to ask “for what keyword?” but “for which users?” It's not the death of SEO by any means, but it could be the end of SEO “tricks” and “gimmicks.” Good luck!

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