The Google+ system is growing but still clocks in at less than 1 percent of Facebook's users. Image: smemon / Flickr / CC-BY

It’s been a few weeks since Google+ hit the social networking scene. The network is still in beta-testing, but it is already gaining popularity. For everyone from social networking nerds to business owners, Google+ is a factor that cannot be ignored.

1: Google+ not yet for businesses

Google has been very careful in pointing out that Google+ is not yet for businesses. Individuals are heavily discouraged from creating Google+ accounts for their businesses. There is an official Google application form for businesses to request access to Google+. Until Google+ has a business-specific feature, it goes against the Google Terms of Service to represent your business as a person on the social network.

2: Google+ is all about grouping

One of the biggest features of Google+ is the separation of contacts into “circles,” groups of individuals. This grouping allows you to tailor your social networking presence to each type of person you want to interact with. The good thing about this separation is that it is much simpler for users to maintain control of privacy. The negative part, however, is that individuals have to think about every item shared.

3: Google+ is growing exponentially

Unlike the much-beleaguered Buzz, Google+ is growing at speeds that are surprising even the Google team. There were hiccups in the Google+ system over the last few days as the company had to allocate more server space to the growing network. Estimates in the last few days are that the number Google+ users is “in the millions.” Facebook currently has 750 million users.

4: Google+ and Gmail will integrate

The Gmail design team has openly announced that it will be making efforts at integrating Gmail and Google+. Many of the integration efforts will likely focus on making Google+ the ultimate personalized home page that will display email, social networking and other important information. How, exactly, the two systems will integrate has yet to be determined.

5: Google+ will have an effect on search results

The +1 button has already been shown to have an effect on search results, and testing has shown that social network mentions and shares can also help boost search engine rankings. With a direct line to user’s interactions, Google+ actions will almost certainly have a strong effect on search engine rankings, especially for logged-in users.

6: Hangouts could be the sleeper hit

Hangouts could be one of the ways Google gets a leg up on Facebook and Twitter. Hangouts are multi-person, in-program live video chats. While Facebook has partnered with Skype, Google+ offers video as a native service, meaning it comes with fewer integration problems. Skype has a strong user following, but recent downtime has left many users looking for another opportunity. Given these realities, Hangouts could be just the right product for just the right time and make Google+ the new popular social network.