Google Plus Profile Updates
Elissa Giroux
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My career began in the editorial department at a large publishing house in New York in the mid-90s. The web was so new that only the high-level managers at my company were allowed access. It would be a while before I could afford a modem of my own, but my interest in the web was born! Within a couple of years, I landed a job as a content editor with a well-known print and web publisher. Watching the web industry grow - and collapse - and continue to evolve over the past 15 years has been an adventure. My own web career has evolved, as well. My early exposure to search engine optimization piqued my interest in online marketing and discovering ways to use the web to serve business needs. Today I am still excited by the changing nature of my industry. Social media, mobile devices.... What will come next?

A New Look for Google+

On March 6, Google+ started rolling out a new design for profiles and pages (just one day before Facebook’s new News Feed design announcement). The most noticeable change is the size increase for Cover Photos. As with the Facebook Cover Photos, users were complaining that the size was really difficult to work with since it was so long and narrow. In order to solve the problem, Google has added an option to upgrade your cover photo to a much larger size. The new dimensions are 2120px by 1192px, a significant increase from the 940px by 180px it used to be.

Google also added a local Reviews tab, which shows all of the reviews about local businesses that you’ve written. This encourage visitors to start reviewing local shops and restaurants and sharing them with their friends.  If you prefer not to share these, they can be hidden in your settings.

Profiles have a new design too. Now, your About tab is divided into different sections including People, Story, Education, Work, Links, and Basic Info (for brands, it’s People, Story, Links & Contact Info).  This makes the profiles more colorful and easier to navigate.  You can also add skills to your profile in the section about your work history.

Although not all social media users are on Google+, its numbers are increasing.  Google has reported that 235 million users are using G+ to do things like +1 content (similar to Facebook’s “Like”) and video chat with friends, while 135 million are actively using it once a month. And with the updated profile and page design, more users might start jumping on board.  While it still isn’t as popular as Facebook, Google+ is gaining popularity.

Find out if your profile has been updated or take a look at the Union Street Media page and let us know what you think.  Do you like the new design or do you prefer the old style?

Looking to make your blog posts more interesting in search results? Read this article about setting up Google Authorship.

4 thoughts on “A New Look for Google+”

  1. Great info, I had not realised they had done this. I must get on and use my account more. The reviews is a great part.

  2. Great post on Google+ Allyson,

    I’ve been focusing on developing my Google+ profile in parallel with my Facebook profile but I do find my Facebook profile attracts more attention and followers.

    I love Google+ and the relevance it adds within the SERPS but it does appear to be lagging behind Facebook in its social following and adoption.

    Regards

    Phil

  3. Phil – I agree, it feels like there are a lot of brands on Google+ for the SEO value, but not a lot of social interaction between users. Thanks for the insight!

  4. Yes, Google continues to its looks, the recent changes gave the users with greater space for their banner and a new look for their profile pare. And the changes at Gmail are also remarkable such as the one with the new “Compose” feature.

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