mar 6, 2012 - Countering the Google Plus Image Problem

Description:

"In response to the public perception of Google Plus, the company said it has decided to share some of the user numbers for Google Plus. About 50 million people who have created a Google Plus account actively use the company’s Google Plus-enhanced products daily, Mr. Gundotra said. Over a 30-day period, he said, that number is 100 million active users."

Google cited advertising as a prime example of the success of Google Plus. Mr. Gundotra said that any advertisement on Google that has a “social annotation” to it, specifically someone who has clicked the +1 button on an ad, is experiencing a drastic increase in engagement.

“We are seeing 5 to 10 percent click-through-rate uplift on any ad that has a social annotation on our own Web sites,” Mr. Gundotra said. “We have been in this business for a long time, and there are very few things that give you a 5 to 10 percent increase on ad engagement.”

Realistically, the debate over how many people use Google Plus, how many real users it has, or how long they spend clicking little +1 buttons on Google properties, seems almost irrelevant. Google is determined to make Google Plus work at all costs, even in the face of naysayers.