9to5Google: Beyond Good and Evil

Following the introduction of branded Google+ pages for businesses and brands, Google has made a point of letting us know the ins and outs of the service. We learned earlier today that promotions will be strictly forbidden from branded pages, i.e. no direct advertising of contests, offers, sweepstakes, etc. In addition to launching a new Pages guide that acts as a resource for those who want to learn more, they also made a post on the official Google+ page today outlining some of the intricacies of the service.

You might have known a couple of these, but others probably not. For instance, Google+ Pages cant mention or follow a user unless you’ve connected with them first,  and a page will automatically unfollow a user if the user unfollows the page. Below is the full list from Google, or head over to the new Google+ pages resource center to learn more about how to share, promote, and measure the traffic of your brand page.
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Google has just announced a significant new update to Google+ with the introduction of branded ‘Google+ Pages’. From within a Page, fans will be able to join live hangouts, discuss topics, or just follow a brand or topic that interests them. For example, “hang out live with the local bike shop, or discuss our wardrobe with a favourite clothing line, or follow a band on tour”. Users will also be able to +1 a page, as well as add the page to a circle, while page owners can display a new Google+ badge on their site, allowing users to add their Google+ page to a circle without leaving the website. Sites that are linked to Google+ pages will also have their +1′s tallied into a single total.

It looks like just about anyone will eventually be able to create a page,  with categories currently listed including “Local Business or Place”, “Product or Brand”, “Company, Institution or Organization”, “Arts, Entertainment or Sports”, and “Other”. Although, as of right now, the feature isn’t open to the public, but will soon be available to everyone. You’ll eventually be able to create pages at plus.google.com/pages/create. Below is a screenshot of what you’ll see on that page once it’s opened up to the public.

Google also announced pages will be included in search results, while a new feature for search called Direct Connect will allow you to navigate directly to a Google+ page through search by entering “+” prior to the page name. For example, try typing “+Google” or “+Youtube” into Google search. Rather than displaying search results, you’ll be taken directly to the Google+ profile. Direct Connect is an experiment that won’t be available for all pages and users initially, but will roll out over time. You can learn more about Direct Connect here. Video of Direct Connect in action and links to currently live Google+ Pages after the break.  Read more

Left to right: YouTube slider (closed), slider (open), pop-up playlist, slider (while playing)

As part of several Google executives’ promise to “ship the Google part” of Google+, the company is rolling out two new features that integrate two of Google’s core products into Google+, starting with YouTube and Chrome.

The YouTube “slider” will be accessible via a new icon in the upper right of Google+. Hover over the icon and a search bar will slide out allowing you to enter a search query. A playlist of related videos will automatically begin playing in a pop-up window, while the slider will remain so you can continue searching. Also, when sharing YouTube videos within your circles, users can open a related playlist right from within the post (image below). YouTube playlists will also now be displayed in Google+ search results.

Chrome integration comes way of two new extensions (image below). The first, a +1 button allowing you to share the current webpage with any of your circles. The second is a notifications extension that allows you to check your Google+ notifications from a familiar red icon that looks almost identical to the notifications tray on the Google+ UI. Non-Chrome users can get these features on the latest version of the Google Toolbar. You can grab the new Chrome extensions here.
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