Although Google+ was discontinued in 2019, it provided businesses and content creators with useful tools for content syndication and distribution. By leveraging its features, users could extend the reach of their content across various platforms, engage communities, and amplify their brand presence. Here’s how Google+ was once used for content syndication and distribution, and how some of those strategies can still be applied to today’s platforms.

1. Understanding the Role of Google+ in Content Syndication

Content syndication involves republishing or distributing content across multiple platforms to reach a broader audience. Google+ functioned as a valuable platform for this by allowing users to share content with diverse groups and communities. Through its Circles, Communities, Collections, and integration with Google Search, Google+ helped businesses distribute their content efficiently and reach target audiences.

2. Share Across Google+ Circles for Targeted Distribution

One of the key features of Google+ was Circles, which allowed users to categorize their contacts into different groups. Businesses could organize their audience into relevant Circles such as customers, influencers, industry professionals, and employees.

• Targeted Content Sharing: By sharing specific content with individual Circles, businesses ensured their message reached the right people. For example, product updates could be sent to loyal customers, while industry reports or case studies could be shared with professional contacts.
  • Example: “Here’s our latest blog post on industry trends! We’re sharing this first with our industry experts Circle for your feedback.”

This feature helped companies distribute content to highly targeted segments, increasing engagement with relevant audiences.

3. Use Google+ Collections for Themed Content Syndication

Google+ Collections allowed users to organize content around specific themes. For content syndication, Collections could serve as a hub for different content types or topics, making it easier for audiences to discover and engage with a business’s content.

• Create Niche-Focused Collections: Businesses could create themed Collections for different types of content, such as blogs, videos, or case studies. Each Collection could focus on a specific subject or audience, enhancing its relevance and helping users find content they’re most interested in.
  • Example: “Check out our new Collection, ‘Content Marketing Strategies.’ Follow it for our latest articles and case studies on how to improve your content marketing.”
• Regular Updates to Collections: Regularly updating the Collections with new content ensured followers remained engaged and had a reason to revisit the Collection.
  • Example: “We’ve added new tips on SEO content optimization to our ‘SEO Best Practices’ Collection. Take a look!”

This strategy made it easier for users to navigate large volumes of content and helped businesses organize their content syndication efforts efficiently.

4. Leverage Google+ Communities for Amplification

Google+ Communities were spaces where users with shared interests gathered to discuss specific topics. Joining or creating relevant Communities offered a powerful way to syndicate content to a focused audience.

• Join Existing Communities: By participating in relevant Google+ Communities, businesses could share their content with people already interested in the topic. This provided an organic way to distribute content to users who were likely to engage with it.
  • Example: “We just published a comprehensive guide to social media marketing. We’d love to hear your thoughts! [Link to blog]”
• Create a Branded Community: Brands could also create their own Communities, where they curated and distributed their content. Over time, this would create a loyal following, turning the Community into a go-to resource for industry insights and discussions.
  • Example: “Join our Content Creators Hub for exclusive tips, tutorials, and industry insights!”

Communities provided a focused environment for content syndication and increased the chances of meaningful engagement with the content.

5. Use Google+ for SEO and Content Visibility

Since Google+ was directly tied to Google Search, sharing content on the platform often contributed to improved search engine visibility. While this functionality was unique to Google+, modern platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter can still drive SEO benefits through social shares and backlinks.

• Optimize Posts for SEO: Posts on Google+ could be optimized with keywords, hashtags, and relevant links to boost their visibility on Google Search. Businesses could syndicate their blog posts, articles, or videos on Google+ to ensure they appeared in search results, driving organic traffic to the original source.
  • Example: “New blog post: How to use content marketing to drive sales. Read more here: [Link] #ContentMarketing #SalesStrategy.”
• Encourage Backlinks and Sharing: Syndicating content on Google+ also increased the chances of getting backlinks, as users who found value in the content would share it across their own networks. This further amplified the reach of the content and boosted SEO.
  • Example: “Find this article useful? Share it with your Circles and let’s spread the word!”

Although Google+ is no longer available, the lesson here is that social platforms tied to search engines (such as YouTube for video content) can still boost content visibility and SEO results.

6. Repurpose and Share Content Across Multiple Formats

One of the strengths of Google+ was its ability to handle various content formats—text posts, images, videos, and links. Businesses could syndicate the same content across multiple formats to reach different types of audiences.

• Repurpose Content for Different Audiences: A long-form blog post could be broken down into smaller pieces of content, such as infographics, quotes, or short videos, and shared across Google+. This approach ensured the content reached a wider audience, including those who prefer visual content or quick summaries.
  • Example: “Here’s a quick infographic summarizing our latest blog post on content syndication strategies. Check out the full article here: [Link]”
• Use Google+ Hangouts for Live Content: Google+ Hangouts enabled live broadcasts, which could be repurposed into blog posts, video clips, or podcasts. By repurposing the content, businesses could syndicate the same information across multiple platforms, increasing reach and engagement.
  • Example: “Couldn’t make it to our live Hangout? Watch the full session here: [Link to YouTube video].”

This flexibility in content formats made Google+ a versatile platform for content syndication and distribution.

7. Integrate Google+ with Other Google Services for Broad Distribution

Google+ was integrated with other Google services such as YouTube, Gmail, and Google Drive, which allowed for easy content distribution across the Google ecosystem.

• Distribute YouTube Content on Google+: Businesses could syndicate their YouTube videos directly to Google+ with just a click, ensuring that video content reached followers on both platforms.
  • Example: “Watch our latest video on YouTube: ‘How to Craft Engaging Content.’ Now live on Google+!”
• Share Content Through Gmail and Google Calendar: Google+ allowed for easy sharing of posts via Gmail or through event invitations on Google Calendar. This was particularly useful for sharing blog posts, webinars, or live events with a broader audience, leveraging the Google ecosystem to maximize distribution.
  • Example: “We’re hosting a webinar on content syndication strategies. Save the date on your Google Calendar and join us via Google+ Hangouts!”

By leveraging Google+’s integration with other Google services, businesses could syndicate their content across multiple channels and reach more users.

8. Encourage User-Generated Content for Broader Syndication

User-generated content (UGC) played a powerful role in content syndication, as users shared their own experiences with products or services. Google+ allowed users to easily reshare content, creating additional layers of syndication.

• Encourage Followers to Share Content: Brands could ask their followers to share or reshare their posts, extending the content’s reach to a broader audience.
  • Example: “We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share this post with your Circle and let us know how our tips helped your content strategy.”
• Highlight User-Generated Content: Businesses could feature user-generated content by resharing posts or testimonials from followers. This not only increased trust but also added another layer of content syndication, as users would likely reshare the brand’s post to their own Circles.
  • Example: “Thank you to [User Name] for sharing how our content marketing tips helped your business! Read their success story here: [Link].”

UGC not only created a sense of community but also multiplied the reach of syndicated content.

Conclusion

Though Google+ is no longer available, the strategies it enabled for content syndication and distribution remain relevant today. Businesses and content creators can adapt similar approaches on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and other social networks. By targeting specific audiences, organizing content into relevant themes, leveraging social communities, optimizing for SEO, and encouraging user-generated content, brands can successfully syndicate their content and extend their reach across multiple platforms.