Google Update: Say Goodbye to Google+

Following on from a large data exposure, Google has realised that it’s time to close their Google Plus (Google+) app. The official shut down date is 2nd April 2019, though with such low levels of engagement and worldwide adoption, will you be sad to see it go?

The failing social network was originally due to be closed down later in the year, October 2019, but because of a bug that affected the Google+ API, they have decided to close the app early – despite the bug being fixed within a week.

Sadly, the Google+ social network never received the broad adoption or engagement with users that it had hoped for…

According to one of Google’s sources, 90% of Google+ user sessions lasted for less than five seconds. With the likes of social media giants Instagram, Facebook and Twitter dominating the market, unfortunately, the Google+ network wasn’t able to compete.

Google stated that the decision to close the platform sooner came due to low usage and the high cost of upkeep and security maintenance.

What does this mean for our clients?

On March 7th 2019, Google+ integrations for web and mobile apps ceased to function. Some of our client websites contain Google+ share buttons, allowing users to share site content on the social channel. Some may also have a social follow button to allow users to follow them on their Google+ profile.

Sites with G+ buttons on their website should get them removed as soon as possible. The buttons will stop functioning and hence throw up 404 errors for website visitors, damaging usability and creating problems with the technical aspect of the website. As a result, it’s important that these are removed by your developer.

What about your Google Plus data?

Google is giving you the opportunity to download all of your user data before the platform is shut down. If you want to download this information then you will need to do this before April 2019.

You will be able to download the following information:

• +1s
• Circles
• Communities
• Stream

You may think your Google Plus information is pretty irrelevant since the platform is closing down, however, information about your followers can include useful user demographics, location information and user interests.

All of this data can help you to learn more about your audience and you can apply these learnings to your website design and development & any future marketing campaigns.

Need our help?

We advise that you contact our expert developers to help with the removal of G+ assets. It’s important to ensure that any changes made when removing the integration, don’t damage other aspects of your website.