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It was only a matter of time. Yesterday, All About Content revealed that Google+ posts had started to appear in Google.com organic search results for some Google+ business accounts that have been approved for Direct Connect. These Google+ results appear for both Google+ users and non-users. In other words, even if searchers do not have a Google+ account, they will still see Google+ results for their searches.
Furthermore, users who are logged into Google+ will also be presented with an "Add to circles" button above the most recent Google+ search results, making it easy for users to find and follow Google+ business pages directly through Google.com search.
These Google+ post results appear directly below the results for a brand's website. They are accompanied by the time stamp, the number of +1 votes it received, as well as the comment counts for the post.
While there has been no official announcement from Google about the addition of Google+ posts in organic search results, we can guess they're testing it and rolling out the feature slowly. While only Direct Connect-enabled Google+ accounts seem to be showing Google+ posts in their organic search results, not every Direct Connect-enabled account seems to include this new feature.
Marketing Takeaway
Right now, Google is keeping this feature under lock and key. Besides the fact that not every Direct Connect-enabled account shows Google+ results, Google hasn't even granted Direct Connect status to every business account that has applied for it in the first place.
However, we can assume that Google will ultimately make Direct Connect and Google+ posts in search results available to all. This assumption makes it even more important for businesses to create their Google+ business page and start leveraging it. As we've previously speculated, it's now becoming increasingly more obvious that the implications of Google+ are not just for social media, but also for search. Those businesses that neglect to create a presence in the new social network could be at a disadvantage versus their competitors not only in social media, but now also search.
Create your Google+ Page today, and start utilizing it to share you content and connect with prospects and customers. And once Google adds Google+ results to all listings, you'll be ready and raring to take advantage of that important piece of real estate, too.
Have you created a Google+ Page for your business yet? Follow HubSpot's Google+ Page for the latest tips on using Google+ for business.
