Search Engine Land
  • SEO
    • > All SEO
    • > What Is SEO?
    • > SEO Periodic Table
    • > Google: SEO
    • > Bing SEO
    • > Google Algorithm Updates
  • PPC
    • > All PPC
    • > What is PPC?
    • > Google Ads
    • > Microsoft Ads
    • > The Periodic Tables of PPC
  • Focuses
    • > Local
    • > Commerce
    • > Shopify SEO Guide
    • > Content
    • > Email Marketing Periodic Table
    • > Social Media Marketing
    • > Analytics
    • > Search Engine Land Awards
    • > All Focuses
  • SMX
  • Webinars
  • Intelligence Reports
  • White Papers
  • About
    • > About Search Engine Land
    • > Newsletter
    • > Third Door Media
    • > Advertise

Processing...Please wait.

Search Engine Land » Google » Google: Hold Off On Creating Business Profiles On Google+, “Non-User Profiles” Will Be Shut Down

Google: Hold Off On Creating Business Profiles On Google+, “Non-User Profiles” Will Be Shut Down

Tonight Christian Oestlien, the Ads Leads for the Google+ Project, posted a message along with a brief YouTube video about future Google+ plans on his Google+ account.  The video is just over a minute, but Christian covers a variety of topics.  The most important of which is that users should refrain from creating business profiles. […]

Greg Finn on July 6, 2011 at 9:11 pm

Tonight Christian Oestlien, the Ads Leads for the Google+ Project, posted a message along with a brief YouTube video about future Google+ plans on his Google+ account.  The video is just over a minute, but Christian covers a variety of topics.  The most important of which is that users should refrain from creating business profiles.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at_azOmh69A[/youtube]

In the video he states that:

“We have a great team of engineers building similarly optimized business experience for Google+.  We’re very exited about it and hope to roll it out later on this year.  It will include things like rich analytics and the ability to connect that identity to other parts of Google that businesses might use on a daily basis, like AdWords.  So we are asking people to hold off on using consumer profiles to get a business identity on Google+”

He then mentions that there will be a test group of “non-user entities” (aka brands, corporations, places) who will be selected.  To sign up for this test follow the instructions here.

So what if you have already set up a Google+ profile?  Well, his Google+ update states that a Google Policy team will shut your profile down:

“The business experience we are creating should far exceed the consumer profile in terms of its usefulness to businesses. We just ask for your patience while we build it. In the meantime, we are discouraging businesses from using regular profiles to connect with Google+ users. Our policy team will actively work with profile owners to shut down non-user profiles.”

So unless you are ok with setting up a Google+ business profile that will get shut down, all you can do is apply to be in the test group for “non-user profiles” and sit tight.

Postscript from Greg Sterling: Oestlien was interviewed about this subject in AdAge. He said that companies like Ford and MTV that already have pages that are being actively used won’t be taken down. In effect they’ll be “grandfathered” in:

Ad Age: So it seems Ford will be able to maintain its page and will be part of the test?

Mr. Oestlien: Yes. There are a subset of businesses that have been actively involved since the start — including Ford.

Ad Age: Which other big companies have been active on the site?

Mr. Oestlien: MTV. Some charities in Europe, and, of course, some of the online tech blogs like Mashable.

Ad Age: So will these guys also be part of the test?

Mr. Oestlien: Not just companies that have already set up pages. But also a lot of great businesses like Dell. They don’t have page up, but they’ve been hosting hangouts with our user-base.


New on Search Engine Land

    SEO reporting to impress: How to successfully report your SEO process, efforts and result

    9 ways to become an SEO problem-solver

    More FAQ rich results being displayed in Google Search

    Webinar: Benchmark your social media performance for a competitive edge

    Google releases May 2022 broad core update

About The Author

Greg Finn
Greg Finn is the Director of Marketing for Cypress North, a company that provides digital marketing and web development. He is a co-host of Marketing O'Clock and has been in the digital marketing industry for nearly 20 years. You can also find Greg on Twitter (@gregfinn) or LinkedIn.

Related Topics

Google

Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.

Processing...Please wait.

See terms.

ATTEND OUR EVENTS

The SMX Conference logo.

Learn actionable search marketing tactics that can help you drive more traffic, leads, and revenue.

March 8-9, 2022: Master Classes (virtual)

June 14-15, 2022: SMX Advanced (virtual)

November 15-16, 2022: SMX Next (virtual)

Learn More About Our SMX Events

The MarTech Conference logo.

Discover time-saving technologies and actionable tactics that can help you overcome crucial marketing challenges.

Start Discovering Now: Spring (virtual)

September 28-29, 2022: Fall (virtual)

Learn More About Our MarTech Events

Webinars

Benchmark Your Social Media Performance For a Competitive Edge

Take a Crawl, Walk, Run Approach to Multi-Channel ABM

Content Comes First: Transform Your Operations With DAM

See More Webinars

Intelligence Reports

Enterprise SEO Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Identity Resolution Platforms

Email Marketing Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Sales Enablement Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Digital Experience Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Enterprise Call Analytics Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

See More Intelligence Reports

White Papers

The State of Influencer Pricing

How to Measure Influencer Performance

Reputation Management For Healthcare Organizations

Unlock the App Marketing Potential of QR Codes

Realising the power of virtual events for demand generation

See More Whitepapers

Receive daily search news and analysis.

Processing...Please wait.

Topics

  • SEO
  • PPC

Our Events

  • Search Marketing Expo - SMX
  • MarTech

About

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Marketing Opportunities
  • Staff

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • RSS
  • Youtube

© 2022 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved.