​A new survey notes that most clients and agencies feel that Google+ marketing doesn't influence their search campaigns.

​Are marketers growing tired of scare tactics being used to convince them Google+ marketing is essential for future SEO success? A recent study from Econsultancy and NetBooster suggests that companies have grown complacent of the social network’s inability to influence search visibility or social traction. While this wariness isn’t enough to turn brands away from Google+ completely, it’s likely a growing concern of the search engine, and it may lead to its ultimate launch of AuthorRank.

In the U.K. Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report for 2013, client-side respondents and agencies were surveyed about their perceived impact of Google+ on search. Sixty-three percent of clients indicated they weren’t sure if Google+ had any impact on their search campaigns, and 30 percent said the social network had a neutral impact on their efforts. As for agencies, 28 percent said they didn’t know, while 51 percent reported a neutral impact, as well. It’s clear businesses are unsure of how Google+ or social media content published to the network plays into their overarching search marketing campaigns.

Brands may have embraced Google+ because they believed it would impact their PageRank or visibility in SERPs. However, data suggests that, at the moment, it still operates solely as a social network​ with shares climbing higher each year. According to recent insights reported by Brafton, Google+ social shares are expected to outpace Facebook by February 2016. This could be beneficial for companies using the network to fuel social chatter, but for those organizations wanting an SEO edge over the competition, organic content creation may be the only route worth taking today. That is, until Google finally speaks out about its theoretical AuthorRank technology.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.