Updated September 2026: This article originally discussed Google+ marketing. It now explains what business owners should use instead and how to remove outdated advice from their marketing plans.
The consumer version of Google+ closed in 2019. Google’s announcement brought the shutdown forward to April that year. If an old guide tells you to build Google+ Circles, collect +1s or order Google+ followers, it no longer describes an available marketing channel.
The useful question today is which job you wanted that channel to do: help people discover your business, demonstrate your expertise or maintain contact with customers. Those goals need different tools.
Is Google Business Profile the same as Google+?
No. Google Business Profile manages business information on Search and Maps; it is not the old Google+ social network.
Google’s eligibility rules generally require in-person customer contact. Online-only businesses are not eligible. Check the criteria before planning around a local profile.
For an eligible local business, review the details a customer needs before contacting you. Are your hours accurate? Do your photos represent the business today? Does the website link lead to a useful page? For an online business, put that same effort into clear service pages, reliable contact information and helpful content on your own website.
Choose a channel by its purpose
A business does not need to recreate its old social presence on every available platform. Start with a customer question and choose a place where you can answer it well. The following is a planning guide, not a promise of traffic or sales.
| Customer need | Channel to consider | Useful content |
|---|---|---|
| Understand your offer | Your website | Clear service descriptions, examples and ordering information. |
| Find a nearby business | Google Business Profile, if eligible | Current practical details about visiting or contacting you. |
| See how something works | YouTube or suitable video platforms | A demonstration that answers a specific question. |
| Follow your work and ask questions | A relevant social page or community | Useful updates and thoughtful replies. |
| Hear from you again | An opt-in email list | Updates subscribers actually asked to receive. |
For example, a workshop could explain its repair service on its website, show a common maintenance task in a video and answer follow-up questions on a social page. Each piece has a purpose, with a direct route to the next useful step.
Remove the old Google+ trail
Check your website footer, contact page, email signature and older articles for Google+ profile links or sharing buttons. Test the destinations rather than assuming an old icon still works. Remove obsolete references and replace them only when a current link genuinely helps the reader.
Review the surrounding copy too. A paragraph can become misleading even when its links still open. Remove instructions for unavailable features and promises that a social engagement count automatically improves Google rankings. If you keep an older article for context, explain its updated scope near the beginning.
Make your content useful beyond one platform
Keep original photos, video files and article drafts in an organized place you control. Turn recurring customer questions into website explanations, then adapt those explanations for the social channels you actually maintain. This makes future updates easier if a platform changes.
For a practical example, our guide to growing a Facebook business page with useful content explains how to connect profile information, posts and customer conversations. Apply the same principle elsewhere: let each post help someone understand your offer, then link to the relevant next step.
Measure useful outcomes
Choose a small set of measures tied to your goal, such as relevant website visits, qualified inquiries, bookings or repeat purchases. Keep a simple record of what you published and where you sent visitors. A larger follower count alone does not tell you whether people understood the offer or became customers.
Start with one manageable change: remove a broken social link, clarify an important service page or answer a frequent customer question. Build from what proves useful to your audience, and review your channel choices periodically instead of relying on a marketing checklist written for a different era.