I know that I have posted another article about the +1 button, but this article seems to better describe the new Google feature.
Today, Google came out with its new ‘+1″ button. This is Google’s newest foray into the social scene, although they are still saying they are not attempting (yet) to create a social network to rival Facebook. The +1 button is a small icon that will become featured in searches done on Google. The idea is that when you see a search result you like, you will +1 it, thus telling others in your Google social group that you like the result.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110609/LA17680)
A Google social group consists of all the people that are connected to you via your Google profile, meaning those in your Gmail address book and the people you chat with using the Google chat feature. You have the choice of whether or not you want your +1 to be public or not, by checking or un-checking the appropriate box in your preferences area. If you go public, then anyone who is in your Google social group will be able to see that you +1’d a search result. A small bit of text will show up beneath the search result saying something like, ‘Tina +1’d this’. If you chose not to go public, then your +1 will still be counted and added to a text saying something like ‘1,000 others +1’d this’ but would not show your name to your contacts.
Google has said that the +1 feature will definitely affect search engine rankings. This is obviously a concern for website owners and search engine optimization companies alike. The +1 button is not available to be added to a website at this time, and Google says that feature is months away. So, in the meantime, how is this little button going to affect a site’s ranking?
In addition to showing the +1 on search results, the button will also be available for Google AdWords. When you see an ad you like, you can +1 it. This does not count as a click for the advertiser. Google feels that this will be a big plus for AdWord advertisers because people will be more likely to click on an ad that their friends have already +1’d.