No—Google+ never boosted rankings, and the product ended in 2019; any gains came from visibility, links, and brand reach.
People still ask whether activity on Google Plus ever lifted search rankings. The short answer: direct ranking gains never existed, and the network for consumers closed years ago. What marketers saw were side effects any social site can create: more eyes on a page, more chances to earn links, and faster discovery when public posts point to fresh content. That is real, but it is not a secret ranking switch tied to Google’s old social network.
What “Helps SEO” Actually Means
Two paths exist. One path changes how Google ranks a page through signals in the algorithm. The other path grows exposure that leads to mentions, citations, and regular links. Google Plus never fed the first path. It sometimes nudged the second path because public sharing can send readers to your site.
Google Plus, A Short History With Search
Google introduced the network in 2011 and closed the consumer version in 2019. That close alone makes direct benefits moot today. During its run, posts could show in personalized results for signed-in users, and the product experimented with author photos in search via Authorship markup. Those photos lifted click-throughs for a while, then Google removed them and later ended the program. The network itself is gone for the public, and business pages no longer act as a lever in search.
Common Claims Vs. What Actually Happened
| Claim | Reality | What To Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Posting on Google Plus raised rankings. | No ranking boost; any lift came from users visiting and linking. | Publish link-worthy pages and promote them where your audience hangs out. |
| “+1s” acted like votes that passed PageRank. | Those were engagement counters, not a link signal. | Earn links from independent sites with original data, tools, or guides. |
| Authorship was a ranking factor. | It changed result appearance for a period, not the core order. | Use clear bylines and bios to build trust on your own site. |
| Brand pages on the network pushed local pack spots. | Local results rely on relevance, distance, and prominence signals. | Keep your Business Profile accurate and collect real reviews. |
How Google Ranks Pages Today
Google lists many systems that weigh content quality, relevance to the query, and helpful presentation. Social counters are not on that list. Links still matter when they point from real sites that choose to cite your work. Most large social platforms label outbound links with rel=”nofollow” or rel=”ugc”, which signals limited weight for passing authority. You can still earn discovery, but the mechanical link equity from those platforms is capped by design. See Google’s ranking systems guide for the current lineup.
Direct Vs. Indirect Effects, In Plain Terms
Direct effects change rankings on their own. Indirect effects set the stage for other signals to appear. A social share can lead a blogger to notice your study and link to it in a post. That link is the ranking signal, not the share itself.
Did Google Integrate The Network With Search?
There were narrow cases. Signed-in users sometimes saw posts from people they followed. That was personalization, not a universal lift. Once the consumer network closed, that surface went away for regular searchers. Today, a public post on any platform can still rank on its own page if the query matches, but that is the platform’s page showing, not a boost to your site.
What Replaced That Social Layer
For brand presence, the slot now filled by other Google surfaces is your Business Profile, YouTube channel, and regular web content. Business Profiles influence local packs through relevance to the query, proximity to the user, and real-world prominence signaled by reviews and citations. YouTube videos can rank on their own, yet they do not pass authority to your pages unless other sites embed or link to your work after watching.
Practical Takeaways For Marketers
You don’t need a ghost of a product to reach search goals. The playbook that works now looks simple on paper and takes steady effort.
Build Pages People Want To Cite
Create content that others reference: original research, calculators, checklists, comparison tables, teardown posts with steps, or clean summaries of complex rules. When those pages help a real task, they attract links and mentions from regular sites and newsletters.
Promote Smartly Across Live Networks
Share on platforms where your readers spend time. Tailor the hook and preview for each site. Add a short narrative, a stat, or a chart that makes the click feel worth it. Ask partners or subject-matter experts to give feedback in public threads. Each visit is a chance for someone to cite you later.
Mind Link Qualifiers
When you link out, mark the relationship correctly with rel attributes. Many platforms do this on their outbound links by default. The idea is simple: tell search engines when a link comes from ads, users, or your own editorial choice. Google documents these values here: rel="nofollow" and rel="ugc".
What About Brand Searches And E-E-A-T?
Strong brands tend to pick up more editorial mentions. Social activity can spark branded queries and chatter that leads to coverage. That coverage, not the raw social action, is what helps rankings. Show real expertise on your site with method notes, clear author info in your theme, and consistent quality across related pages.
Myth Busting: Five Persistent Beliefs
“Sharing On A Google Product Must Carry Extra Weight”
There is no special lane for a product that no longer exists for consumers. Google’s public docs list ranking systems, and social counters are absent. Treat network choice as a distribution decision, not a ranking hack.
“A Surge Of +1s Was A Signal”
Those counters never replaced links. Spikes could mirror interest, which sometimes led to news coverage or blog posts. That secondary effect is the part that matters for search.
“Authorship Proved Identity And Rankings Followed”
The markup tied articles to profiles and showed photos for a while. It boosted result visibility, not the core sort order. The program ended, and the visual treatment went away.
“Local Listings Needed The Network”
Local ranking still centers on relevance to the query, the user’s location, and the stature of the business on the web. Keep your Business Profile complete, maintain accurate NAP data, and earn genuine reviews from customers.
“A Business Page On That Network Still Helps Today”
The consumer product closed. Spend time where people are active now.
Where Social Activity Does Help Search Goals
Social posts can drive discovery, which leads to links from independent sites. They can also help content get crawled faster when public pages point to new URLs. Journalists watch trending threads and may cite a timely chart or quote. These routes help you earn the signals that search engines count.
Playbook: Turn Shares Into Real Signals
- Publish something quotable: a number, a chart, a clean definition, a process diagram.
- Package the tease for each network with a clear benefit in the first line.
- Drop a short, direct link to the resource—no tracking clutter that scares sharers.
- Reply to comments with extra detail so others can cite your answers.
- Pitch a few newsletter editors with a crisp summary and a single take-away.
Modern Signals That Matter More
Focus on content quality, internal linking clarity, clean site structure, and link earning from sites that choose to cite you. Make your pages fast, easy to read on phones, and free of intrusive blocks in the first screen. None of that relies on a closed network.
Audit Checklist If Your Site Still Mentions The Old Network
- Remove dead profile links from headers, footers, and email templates.
- Redirect any blog posts that still pitch setup steps for the network.
- Swap share buttons for platforms that still drive real clicks.
- Reclaim any content you only posted there by republishing on your site.
- Map internal links from those posts to live evergreen pages.
Measurement Plan To Prove Impact
Set a baseline for organic sessions, referring domains, and branded search volume. After each social push, note date and URL, then track new linking domains and changes to rankings for the target page. You will see the pattern: shares bring readers; readers bring links; links move the needle.
When A Social Page Ranks On Its Own
Sometimes a post on a live platform ranks for a query, especially for names and fresh topics. That is fine. Add a clear path back to your page in the post or video description. If readers bookmark the social page, you still gain exposure, but the long-term asset is your guide on your domain.
Quick Reference: What To Prioritize
| Tactic | Why It Helps | How To Execute |
|---|---|---|
| Original data or tools | Attracts natural links and mentions. | Run a survey, scrape public data, or ship a calculator with embeddable outputs. |
| Clear topical hubs | Helps search engines map themes on your site. | Build pillar pages with internal links to supporting guides. |
| Human-readable titles | Improves click-through without clickbait. | Lead with the core term and a plain benefit or qualifier. |
| Mobile-first layout | Keeps readers engaged on phones. | Short paragraphs, scannable subheads, and tables that fit the screen. |
| Thoughtful outreach | Earns editorial links that matter. | Pitch writers with a fresh angle and a single chart they can embed. |
Method Notes
This guide leans on public Google documents for ranking systems and link qualifiers, plus the record that the consumer social network closed in 2019. The aim is practical clarity: what helps rankings now, and what belongs in the history bin.
Bottom Line For Your Strategy
Chasing a retired product wastes time. Invest in assets that earn citations, then circulate them on the channels where your readers are active today. Social activity can light the fuse, and editorial links carry the ranking weight.