So what’s Google +1 all about?

Basically, it’s a new free service that acts somewhat like the Facebook ” Like” button.  But does anyone actually believe it starts and ends with just the social connection?

I don’t.

I believe there is more to it than just another “like” button.

In fact, Google has a lot to say about how this may affect search engines rankings, indexing and social proof of popularity.  So let’s analyze exactly what Google says about their new +1 button and then see if you think this is useless for yourself. 

(The questions and answers below are taken right from Google +1 page -(http://www.google.com/intl/en/webmasters/+1/button/index.html)

Does +1 affect search results rankings?

Google Says:

+1 helps people discover relevant content—a website, a Google search result, or an ad—from the people they already know and trust. Adding the +1 button to your pages lets users recommend your content, knowing that their friends and contacts will see their recommendation when it’s most relevant—in the context of Google search results.

When a signed-in Google user is searching, your Google search result snippet may be annotated with the names of the user's connections who've +1'd your page. If none of a user's connections has +1'd your page, your snippet may display the aggregate number of +1's your page has received.

So basically in the search engine listings anytime someone gives your site a +1 it will show up beside your listing (think: social proof).

Sound important yet?  Let’s look at another question on this page.

Does +1 affect my site’s performance in search?

Google says:

Content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more relevant than content from strangers. For example, a movie review from an expert is useful, but a movie review from a friend who shares your tastes can be even better. Because of this, +1’s from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user’s query. This is just one of many signals Google may use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking, and we’re constantly tweaking and improving our algorithm to improve overall search quality. For +1's, as with any new ranking signal, we'll be starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality.

Hmmm.  It looks like Google has a plan for this to affect search rankings eventually.  I’d be willing to bet they already have a framework in place for this.  Again, social proof looks like it might affect search rankings soon enough.

And finally….

How will the +1 button affect my traffic?

Google says:

Personalized annotations next to your page in search results may increase your site’s visibility and make your site’s snippet more compelling, which may in turn increase the odds that users will click through to your page.

It looks like having the +1 will increase visibility in the search engines and draw attention to your snippet at least in the Google search engines.

So how do you get a +1 button on your blog posts so you can reap the benefits of +1 as it gets more popular in the days to come?  Easy.  Grab a free plugin called: SEXY BOOKMARKS and simply enable the +1 button as well. 

Right now it’s still new enough that we don’t know everything.  But, read what Google is saying and determine for yourself.  If you want to read the whole page of F.A.Q. on Google’s +1 button you can read that here… http://www.google.com/intl/en/webmasters/+1/button/index.html

I don’t believe having the +1 button and getting +1’s on your site are 100% critical.  I believe this will simply be something that “helps” increase search engine rankings.  Links, optimization, keywords and good content will always be important but don’t underestimate the social elements like Google +1.

What do you think?  Are you planning on adding the +1 button?

Ohh, and don't forget to give me a +1 if you like this!