And how it may affect your SEO

There has been a lot of buzz this past week surrounding the brand new +1 feature which has been introduced by Google.  There are many people who are not keen on the idea, while others see it simply as another way that Google is trying to weigh in on Facebook’s dominance on the Internet.  Whatever your thoughts maybe on the subject, it is worth learning more and thinking how this may positively or negatively affect your SEO Strategies and rankings in the SERPS.

+1 and Likes whats the difference for SEO

To the untrained eye all +1 will be is another version of Facebook’s likes.  Users on the web can give any website a +1 to show their friends and network that they rate the site as one which is worth visiting.  According to Google, in the near future the new feature will soon be available on specific web pages, next to videos and pictures for example.  This will be just like the ‘Tweet’ and ‘Like’ buttons which every internet user is used to seeing on a daily basis already.

So what sets Google’s social tool apart from ‘likes’ and ‘tweets’?  The difference will be that the +1 will be seen directly in the Google search engine results pages.  This is an addition to some of the recent changes that the company has made regarding the behaviour of your network on the Internet.  They have been working on delivering information more freely on tweets they have twittered and their activity of Flickr for example.

+1 is a natural extension of this, and is designed to help you find what it is you are looking for.  If your friend or business colleagues have found a site to be informative and useful, the chances are you will too.  And why have Google chosen this name?  Google decided to call it +1 which is the shorthand for ‘this is pretty cool’.

Who can Use the New Feature?

In order to start making the most out of Google’s new feature it is necessary to have a Google Profile.  The roll out will be gradually and is planned to be started on Google .com.   They have an ‘opt in’ feature for people who are eager to have a go themselves.  The feature is being initialised simply on the search results and also on the adverts which appear on the SERPs.

+1 and SEO

Although Google have yet to discuss the effect the new feature will have on the rankings, it is probably safe to presume that sites with multiple recommendations may be given higher priority.  To help achieve as many +1’s as possible on your adverts you need to make sure that your site is delivering everything the users may expect from it.

Spamming sites with little information will obviously not achieve as many +1’s as a site full of relevant information. Combine the +1 with the blocking feature that has been introduced on Google Chrome and the SERP for users may start to be tailored exactly to their needs.

To discuss our latest SEO strategies and to learn more about our bespoke SEO plans contact our expert consultants on 0800 84 999 33 for more details.  Alternatively you can email us at sales@seotrafficlab.com and we shall contact you to discuss your SEO requirements.