Most people are only aware of how to use Google as a search engine tool, but if you operate a small business, you may find Google’s various free tools to be beneficial.  Google has a full suite of tools that range from free – to paid, for business usage.  Today’s post will focus on the following Google products:  Analytics, Authorship, Places, Adsense, YouTube and Google +.

Google Analytics

I use Google Analytics to track my website’s statistics.  If you have a website and you feel it is not bringing you customers like you want, the first step is to find out how much traffic your site is actually getting.  Using Google Analytics will show you how many visitors you have, where they came from, what they looked at, and how long they stayed on your site, amongst other things.  You can filter these by day, week, month, a custom time period you specify or in real time.

One of the ways I use the information from my Google Analytics is to determine what types of content my audience prefers to read on my blog.  Some posts get more traffic than others.  By looking at the commonalities between the high traffic posts, I can better tailor the content that I write about here.  A lot of my posts are sparked by questions from clients, but they are also influenced by the traffic those topics produced.  My goal is always to write content that my audience wants to read and Google Analytics helps me do that.

Google Authorship

If you write content on your blog or someone else’s blog, Google Authorship is a way to receive credit for that piece in a more visually stimulating way.  With Google Authorship, content that you have written, when returned as part of a user’s search query, is listed with your picture next to it along with your name.  It adds a level of credibility that will entice the user to click your content over another listed article.

Google Places

Google Places is a local online listing service that in my opinion functions similarly to Yelp.  If your business is listed in the phone book, chances are, there is already a listing set up on Google Places for you.  All you need to do is claim your listing, verify your information and add details.  Google users can leave reviews and get quick information about your business such as location, directions, hours of operation, and whether or not there is parking available.

An added benefit of claiming your listing (you can also add your listing if you are not already listed), is that just like Google’s other products and services, it influences search results.  If you are searching for a bookstore from your phone while you are out and about, Google will return local listings near the top of your search results based on your GPS location.  If that listing has been claimed and filled out completely by the owner, you will probably be more likely to visit that particular location.

Google Adsense

“AdSense is an ad serving application run by Google Inc. Website owners can enroll in this program to enable text, image, and video.” – Wikipedia

If you have a website or a blog and you have dedicated ad space, but no advertisers, Google Adsense is a great way to fill that ad space and earn some passive income.  With time and the increase in your site’s popularity and traffic, you can later replace the ads served by Google Adsense with advertisers that you have engaged directly.  If you have a YouTube channel, you can monetize your videos through your Google Adsense account.

YouTube

Video has become an effective marketing tool and YouTube is one of the world’s largest search engines.  There is something about visual content that appeals to people and in a day and age where more and more people are turning to the internet to make purchasing decisions; video content can play a large role in persuading new customers to use your services or buy your product.  An additional benefit is that if you set up a Google Adsense account, you can also make revenue from the videos you post in the form of advertisements.

Now, do not expect to get rich instantly by posting a video and monetizing it.  It would need to go viral for that to happen.  Think about it more along the lines of getting two for the price of one.  By posting video content that is relevant to your audience or demographic, you are allowing yourself the opportunity to connect with your consumer base and potentially convert that into revenue, while also earning additional passive revenue from ad content furnished by Google Adsense.

Google+

I know, I know, not another social media platform, you are saying.  It is true that it seems there is a new social media platform that everyone is buzzing about and recommending almost every day.  Google+ was launched back in 2011 and, although it is not necessarily seen by many as a major contender, it can be beneficial to you.  If you already use a lot of Google products, adding Google+ into your rotation of social media networks is not very difficult.  By default, you already have an account.

Sharing content to your circles and audience on Google + can help boost your search engine rankings.  Google will even show your profile, picture and basic information in the sidebar just above the ads that run in that space, if your content is returned as a result to a user’s query.

 Everyone, their parents, their grandparents and just about every business known to man is on Facebook, and trying to jockey for consumers’ attention.  Google+ is a little less crowded and presents an opportunity to get in on the front end of a network, and build your audience.  By the time everyone else starts to make the migration to Google+, you will already be there.

This post does not exhaust the possibilities of the above mentioned Google products, but it should help to serve as a launch pad to explore these products.  Do not just stop at with these.  Explore everything Google has to offer and see what you can use and incorporate into your business.