For Los Angeles social media aficionados anxiously awaiting the launch of another Google Social Media tool, wait no longer because “+1″ is finally here!
The single largest search engine on the planet is taking another huge step forward in fully integrating social and search following this week’s announcement of their new social experiment.
Similar to Facebook’s ‘Like’ button, the tool acts as sort of a “recommendation” feature that shares your endorsed sites from search results with contacts acquired through other Google properties such as GMail, Buzz and Reader.
Currently, the tool is available, via an opt-in function tied to your personal Google account. The directions on how to opt-in are being made available from Google,
To participate in this experiment:
- • Make sure you’re signed into your Google Account (required)
- • Click ‘Join this experiment’
- • Search for something you love on Google.com
- • Click the new +1 button, and make your mark on the web
Your +1′s are public. They can appear in Google search results, on ads, and sites across the web. You’ll always be able to see your own +1′s in a new tab on your Google Profile, and if you want, you can share this tab with the world. (courtesy of Google.com)
Once activated, search results pages will show a small button next to each listed web-page in a search query results page. Clicking the button shares the recommended page with all Google contacts and any contacts from other websites that are accessible via a Google sign-in.
Google is calling the tool a way for their users to give web-pages a “public stamp of approval”, and ties your public Google profile and name to the web page you’ve recommended. While the integration of such a tool is big news, its also not the search engine’s first foray into Social Media, following an early-2011 feature that allowed users to see Tweeted links and real-time content updates in search results.
Beyond search results integration, Google intends to offer to web publishers a “+1 button” that lets readers +1 something without leaving the publisher’s site. As most savvy web-surfers already know, Facebook has had a significant head start with its Like button, as more than 2 million sites and counting already have it installed!
Google’s button will instantly have a lot of SEO & PPC appeal however, given the company says that +1 data will directly influence both: its organic search rankings and paid advertising platforms, essentially offering Google’s AdWords and AdSense products a “recommended by friends” component for the first time. Following these lines of thought, analysts at our own Los Angeles Social Media agency began speculating that +1 could spell more bad news for content farms, who have content less likely to be shared and already taking a hit following Google’s last algorithm update. “Spammy” paid ads are also likely to take a hit in overall visibility across Google’s ad networks.
Earlier today, Google rep Jim Prosser, fielded questions from the popular Social Media news blog, , about “all things +1″ and how this exciting new tool will change not only the way people search but also share! Our Los Angeles social media firm can also help explain this development in greater detail and how it will affect your internet marketing campaign.
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