Google +1 Button

The last week or so, the entire internet has been crammed with articles, blog posts, forum rants and speculation about the newly rolled out Google +1 button. So, to the average reader of blogs, the outcome is completely and utterly confusing. Is it worth adding Google +1? Will it affect your search positioning? Will Google +1 be a challenge to the FaceBook like button? Do I really need all these social widgets on my website? Although quite possibly the last thing necessary is another blog post about it, I am going to try to detangle the myths and urban legends already surrounding Google +1 and give you an insight into why I believe the big G has opened this particular can of worms, and how it can affect your website.

Google +1 vs FaceBook Like

So, the obvious target of the Google +1 launch is to take back some of the ground which the FaceBook Like button has taken in the last 12 months (I am sure it is no coincidence that the formal launch of Google +1 was in the same week as the 1 year anniversary of the Like buttons launch). Why does Google feel that it needs to reclaim this ground? This is actually incredibly simple. In the last 3 years there has been a seismic shift in online activity, and the growth of social networks has undoubtedly had a huge part to play in this. Consumers are doing what they have always done, but now they are doing it online. They are sharing their good and bad experiences and tips with their friends and contacts. 20 years ago, if you asked your friend where they got their new fishing tackle from, they would tell you how to get to the shop in question and probably also mention the “nice guy called Kevin behind the counter” or “whatever you do don’t ask him about bobble floats, you’ll never get out of there”. Well, in this new age of technology, we now have exactly the same, but in a virtual sense.

The added advantage is you are getting information from people who are friends of your friends, so when you ask the same question you get your own contacts advice, and also access to all of their contacts. The social review site bubble from 24 to 18 months ago epitomised this kind of interaction and really gave a platform for consumers to voice their experiences of companies, whether they be good, bad or indifferent. Social reviews evolved into reviews on social platforms, and the FaceBook like phenomenon took it to the next level. When you search within FaceBook, pages which have been liked by your friends are weighted to appear higher in the results and therefore the votes of your contacts help shape your actions and decisions – even when you have not directly asked for their input.

Google +1 – a rival to FaceBook?

So, we come to this month and Google entering the social scene with the plus one button. Firstly, for the moment Google has stated publically that the plus one effect will not intrude on “natural” search results – i.e. if you are not logged in, the plus one effect will be zero, none of your contacts actions will have any influence on the positions of sites in the search results. However, as soon as you log in, these plus one votes will start to effect where websites appear, and those that have been voted up by your contacts will be given a boost to appear higher. The question is, why has Google done this? Are they trying to muscle in on the social scene? Do they see their future in the social interactions? In my opinion, no. This is a natural next step for Google who for the last few years have been personalising search results based on your browsing and search history to give you more relevant results based on your previous preferences. For example, if you search for fishing tackle and click on the site www.fishingtackle.co.uk then later search for fishing rods, Google knows that these two searches are related so will give a boost to the ranks of the previously visited site as this is one you have already effectively “voted up”.

The plus one button simply extends this search personalisation to the next step and gives another way in which Google is delivering what it intends to deliver – relevant results for your own personal search experience. So, the next questions:

• Do I need the Google plus one button? – Yes. Your competitors are using it, so if you dont you are simply giving them an advantage. At some point this WILL be integrated into the natural search results, so the earlier you adopt the technology the more chance you have when this comes to pass.
• Should the Google +1 button replace the FaceBook Like button? – No. You need to run them side by side, as they are not competing buttons, they are each relevant to a different audience – and indeed to the same audience at different times. Whilst you are thinking about this, you should also add the tweet this button and any other tools which allow your visitors to propogate your content to their contacts.
• Will this affect my SEO? – At this stage it will only affect your SEO insofar as contacts of people who have plus one’d you will see. Your natural search positions will be unaffected. How long this will be the case only time will tell, but I anticipate within a year the +1 button will be a core part of the Google algorithm.
• Is it complicated to install this plus one thingy? – No. A decent developer should be able to install it in a matter of seconds. Even the most technophobic should be able to install it within a few minutes. If you are stuck give us a call or contact us and we can help, but before you do that, take a look at Google’s own Plus 1 install tool.
• Whats the Social SEO effect? – social networking is becoming more and more important in any SEO campaign, and fully integrating your social platforms with your web content will definitely reap rewards when it comes to your search positioning. Engaging with your audience is now what the web is all about, and the Google plus one button is simply the latest way in which you can do this.

If you have any questions about the Google plus one button, please comment below. And dont forget to share our content to your contacts – including clicking the brand new Google button down there