The internet as a whole is trending toward a social platform, where consumer interaction and engagement are key to keeping people involved and loyal to their connections, brands and products. The biggest of these social trends is allowing customers to review, discuss and react to their experiences related to business engagements. Taking this trend into their own hands is the search giant itself, Google.

After a number of hairy starts in the social media realm, Google has launched the testing phase of +1, a way for users to socialize and engage with their search engine results. Essentially, +1 gives users a “like” button for sites, ads and even on page content. So, for example, if an individual searches for “recipes” and someone in their network (such as a friend or acquaintance whose opinion would matter to that individual either as a Gmail contact or Google Talk contact) “+1′d” a site or ad, that site will show up higher on the search results for that individual. In a nutshell, the site gets rank for being voted as useful by a friend. Google also mentioned that they are going to integrate into other social media tools, such as Twitter, to expand recommendation possibilities.

What will this mean for Search Engine Optimization?

As of now, Google’s +1 is an experiment to merely collect data on the efficacy of this tool and to watch the behavior of users who receive +1 recommendations. Additionally, positive ratings carry big implications for PPC ads. If users +1 an ad, then that can bring down the cost per click, raise the average position of the ad and make the ad stick out next to competitors because it has the +1 logo where others might not.

The real question is, what’s to stop a blackhat SEO company from making a bunch of Gmail accounts and +1-ing them? This question has yet to be answered. The algorithm that Google puts into place for +1 will have to take blackhat techniques into account and it’s still not certain how much weight positive clicks will give the site overall. Recently Google has taken online reviews into consideration when giving rank, making the user aspect more measurable and holding more weight.

Stay ahead of the curve on Google’s +1: update your content!

When was the last time you added new information about your services, products or industry? The most important tactic for your website, AdWords ads and blog postings is to be as relevant as possible. Stay on top of information and don’t forget to maintain a user-friendly website. If users find your site frustrating, disorganized, filled with errors or requires more than just a couple of clicks to get what they are looking for, then it’s time to update or have professionals come in and streamline your site for you.

Remember, Google’s business is to bring the best search results possible to the users, not to cater to advertisers and websites.

For more information on Google’s +1 or to find out how to enable +1 when you search, visit their informational content or contact Pop Labs today!

Share on Facebook