Google+ is one of the top social networks for businesses right now. And with the added bonus of helping your SEO rankings, Google+ is a must for you and your business.

While there are many resources to help you make a profile (including Google’s easy walk-through tutorials), to here is a list of the top mistakes others have made for you to keep in mind.

Not completing your profile.

Filling out all parts of your profile helps improve your SEO for your business. It is too easy to set up, categorize your business and give all your information for you not to. The important part to remember is to link back to your webpage in order to raise awareness of the profile and increase your search engine result page rankings. Use all the info space available to market your company, describing products and services, who you are, and what you provide.

Stuffing a keyword.

Repeating the same keyword over and over no longer helps your SEO. The old trick has been found and will actually negatively affect the search results of your business if used. Google’s algorithms are now trying to rank pages based on consumer ideas and needs, which means finding the best quality and relevant content. The best way to get good ranking is to write for your customer. Use natural descriptions, product names and services as if you were informing a customer in person.

Using a bad cover image.

With one of Google’s newest updates, they increased the size available for profile cover images. Though the minimum size is 480 x 270 px, the ideal size would be 2120 x 1192 px. This allows the image to stay clear and not distort when used. Another thing to notice while choosing an image is to take note of the location of your profile image compared to the cover photo. Blocking out part of the image may not be bad until it spells an inappropriate word or puts your face in a less than attractive scenario. A great way to get a striking and business conscience image is to allow someone to make one specifically for you. It lets you get creative and becomes a unique piece people will talk about.

Not using circles.

Circles allow you to send out posts to specific circles of connections that you have. For example, you can create circles labeled as customers (both online and in-store), coworkers, business leaders, partners, and more. By using these circles, you can create specific content for target circles. You can even promote the same information in different ways for each unique circle.

Stay tuned for more helpful Google+ tips for your business profile!