With Facebook’s continued popularity, and the ease with which Facebook users can “like” a post simply by clicking a button, it’s no surprise now that Google has introduced a similar system.
On Facebook, users can click a “like” button when they like something that one of their friends shares. The more “likes” a post has, the higher up it moves in a streamlined news feed that only shows significant posts.
Google has named their entry to the Like and Share craze “+1.” While the +1 works in a similar way, unfortunately when the action is “verbed” to “+1’d” it’s a bit clunkier than “like”! But there are enough advantages and differences that Google fans should have no problem adopting the new method for sharing.
The +1 button requires users to have a Google profile (create one at https://profiles.google.com) and be logged in to their account. If you already have a Google account, you can upgrade it to receive even more results from your social circle, such as images.
Once logged into your account, you can begin searching. You will see clickable gray +1 buttons. While searching, if there is any result that you “like”, simply click the +1 button. When you click the button, your friends from your Google contacts will be able to see that you have recommended this link when they are searching for the same thing you did. So if you are searching for “American Idol” and “+1” a certain video result, when your friends search for “American Idol” as well they will see your Google profile photo with the words that you have +1’d the link.
Right now, the service is only available to organic search links, but Google has said that they will be adding the +1 button to AdWords ads as well and later pages on websites. They have also suggested that in the future your Twitter and Flickr contacts will also be able to view your +1′s. Your Google profile shows you everything that you have +1’d in one place, and you can delete those you no longer want to recommend. You can also disable this through your account settings tab by clicking on Edit under +1 settings that appear there now.
What seems clear is that Google is hoping to capitalize on the social media sharing craze as well as continue to offer personalized search results to their users. What is less clear is how Google will use this data. What they are telling the public is that they will use the data to show its users more relevant search results and (eventually) advertisements based on what most people like.
That sounds good on the surface, but the fact is that the likes and dislikes of people you barely know (or know not at all) can influence the search results that you are shown. If Google thinks that one result is more highly favored than another, the other results will be pushed further down the page. While multiple +1s may become a marker of a site’s popularity and relevance, it could just as easily be the result of a system being “gamed” by users with multiple Google accounts who want to push their agenda.
It also presents some challenges for the business owner, as it is even more important to present content on your site that is worthy of +1’s. If your competitors have more +1s than you do, your site will likely be pushed further down the results page, adding a new battlefront to the already crowded and difficult online marketplace.
Some good news is that is fairly easy to add the button to your site or blog. All you have to do is visit Google’s +1configurator at http://www.google.com/webmasters/+1/button. Choose from two sizes you want to add: small (15px) or medium (20px) and a standard (24px) or tall (60px) option. Copy the first snippet of code just before the closing body tag of page or template. Copy the second snippet of code where you want the button to show up. Or, you can use the advanced option and add the URL of the page you are using the button on.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that how a site interacts with social media is impacting search results. Social media profiles and Twitter accounts now appear in organic search for personal and business names. For now, it seems prudent to take advantage of this new sharing system. Add it to your website and blogs when you can, and try to add content that garners +1s as much as possible.
If you’d like, we can add this new Google feature to your site. Please contact us and we’ll get it live for you right away.
