Soon, all Google search results and advertisements will contain the new “+1” button. Similar to Facebook’s “Like” button, +1 indicates to people in your network that you recommend a certain product, service or website. The people who see your +1’s, and vice versa, are those connected to you via Gmail, Google Contacts, or other Google communities. The +1 button will help make Google searches more reliable and personable. If a trusted friend +1’s a particular search result, you will be more inclined to check out the link and trust that the business is a reputable source or that a product or service is quality.
So how will the +1 button affect your business? Well, one great feature of the Google +1 button is that if someone +1’s your ad, the +1 recommendation will also show up on all future organic search listings that link back to the same website as your ad. More +1 recommendations on your organic search results and ads will help direct attention to your listings and drive quality traffic to your site. Although this will not increase your page rankings, it is like free public relations for your website. Combined with a well executed SEO or paid search campaign, Google’s +1 button can help you increase sales.
There is a growing effort among business owners to manage personal and business relationships online, and Google is facilitating that social interaction via the +1 button. The +1 feature allows users to obtain a quick product review without leaving their search results page, which will likely cut down the amount of time it takes to make online purchasing decisions. The +1 button, along with other new projects, is steering Google into a more social role than they have ever taken before, which will further cement their position as the most dominant search engine in the world.