Is Klout Accurate Without Support for Google Plus Brand Pages?

Klout is the website that measures social media influence across multiple networks.  While the site’s usefulness is hotly debated, one issue cannot be discounted: the lack of support for Google Plus brand pages casts doubt on Klout’s accuracy. While Klout does support Facebook pages and Google Plus personal profiles, the omission of Google Plus brand pages becomes painfully obvious to anyone who is using Klout while attempting to grow a G+ page.

And really, Facebook hasn’t had the best month, either. Not only did former Facebook President Sean Parker calling the site “boring,” and not only did we witness the disasterous IPO, but the concept of “promoted posts” was unveiled, which immediately led Facebook page owners to believe they would have to pay to receive the visibility they once enjoyed for free. It’s becoming harder to build a Facebook page outside of paying for ads and posts. Not impossible, but harder. This has led some to reconsider Google Plus brand pages, which seem a bit easier to build. Not easy, but easier.

These issues, along with reports that Google Plus continues to grow, raises the obvious question of why hasn’t Klout implemented Google Plus brand pages yet?

Anyone who uses Google Plus on a daily basis knows that there are certain demographics that are a natural fit to the network. Models, photographers, techies, and individuals in certain countries are all to be found in high numbers on Google Plus. Many have dropped Facebook completely. There are pages that have all of their eggs in the G+ basket. Take Psychology World, for example. Their Google Plus brand page has over 5000 followers, while on Facebook it’s under 20. Though this particular page isn’t on Klout, what if they were? It would be difficult to build a fair and accurate Klout score – and earn all of those yummy perks – with their primary following ignored by Klout. Even Klout’s own blog pointed out last year that G+ users had higher scores than average.

How then is Klout’s score accurate when they ignore brand pages on the 5th most popular social media site?

You can certainly argue that Klout is useless. In fact, when I type in “Klout is” in Google, the first two suggestions I’m handed are “Klout is stupid” and “Klout is bullshit.” This author doesn’t necessarily think Klout is stupid or bullshit, but perhaps incomplete or insufficient without support for Google Plus pages.

I double-checked today – right before posting this article – to see if maybe Klout had implemented support for Google Plus brand pages since the last time I checked. Nope. When I try to connect Klout to me Google Plus page, it only allows me to select my personal G+ profile – which Klout tells me is already in use by my personal Klout profile.

Until Klout implements support for Google Plus brand pages, I won’t give it full credibility. And I’m not a Klout basher, either. I think a Klout score could give a person or business a good idea of how engaged they are in comparison to others out there…. but they have to implement G+ brand pages before I’ll make that endorsement.

We tweeted Klout, asking about this. Our tweet read, “@klout Any ETA on implementation of Google plus brand pages?” Hopefully this will bring a positive answer.