Google+ first arrived in June 2011, and for the last two years, Google has been saying that the platform is more than just a social network. Last month, Google took even more strides to further prove that Google+ is not merely a response to Facebook or Twitter when they introduced an array of new features.
The underlying goal of Google+ has always been to create one, unified Google identity for each user. Google realized that users had one identity for Gmail, another for Youtube, and yet another for Android – the user experience was choppy and disconnected, and users were not even logged in when performing searches.
Still, some are confused by Google+, but with the roll out of new features last month, Google is doing all it can to make users see the benefit of having one, cohesive online identity.
New features include a redesign of Google Maps which will suggest restaurants based on what your Google+ friends have visited and reviewed, the new Google Music All Access will use your social graph to suggest music you might like, there will be voice search for photos, and even a feature that goes through posts on your social network and adds relevant hashtags to both posts and pictures.
All these tie-ins are meant to entice people to embrace Google+, instead of begrudgingly accept it.
For more information about the new and improved Google+, click here.
