What Does the Google "+1" Button Mean to You?
Back in March, Google announced "+1" – a new search feature that allows users to "+1" search results. This new button applies to both organic and paid search results.
Naturally, you also get to see how many people +1’d a search result.
Additionally, if any of the people that +1’d a result are in your Google social network, you will see their name and picture included, much like Facebook.
Your Google Social Network, not to be confused with your Google Social Circle, currently consists of:
- People in your Gmail & Google Talk chat list
- People in your "My Contacts" group in Google Contacts
- People you follow in Google Reader or Google Buzz[1]
Google expects to expand this list in the near future to include Twitter connections and more.[2]
Many are speculating that Google intends to compete with Facebook and their "Like" button. There are those who have predicted that Google will launch their own social networking site, going head to head with Facebook. While these speculations are interesting and should be considered, the most obvious and most immediate implications will be related to current search – both paid and organic.
How will "+1" affect page rank?
How will "+1" affect users' search behavior?
How quickly will this new feature be adopted?
As of June 1st, Google has expanded the "+1" button to allow incorporation of the feature directly on a website. Again, this is similar to adding "Share" or "Tweet" buttons directly to your website. To date, adoption has been relatively low. But with big names like Mashable, Nordstrom, The Huffington Post (pictured to the right), and more already adding the "+1" button to their sites[3], it is advisable to get ahead of the curve.
This is certainly a worthy addition to any site that already has "Share" and/or "Tweet" buttons. Given that "+1" also displays in Google search and Google still controls the market with over 80% of daily searches[4], the impact will likely reach much further, affecting ranking as well as the way end users select from search results. Google reports that they expect the "+1" to help users know when ads and organic search results are relevant to them, increasing the chances that they'll end up on your site. Quality Score calculations (AdWords) aren’t changing, although "+1’s" will be one of many signals used to calculate organic search ranking.[5]
Want to learn more about Google’s "+1" and how it will affect your marketing goals? Contact Cool Blue today.
[1] Search Engine Land: http://searchengineland.com/meet-1-googles-answer-to-the-facebook-like-button-70569
[2] Official Google Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/1s-right-recommendations-right-when-you.html
[3] Official Google Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/1-button-for-websites-recommend-content.html
[4] NETMARKETSHARE: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?spider=1&qprid=5
[5] Official AdWords Blog: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2011/03/1-button-adwords.html