On March 6, Google announced a series of updates to Google+. The changes are primarily visual, so the core functionality of Google+ remains largely the same. This POV covers these most recent changes and provides guidance on their implications for brands.

1. Google+ Design Updates
March 8, 2013
Example of a client-themed cover slide

2. 2
A Visual Refresh for Google+
On March 6, 2013, Google announced a series of updates to Google+. The changes are primarily
visual, so the core functionality of Google+ remains largely the same.
This POV covers these most recent changes and provides guidance on their implications for brands.

3. 3
New Reviews Tab for Users
User profiles now contain a new Reviews
tab which aggregates all of the Google+
reviews the user has written for
businesses with physical locations.
Brand takeaway: If your brand has
physical, consumer-facing locations such
as restaurants, retail stores or
dealerships, this change paves the way
for Google+ to become a more
important component of your social
strategy, as it makes these reviews
more visible than in the past.

4. 4
Redesigned About Tab for Brand Pages
The About tab on brand profile pages
has been redesigned to a new style that
organizes all of the key information into
cards (people, story, links, etc).
Brand takeaways: Ensure that this
section is filled out with comprehensive,
concise information and links to your
website and other social media
channels.
Brands should expect that more of this
information (in addition to the brand’s
most recent Google+ post) will be used
to populate the knowledge panel on the
right hand side of the Google search
page.

5. 5
Cover Photos Now Much Larger
Cover photos for people and brand
pages are now much larger. This new
design allows for cover photos sized at
2120px by 1192px, and they display in
a 16x9 aspect ratio.
Brand takeaways: Brands can take
advantage of the newly expanded cover
photo size by creating and uploading a
new, high-resolution image.
If left untouched, old cover photos will [above: the new, larger cover photo on a brand page]
continue to function; however, the
brand’s profile picture and text of the
page name will be superimposed over
the cover – as shown on The Wall Street
Journal brand page [right].

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