We’re all familiar with Google as a search engine, but what about as a social network? Google+ was launched in 2011 and if you’re wondering if your business should have a page, the short answer is “yes.”

Here are three reasons why:

Increased visibility in search results:

When a user types in a key word on Google, the results are presented in an order determined by a variety of factors. According to a scientific correlation study from Moz, a Google+ “+1” is even more heavily weighted in the ranking of results than a Facebook “Like”.

Unlike Facebook and Twitter, where most posts are kept private, Google+ posts are indexed immediately by Google, making your business more likely to show up on the first page even if someone doesn’t +1 you.

If that doesn’t convince you, check this out: Google is so good at what they do that most users don’t bother scrolling past the first page of results, and a study done by the advertising firm Chitika suggests that a third of them click on the first result. If your business is on Google+, you’re more likely to show up on that first page, and users- potential customers- are more likely to visit your website.

Integration With Other Google Services and Google+ Local:

Signing in to Google+ is as simple as signing in to your Google account, which allows you to access all of Google’s services in one place: Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube, etc. Perhaps the biggest benefit of this integration is for the consumers, and how easy it makes researching businesses.

Google+ Local is a feature of Google+ that allows small business to create a page that emphasizes your location and puts everything a customer needs to know in one place. A search for “doctor” from Montvale, New Jersey brings up a list of nearby medical practices listed on Google+ Local as well where each one is located on a map.

Hovering over the first result highlights a local medical practice and shows its location and directions (via GoogleMaps), phone number, hours, and reviews from multiple sites around the web.

Google+ Local puts relevant information in one place and helps users find businesses near them; for small businesses like cafes, gyms, or boutiques that serve mostly a local community, this can be very beneficial in helping the right people find your information. Social Media Today suggests that the social features of Google+ Local will also increase customer engagement.

It’s Growing Fast:

Google+ is growing, and fast. While it took Facebook over three and a half years to reach 50 million users, a BetaNews article says that Google+ reached that milestone in less than three months. According to an article on influential technology blog The Next Web Google+ now has over 540 million active users. It’s simple to see that a growing user base means a growing audience for your page.

If you are a small business owner, you may find that Google+ not only increases your audience and improves your reach online, but helps you connect with users. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so for free here.