Articles in The 'google-recommendations' Tag

Google Introduces the +1 Button

by Anne Garcia

Google has introduced the +1 button, where you can recommend links on Google Search and Search Ads to people within your Google social connections. Click +1 to publicly give something your stamp of approval without having to email or post an update about it. The next time your Google social connection is searching and your link is a Google Search result, he/she will see that you have +1’d the link.

For example, say you click the +1 button for a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles. The next time someone in your Gmail Contacts searches for “thai food in Los Angeles”, your contact will see that you have +1’d the link. In a way, it is like you are recommending the restaurant to your contact, without actively doing so.

In addition, you can +1 a Google Search Ad. This means that you can help influence a connection’s online purchase. For example, if you search for “apple iphone 4” you can see up to 10 or more ads on the search engine results page (SERP). If one of the ads has a note that someone in your Google social connection has +1’d the link, you are more likely going to click on the link that has been recommended by someone you know, as opposed to another link.

Who can see what you have +1’d, you ask? Anyone in your Google Social Connection. Who is in my Google Social Connection? People in your Gmail (or Google Talk) chat list, People in your Google Contacts or people you’re following on Google Reader and Google Buzz.

A couple of things to note: you must have a Google profile in order to +1 a link and you must be logged in. You must also be logged in to view +1’d links.

See below for what the new Google +1 button looks like on a SERP: