If you’re anything like me, you stumbled across a Google Signals Map and had no idea it even existed. However, Google Signals has actually been available for quite some time, first reported by MarketingLand and also recently featured on Social Media Today. More and more companies are beginning to explore this feature and what it can do for their SEO. After all, when Google introduces a tool, there is usually some value. With all the information at their fingertips, Google Signals doesn’t disappoint.
The idea behind the map is to create a comprehensive way for businesses to analyze social behavior. As a company, you want to be active in at least all the big networks—Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn—but you also want to understand how social actions on these networks lead people to engage on your site and how they affect the ROI of your content. This leads many to ask: What makes Google Signals Map different from other social media monitoring tools, and why isn’t it better known?
How Google Signals Map Works
First, it’s important to understand where to find the Signals Map and how it was created. Surprisingly, it was in 2009 that Google developed their PuSH (PubSubHubbub) protocol. This was designed as a way for different social networks to send their activity data to Google, helping companies keep everything in one place. It wasn’t until January 2012 that Google took things to the next level.
In 2012, Google integrated this PuSH protocol data with Google Analytics. This integration led to the creation of the Social Reports section in Google Analytics. While not all social networks are on board yet, Google has enough data for companies to start seeing the big picture when it comes to social media. Google then created a map of this data to further help companies:
As illustrated in the photo above, Google focuses on five different categories deemed most important for analyzing your social “ecosystem.” If a social network hasn’t taken the steps to feed its data into the protocol, that information will be indexed as a post.
How Social Networks Can Get Involved
It is up to the social networks to integrate their data stream into the social data hub. Several benefits highlighted by Google for social networks include:
- Visibility. Your social network will be visible to any businesses and publishers using Google Analytics. This increased attention can lead to more visibility.
- Cost. It’s completely free for a social network to sign up and get involved, and it doesn’t take much time.
- Measurement. Being part of the social data hub means your social network contributes to the global social media landscape by providing accessible measurement of all platforms involved.
Currently, there are over 30 networks integrated into the social data hub. While networks like Facebook and Twitter are missing, valuable data can still be gathered from those involved. Some popular networks include:
- Google+
- WordPress
- MySpace
- Tumblr
- Blogger
- Delicious
- Livefyre
- LiveJournal
- Digg
- Diigo
- Disqus
- Cliqset
- Dreamwidth
- Gigya
As more of the larger networks adopt the Signals Map and social data hub, starting early with this data can give you a significant head start.
How Your Company Can Take Advantage of Google Signals Map
As a marketer or publisher, you can find the Google Signals Map in your Google Analytics under “Social Analytics Reporting.” This is where you can see all the data side by side for easy analysis.
Do you have any tips about using Google Signals Map to help your social strategy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
2/19/2013 Publisher’s Note: Citations were added to MarketingLand and Social Media Today.
Photo Credit: ci.boca-raton.fl.us
