Google +1 Button

Testing for the Google +1 functionality has been going on since March. Since the first of June 1, due to popular demand, the new +1 feature is available in code form to be added to your sites own code. This will allow for Google +1 button clicking on individual pages that you are currently viewing. Previously the Google +1 button was only found on the search engine results page. This functionality is sure to have an impact on your site and the organic ranking of it’s content. To what extent the impact will be felt is not known yet. Some people believe that Social Metrics and Google +1 functionality will eventually surpass the weighting of links and “back-links” to individual pages.

Google +1 Code

The Google +1 Button lends credence to this Social Metric theory as this will enhance the social results you get when performing searches. You may have noticed that when you search for terms now, you will often get a short social section near the bottom (sometimes the top) of your first page of results. This area is filled with content that your “network” has shared or posted; on their own pages, or through Twitter, Tumblr or related Social Networks. It will now also include pages that people in your “network” have given the +1 to. If it’s relevant to people in your social and business circle, chances are that it will be relevant to you as well.

This is currently available only for English searches on google.com but will be expanding. The code for on-page display itself is very simple and provided by Google Webmaster Tools. There are already several plug-ins for WordPress and various content management systems that will implement this functionality on-post and on-page. Some of the most recent social experiments from Google haven’t done so well, but this one has a good chance to succeed as it works much like the like button on Facebook. It probably best to adopt earlier to get that Google +1 count rolling now.

The Google +1 “Buzz”

Seo.com wonders if this will be another social failure from google:

With such failures as Orkut and Buzz, Google has been relentlessly trying to get into the social space–and this +1 thing, may be their opportunity. While Google has a wide reach of users because of its products (e.g., Gmail, Google Analytics, etc.), Google has not been good at connecting users like Facebook does. For instance, when I signed up for Google Buzz, I only found 50+ Buzz friends to follow. Many believe that the new +1 feature will be more visible because it’s existence right on the SERP.

PrimaryPosition believe it will give “balance” to the Google algorithms:

By giving users a vote on pages – it essentially starts to move to balance out the guesswork by the algorithm. For example, if users keep picking the first few sites that rank but they get less likes than other sites – it makes sense for Google to shake up the mix a bit.

Ultimately, adoption of the Google +1 function will be up to the users.  With the buttons appearing directly on SERP pages, we believe it has a good chance of being utilized.  The addition of on-page functionality also means that your site will get a boost based on quality design and content, which is what the good companies and bloggers are striving for anyways.  This may help put the emphasis back on quality, original writing and artistic representation and away from the robots and gimmicks associated with gaining back-links and the like.