Friday, January 31, 2014

Give your blog its own Google+ identity

You can give your creation a Google+ identity of its own
I will cut to the chase: Your blog can have its own page on Google+ that, for all intents and purposes, is a Google account without your name.

Google+'s "first and last name required" policy is a challenge if you blog anonymously or with an institutional or business or group identity.

If so, Google+ pages are designed for you.

I've been testing a Google+ identity for another blog of mine. Here are my key findings:
  • Google+ pages are, with some minor difference, the equivalent of G+ profiles, but for your blog, not for you.
  • They can have multiple managers, none of whom need be expressly named on the page.
  • A G+ page does not expose your own name unless you put it on the page.
  • Setup requires at least one page manager with a G+ profile.
  • In some ways, it's more work to use a G+ page to promote your blog than to use a personal profile—the choice is yours.
    Setup is tricky enough to deserve some forethought. But a Google+ page can do anything in relation to a blog that a regular Google account can do.

    Specifically, a G+ page can be a blog author or administrator, write blog posts, and leave comments—even regular Blogger comments—on any blog with comments enabled.

    Update: Such a page can even start a blog.

    These pages are intended for businesses, nonprofits, brands, web sites, and blogs.

    Nonetheless, in my judgment, it will be harder for most bloggers to attract a following to a page than to a personal profile on Google+. (Not impossible. Just more demanding.)

    You do need a Google+ profile to play, but that profile need not be associated with your blog.

    That's because all G+ pages must be managed by at least one G+ profile account. When you set the page up you will need to do so using a G+ profile that is an administrator of the blog

    But the profile does not need to be publicly associated with your blog, and the G+ page you create is not publicly linked to the profile (unless you add such a link to the page).

    So with a little careful planning you can keep your online identities separate using a Google+ page.

    Update: Here's how to set up a Google+ page.

    Public-domain image of puppeteer Bill Baird (R) and Charlemane in 1963.


    6 comments:

    1. Nice post..but can we transfer all our older post back in page?
      and how about Adsence i hope it is not supported to page?

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      1. @zubair, if I understand your first question, you can indeed promote older blog posts to a page, either from within Blogger or from the page itself.

        A page is just like a profile in that respect.

        As far as I know, you cannot put Adsense on Google+.

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    2. What I do is put my blog link in my Google+ comment post and it automatically makes it clickable and creates an automatic backlink and I'm rewarded by Google by getting my blog post indexed almost immediately, also I add a pic.

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      Replies
      1. Thanks Paul, that is good advice! Doing it that way also lets you add a little extra content to the G+ post so you are not just posting a link to your blog post.

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    3. A friend and I are starting a blog through Blogger with more than one contributor, and I was asked if I want to proceed with a Blogger profile or with a Google Plus account. If I choose the Google Plus option, can multiple people still contribute to the blog?--Megan

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      1. Anon: Yes, multiple accounts on a team blog the same whether you are plused or not.

        You can even have a Blogger profile with a Google+ account if use the old fashioned Blogger comments.

        You do need to decide whether to use G+ comments or Blogger comments on the blog. They both bring advantages and disadvantages

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