Goliath has started its latest foray into the social media arena. Google this week announced the launching of its +1 feature, its answer to the Facebook Like and LinkedIin Share buttons. While previous attempts in social media (like Google Wave and even Google Buzz) have not had the level of success they expected, +1 could well be the social media success Google has been searching for.
What is Google +1? +1 allows Web surfers, while logged in to their Google account, to share sites they like or recommend within the Google search. The plus one button can be added to any webpage or blog with a few simple steps (which we will describe below.)
When do you see the Google +1? To begin, you must have a Google profile or a Google account such as Gmail. To find your Google profile, go to http://profiles.Google.com/yourname. If nothing comes up for you, then you may not have created a profile or you could have it private, in which case you may need to create a public profile (do a Google search for details how to do that.)
Once you’ve logged in to your profile and do any search, you will see, at the end of the top line of the search results, the greyed out +1 button. Simply click the +1 button and it turns to full-color, leaving a trail for your Google contacts to see. When one of your Google contacts does a similar search, they will see your +1 link recommendation. There is also talk that in the near future the link will be visible to your Twitter and Flickr contacts as well.
Google publicly says that +1 activity will be used to show more relevant ads on non-Google base sites, however, you do have the ability to disable that feature within the +1 settings in your Google account.
But what’s the real value of the Google +1? From the initial announcement of +1, speculation has centered around the effect it will have on search results and search engine ranking. Google has long had, as part of their algorithm, the relevancy and popularity of a website. By adding +1 to a website, the webmaster/owner may potentially have a positive impact on their search engine rankings. How big an effect is yet to be seen but with more and more emphasis being placed on social media and the social aspects of the web, logic says this can have a significant impact.
How you add the Google +1 button? The process is a very simple one. You will need FTP access to your website to complete the process or you will need to have your webmaster complete the process. Below are the four steps:
- Go to Google +1 page
- Choose your button size and language. The advanced options allow you to include the +1’d count and include the target URL you want attached to the +1
- Copy the first section of the code and paste it just above the closing body tag of the page
- Copy the second section of the code and paste it where you want the button to appear
That’s all it takes. I hope you found this blog useful. If so, +1 me.
Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com Online Marketing Solutions specializes in helping small to medium size businesses to drive traffic to their door through web site design, search engine optimization, text message marketing and social media marketing and coaching. Gary is also the co-founder of SocialMediaLab, an online education and training program to help business owners master social media.