Google’s rebuttal to the Facebook “like” button has been unveiled as +1. The social media tactic allows users to share their picks of recommended websites, advertisements, and any services they think are interesting or helpful. Google +1 (called “plus one”) is a search tool to use along with your Google account. Members will send and view recommendations with other Google +1 users.
The newest social networking technique presented by Google has search engine marketers on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if it takes off with consumers because it has the potential of being a lucrative tool in their world. Depending on whether consumers sign up for Google accounts, +1 may or may not be an advertisers dream. The key is getting people to sign up for Google accounts.
Once you have a Google account, the process of “+1-ing” seems pretty simple. In order to recommend something in a Google search to a friend, you simply click the +1 on the object you choose and it will appear in the Google search results.
Search Engine Land reported today that Google assures advertisers that +1 “improves click-through rates,” but continues that it will not be used as a ranking tool just yet. Google is also reporting that it will track traffic from the +1 system in AdWords.
On Wednesday, in an official Google blog post, Google product manager Rob Spiro said of +1, “It’s digital shorthand for- ‘this is pretty cool’.”
