Google+ Shuts Down April 2—Time to Shift to Google My Business

Google’s plans to shut down Google+ for consumers is coming to a head as the company has set an April 2 deadline for its closure and subsequent deletion of all Google+ content. This will effectively end all small business outreach and marketing efforts via the Google+ platform, though such efforts have generally been on the wane for months. As previously reported by Naples, Florida-based Moxxi Marketing, Google is shutting down the platform due to limited adoption by Google users and issues relating to a data bug. In preparation for this action, Moxxi Marketing has been assisting small business clients who use Google+ with their migration into using the many features offered by Google My Business (GMB).    

Important Dates Leading Up to Google+ Shut Down

While April 2 marks the end of Google+ as a working entity, Google is phasing in the shutdown and many of its features will become unavailable before the deadline. In fact, as early as February 2, you will no longer be able to create new Google+ profile pages, communities or events. The Google+ feature for commenting on their own or other sites will be removed from Blogger by February 4th and from other sites by March 7. If you sign in to sites and apps using Google+, the buttons for this feature will stop working in the coming months, but will be replaced in some cases by a Google sign-in button to ensure access to Google accounts.

Those with Google+ accounts should download and save their content as desired by the April 2 deadline. Google+ Community owners and moderators can begin downloading and saving community data now, and additional data—such as author, body, and photos for every community post—will be available for download in early March. Note that photos and videos already back up in Google Photos will not be deleted.

The process for content deletion from consumer Google+ accounts, Google+ Pages, and Album Archive will take several months. Thus, users may still see parts of their Google+ account via activity log. G Suite customers may also continue to see some Google+ content until consumer Google+ is completely deleted. Google+ as included in G Suite accounts should remain active.

Turn to Google My Business for Your Online Marketing Strategy   

If you run a small business that has utilized Google+ you should take the following actions, if you have not already done so:

• Discontinue social activity on Google+.
• Remove Google+ share and follow buttons from your website and blog.
• If you operate a Google+ Community, migrate it to a different platform, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and notify Community members of the transition.
• Encourage your Google+ followers to join with you on other platforms.

Last, if you have relied in part on Google+ as part of your online marketing strategy, consider turning to Google My Business for even more exposure. GMB represents the best means of ensuring that your business is prominently featured throughout all Google products and platforms. Not only does GMB significantly boost Internet search rankings, but also provides numerous innovative means of interacting and connecting with your existing and potential customer base.  

To learn more about Google My Business and its many useful small business features, contact Moxxi Marketing. Our team of marketing experts has a long-held track record of helping companies successfully launch and maintain online marketing campaigns that achieve solid, measurable results. We are experts at utilizing Google in our campaigns, and keep up to date with all emerging digital media trends, to make sure that your online presence is always producing results. From full-service social media marketing to targeted campaigns, Moxxi Marketing can boost your social media status and online presence. Contact us today at 239.228.8837.