Google Plus added an embedded post feature this week, following the lead of social media rivals Twitter and, more recently Facebook.
For social media marketers and networkers embedded posts can be a way of extending the shelf-life of the typical social media post.
For bloggers and website publishers, it is a way to share your social media content directly on your site. It also offers a way to curate content from various sources on a single page or in a post.
How to Embed a Google Plus Post
Directions for using the new embed feature can be found on the official Google Developers blog.
To embed a post, find the downward pointing arrow icon in the upper right hand corner of the post you want to share. Select “embed” on the pull down menu and a dialog box should open with the embed code inside.
Copy the code and place it into the HTML of your site where you would like the post or posts to appear.
For the adventurous, the Google Developers blog offers some more advanced approaches for embedding a Google Plus post on a website and gives some examples.
How the Google Plus Embed Posts Feature Compares
Like Twitter, Google seems to have designed its social media embed feature primarily as a way to draw website visitors back to the Google Plus page. By contrast, the Facebook embed feature seems focused on projecting posts beyond Facebook’s main site onto other publishing platforms including blogs.
As with the Facebook feature, Google Plus allows videos to play within the embedded post on a publisher’s website. You can also follow, comment on, and “+1” an embedded post.
But clicking on an image will take the visitor back to Google Plus.
And, most importantly, as with Twitter, there seems to be no way for visitors to share the embedded post on their websites without returning to Google Plus for the embed code.
By contrast, Facebook allows visitors to grab the code directly from the embedded post, something that may ultimately make Facebook’s embedded posts much more shareable. Time will tell.
Do you see value in embedding posts from your or someone else’s Google Plus account on your blog or website?
Aira Bongco
I think that this can be a good thing because it gives Google Plus posts more exposure. Instead of having them limited to your Google circle, now you can reach a wider market. I just hope that they don’t abuse this and use it for duplicate content.
I think this is a nice feature to add to Google Plus. It might create more exposure and buzz. Thanks for the post, Shawn. Will certainly check it out soon.
Teepu
Another new feature added just like Facebook’s embedded posts. Google PLus and Facebook are going at it!
Well, yes. Google plus and other social media platforma are great help in reaching your target audience. And what’s great about G+ is that it give more opportunities for business people to share thoughts and reach with one another, with it’s hang-out and communities features, everyone seemed to be reachable. 🙂
Emily D.
It’s a neat function. I just recently started embedding my twitter feeds. This is a welcome functionality.
Sounds promising and I am going to check this out more and perhaps use it. Thanks for the information.
Joe Q
I was waiting for the Launch of the option to Embed content on your Google Plus Page.
Great News!
This sounds really nice! It’s always a good idea to be able to embed content. You can share what other’s are saying on your blog. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Its seems like a good thing at first; Google does not want to be left behind, but just as with the new Hummingbird Algo, they want people on Google more than other sites.