WHITE PAPER

CRITICAL REVIEW OF GOOGLE+

Prepared for Professional Connections Presentation Monday September l2, 20ll
Prepared by
Russell Mickler, ClSSP
Principal Consultant
Mickler & Associates, lnc.
www.micklerandassociates.com
Facebook: facebook.com/micklerandassociates
ProbIem
Google+ is Googles newest social networking offering. Facebook has over 700 million
subscribers the world-over and more than half of Facebook users spend most of their time
online at Facebook. lnasmuch, Facebook has become the GHIDFWR center the social
networking universe. Knowing this, should small businesses pay attention to Google+?
Systems and SoIutions
Google+ user interface is an exact copy of Facebooks interface in terms of layout and
function.
lt consists of a feed of status updates referred to as a Stream thats placed in a user
interface very similar to Facebook:
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A Profile of the current user with a layout very similar to Facebook:
Pictures uploaded by the user that can be organized in a manner very similar to Facebook:
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Circles of interrelated users setup in private groups by the user which mirrors Groups in
Facebook:
And multiuser Games, similar to those that youd find in Facebook.
Competitive Discussion
Similar to Facebook, Google has integrated a voting system into search results and web
destinations that it refers to as +l. This is a geeky short-hand for thumbs up that
Facebook has employed to connote a positive vote.
Votes can relate to search engine relevance and how people find things online which can
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later on influence search results and search engine optimization.
Content uploaded into Google+ can be shared with individuals or Circles, voted upon,
comments can be posted against the content, and content made public or private through
various states of security.
Google+s Circles has an intriguing interface that allows users to create filters for posting
updates and reading the users Stream. Although theres no technical difference between
Facebook Groups and Circles, Googles interface is visually interesting because you can
drag around objects into Circles, and, Circles can be easily filtered in the main interface by
a radio button selection.
At this time, Facebook has an advertising platform; Google+ does not.
Both Facebook and Google can offer chat and video services for its members; Google+
through an application within Google+ called Talk and Hangout.
Both Facebook and Google have an app for iPhone and Android mobile platforms. Neither
have a native interface for lOS for iPad.
Google+ does have the ability to integrate search and interests (Sparks) with the online
social experience in a way that Facebook cannot.
ln favor of Google+s experience, it has been suggested that:
y Google+ privacy settings are easier for most to understand and deploy
y Google+ lack of electronic multiplayer games provides for a cleaner experience as
the user isnt bombarded by meaningless game-related status updates
y Google+ only allows real names and not pseudonyms or corporations which
presents a clearer picture of real people
y Google+ ability to integrate search is compelling.
Arguably, there is little material difference between Facebook and Google+ and nothing
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truly innovative about the Google+ experience although to say that its likely more SXULVW. lts
white interface and background, clean contours, simple settings, and absence of noise
from unverifiable non-users or corporations might make it more appealing.
Usage Data
y Since Google+ was announced, Googles share price has increased by 30-percent.
y Google+ has attracted over 25 million registered users since August 20ll. (SEJ Journal,
20ll). Google reached this benchmark 20-times faster than any other social networking
site.
y However, usage peaked around the end of July 20ll. (Gobery, 20ll).
y Traffic to Google+ has dropped considerably through August. (Dreamgrow, 20ll).
Strategic Concerns
Google+ Lacks Stickiness.Current traffic analysis suggests that users flocked to
Google+ to setup a presence. However, it doesnt appear that the initial interest has
translated into a change of behavior for most users. Theyre not spending more time on
Google+ instead of Facebook.
Google+ Has a Small Online Gaming Catalog. The lack of compelling content like
games is currently hurting Google+. Gaming is what keeps most users attending Facebook
everyday. Online gaming is one of the strategic benefits of Facebook that isnt replicated
yet within Google+. Although some offerings have been pushed through, introducing
online gaming as Facebook has seems antithetical to Google+s strategy thats attempting
to control security and noise around the users experience.
Google+ lsnt lntegrated with As. Presently, Google+ doesnt recognize Google Apps
users nor allow them to create a profile. This forces Google Apps users to logout and log
back in to Google with a different kind of account. There are many millions of Apps users.
lts more than a headache: it seems like a significant design flaw.
Google+ ls About VeriIiable ldentities oI Peole. Google+ doesnt allow businesses to
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setup a presence on its platform, or, fictional pages, or, fictional people. Google+, in fact,
prides itself on only allowing verifiable parties into the system. This may limit the way that
users wish to engage on the platform and prevent adoption by businesses who cant
project their brand into the space.
At lts Core, Google+ lsnt lnnovative. At the time of this writing, Facebook has already
streamlined their group filter and posting features in a way that counters Google+s
benefits. Theyve also simplified their privacy settings and are rolling-out new privacy
management features. There isnt anything on Google+ that is new or cant be easily
replicated by competitors: no intellectual property which can be patented; no special
licensing; no subscription-based revenue. lts just another theme park with similar rides,
and really, when offered a choice, who isnt going to go to Disney?
Google Has Never Been Good at Social Networking. lts reasonable to look at what
Googles done poorly at in the past, and historically, Google has failed miserably with
social networking (Maddock, 20ll). Google Blogger, Wave, Buzz, and Orkut; not to
mention the millions lost through the botched acquisition of Dodgeball and Advark
(Techcrunch, 20ll). Google usually provides cool, geeky tools that rarely appeal to more
than a very small subset of user communities, and that kind of growth doesnt provide for
wide adoption. Theres no reason to believe that Google+ will be any different with
consumers.
FinaI Notes
Although l might be fairly pessimistic about Google+, the product has a chance at survival
through integration with other things that Google does - like Books, Apps, Docs, Carts,
Blogger, Merchant, and so on. The more these features can have a Google+ hook, the
more compelling content created throughout the Googlesphere can be shared with others.
At the root of social networking is VKDULQJ, and with sharing lies a promising strategy for
Google because theyve already captured the attention of millions through their other
products. They dont need to wrestle away attention from Facebook. They already have it.
Now, the question is, how quickly can they integrate Google+ with their core products and
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VKDUH content and services before people forget about it?
The media has placed more emphasis on Google+ as a Facebook competitor than Google
has; perhaps Google is realistic that its unlikely to convince 700+ million users to suddenly
jump ship for their amusement ride. Google has even said that Plus isnt a Facebook
competitor. lts very unlikely that Plus will competitively redirect the attention and traffic
experienced by Facebook for many years to come.
Because of that fact alone - raw traffic - Google+ is a poor place for the small business to
be. lts customers arent hanging out at Plus like they are on Facebook; they arent sharing
at Plus like they are on Facebook; they arent even visiting Plus for extended durations,
according to current numbers. And on the face of it, Google+ appears unfriendly to
business as it doesnt allow for pseudonyms, branding, or advertising, and allows the user
to create dynamic filters that weed out their messages.
l recently read an opinion that Google+ is a great place for geeks while Facebook is a
great place for the masses. ld have to agree with that, and thats the same opinion that l
rendered about Google Wave when it was released. lf Google is serious about being a
viable social networking competitor to Facebook, it has to reach a lowest common
denominator to reach mass-appeal. Google+ GRHVQW and it doesnt offer any value that
isnt already offered by its principal competitor other than sayingLWV QRW )DFHERRN. And in
the long run, Google+ cant expect to beat Facebook by that reasoning alone.
About the Author
Russell Mickler is a technology consultant who serves small to mid-range businesses in
Vancouver, Washington. Mickler's experience features fifteen years of senior and mid-level
lT department management. An Authorized Google Apps Reseller, Mickler earned his
Masters of Science in Applied lnformation Management from the University of Oregon in
2000. A technical author, Mickler is a Certified lnformation Systems Security Professional
(ClSSP) and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Mickler teaches for
numerous colleges and universities, both online and onground.
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Web: micklerandassociates.com
Facebook: facebook.com/micklerandassociates
Twitter: @micklerr
Email: rmickler@micklerandassociates.com
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