Social networking has just become a free-for-all – as if it didn’t feel that way already – now that Google has launched Pages for Google Plus. On the surface, the new feature feels like Google’s version of Facebook fan pages, a place where companies, celebrities and other “brands” can interact with their customers and followers by sharing news or engaging in discussions.
But Google brings something extra, something that Facebook and Twitter can’t offer – the power of open Web search. By adding Google+ Pages to Google search results and building in a one-key shortcut to Google+ Pages via the query box, Google is giving itself the advantage here.
Mind you, I can do a Google search for CNN’s Twitter page or Amazon’s Facebook page by typing “CNN Twitter” or “Amazon Facebook” and find those pages at the top of the results.
But with Google shortcut called Direct Connect, all I have to do is type a “+” in front of the company name – such as “+Amazon” – and the Google+ Page comes up. Better yet, just by typing “+A” into the search box, I get a listing of Google+ Pages for Amazon, AT&T, Angry Birds and ABC News. And surely, there will soon be more in that list.
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