Google+ business pages have been around for a little more than a year and if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, it’s not too late. With the recent updates Google has made to its algorithms, the use of social media tools to drive traffic to your website or blog is the second most important thing in search engine results.

Because Google owns Google+, they will rank your use of that social network ahead of the others.

“Google+ is more than just the Google answer to Facebook. It’s also an all-in-one communication tool and office taskmaster,” says Kim Lachance Shandrow, contributor to Entrepreneur.

Shandrow provides a few ways to use Google+ for business tasks, but first lets go through how to get started on the social network site.

Create a Unique Link

The default link a Google+ page consists of is an intelligible string of characters which isn’t of any SEO value to your business. Use link shortening services such as Gplus.to, GPlus.is, Plus.ly, or GoPlus.us to create a unique URL that can easily be remembered.

Share Lots of Photos

Photos are important on Google+ and a quick look at a feed will show you many individuals share images. Start to think about your business and marketing visually. What images, charts, slides, or presentations can you share on Google+ to ignite conversations and increase the spread of your content?

Use Hangouts

Hangouts are a feature which sets Google+ apart from other social networks. It is a group video chat for up to 10 people who can meet and converse at the same time. Businesses can use this feature to hold staff meetings, host Q&A sessions, or for conference calls.

Include a Google+ button on Your Website

Put a Google+ button on your website to give visitors the opportunity to follow your business; just as you would do the same with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Organize and Share with Your Circles

Circles allow you to place contacts under different categories. Whenever you create a new post, you can decide if you want to share it with specific circles or make the post public. This allows you to share targeted messages with users and offers possibilities for target marketing.

And a few advanced features from Lachance Shandrow:

Group Edit Google Docs

Instead of emailing back and forth, you can use the Hangouts new Google Docs feature. It lets you create, comment, and revise multiple documents in real-time with your colleagues while you video chat.

Plan and Organize Events

Use Google+ Events to plan and invite people to a networking event or office party. Your event will automatically appear in your Google Calendar. Use Google+ Party Mode to share event photos with attendees during and after an event.

Google+ has a lot to offer and we’ve only just touched on a few things. If you’re serious about boosting your business through social media, Google+ is a good place for businesses.

Is your business on Google+? If so, what other features do you use for everyday business tasks?