Update: This was originally written on September 14, 2013, and Google has shut down Google Plus as of April 2019.
Here is a nifty, simple search engine optimization trick that I bet you didn’t know. There is actually a way to make sure that the links you post in Google+ are considered to be “do follow” links. I am not sure if Google has done this on purpose, but some links that are posted in Google Plus are automatically tagged with a nofollow link attribute, meaning that there is not any search engine optimization value added to the link.
But, if you use my simple “trick” below, you will actually be able to make all of the links you post in Google+ “do follow” links, potentially passing some search engine optimization “value” on to the site you’re linking to. Here is how to do that.
To show this, I have turned on a Firefox add-on that shows whether or not a link is “nofollow” or not. If the link is a “nofollow” link (if it has the “nofollow” attribute added to it, then the link appears to be highlighted in red. You’ll notice that the link below is highlighted in red. It is a “nofollow” link.
Click on the image above it in order to enlarge it. You’ll notice in the screen capture above that the link to Ruud Hein’s profile and the slate.com URL is highlighted in red. Those are “nofollow” links.
Now, take a look at the link I posted on Google Plus below. Notice that the link is NOT highlighted in red, it is actually a dofollow link.
Again, click on the image above to make it bigger. You will notice that the “Cherokee Letter” link to my blog post is not highlighted in red. It’s a “dofollow” link, meaning that any search engine optimization value is passed on to the blog post!
Here is how to make sure that your links posted in Google Plus are dofollow links. It’s pretty simple. But many people overlook this. They tend to just copy and paste a URL in the Google Plus post field in order to share it. Instead of copying and pasting the URL, you need to click on the “add link” icon and actually paste the URL into the field provided. If you just copy and paste a URL into the post, then your link is going to be a nofollow link.
Click on the icon below to make your links dofollow links on Google Plus
Then, post the URL in the field to make it a dofollow link on Google+.
Don’t forget to add me on Google+.
Read What We’ve Written About Google+
How to Create a Google+ Page For Your Business
How to Remove Circle Counts on Google+
How to Increase Your Followers on Google+
Ongoing Monthly SEO Services and SEO Consulting
While Hartzer Consulting, LLC specializes in SEO audits of websites, we provide SEO consulting services, on a monthly, ongoing retainer basis. We recommend that you begin with a technical SEO audit to find out the issues that need to be addressed. Contact Hartzer Consulting to find out more about our monthly SEO services and how we can help you reach the goals for your website and your business.
SEO Service
Whenever Hartzer Consulting takes on new clients, especially when it’s ongoing monthly SEO services, the first month is dedicated towards a Mini SEO audit, and the second month typically is dedicated towards implementing what’s been discovered during that SEO audit. This is a necessary part of the SEO process, as SEO isn’t something that’s template–only the high-level review of issues can be completed, and that high-level review is only the beginning.
You Can Trust Bill Hartzer
Looking for a search engine optimization consultant you can trust? Bill Hartzer has served as an SEO Expert Witness and testified in United States Federal Court, as well as provided expert witness testimony in other court cases.