24 November 2011
Google +1 the benefits

Feature Google +1

We have recently been asked by a few clients about the image appearing next to some search engine listings on Google.

Unsurprisingly, this is called Google +1 and is part of the Google social media set up called Google Plus that is designed to get your circle of friends discussing websites or website features they particularly like.

So how does +1 work?
Well, after a piece of code has been added to your website any search listing appearing on Google will have the +1 site next to it. If someone is then searching the internet and comes across your site and like what it has to offer, they will click the +1. They can also add a comment which will appear in Google Circles (Googles new social media offering). So the next time your friends and contacts search on Google, they could see your +1. You’ll help them find the best stuff on the web.

Will +1 affect Search Engine Optimisation?
Google is keeping this close to their chest and the jury is out amongst the experts. My personal view is I think they will factor it into the algorithm. I do think businesses will use the system as a ‘bookmarking‘ tool in the business element of their circles account so you may find it becomes a third party recommendation tool. If you would like to add Google +1 to your site then please drop us a line.

Think about it for a second. Right now the +1 button is used just for search. If you search for "beagle training" and decide the fourth or fifth page in the search results is better than the first, you can +1 that ranking, basically telling Google "this search result is the best for this keyword". That's powerful and Google will gladly integrate those results into their search rankings.

But that's only the start. With +1 in search results, webmasters have very little control over who votes for their site. However, Google is going a little further and this is where things get truly interesting. Imagine what happens when someone clicks the +1 button on a page of your website. Google now knows that someone thinks your content is useful. It's the same as getting a backlink from another site – someone says "these guys knows their stuff".
Of course, we won't know for a little while how much of an impact the +1 button has on search rankings, but I think it's pretty safe to assume Google will take it into account. In fact, Matt Cutts – the head of the Web Spam division at Google – has repeatedly said in the past that they want to integrate social interaction into determining content quality. Presumably there was an issue with spam regulation, but now that the +1 button has been rolled out, it's only a matter of time before this very social tool becomes an important part of their algorithm. After all, they track, monitor, and gather all the results from those clicks. You can bet they'll use the data.