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Google Plus One and What it Means

You’ve likely seen it in Google’s search results and have recently started to notice it popping up other sites (especially thoughts that are particularly SEO focused) . So what is Google’s new Plus 1? Read on:

Primarily used as a way for users to like a page, article, post or URL, it is also a new Google method of tracking the relevance (from a social media perspective) of a site and its content.   It’s like a recommendation or personal note from a friend that says “Hey check this out.”

Plus one is Google’s answer to the “Like” button or Twitter’s “Follow” button and it will basically count as an ‘up’ vote when somebody clicks the +1 google icon next to a search result or in GMail.  But what does the Google +1 do to SEO, and how is it advised to be used in SEO campaigns?

The one thing we do know for sure is that the results from Google +1 are being used directly in the Google search results algorithm. But how we use this information is something we are still learning.  Fortunately we can make a few simple assumptions to help use Google +1 effectively right now.

To start with, while we do not currently know what Google’s anti-spam measures are for Google +1, it is probably safe to assume they have them in place. So my first piece of advice would be Do Not Spam. Maybe +1 a few of your posts, but do not go overboard, let these build naturally. If you have a community, even a small one, you can encourage them to +1 your post.

Google released the code for Google +1 buttons on websites early last month.  Get the button installed on your site  (its easy to do) by clicking here for the Google + 1 Code of This will allow you to garner +1 votes much more quickly. It will also make it much more likely that organic search visitors will vote up your site.

Note: Google +1 uses Google accounts, so you must be logged in to plus anything.  It should also be noted that there is a higher chance of getting +1 vote than Stumbles, Diggs, search results (or any social media sites

When you +1 something it will appear to your friends underneath search results, so build up those Google Contacts, it means that more people are more likely to find what you +1, not to mention the inherit SEO benefits to this new Google revelation. Find out more about online marketing and Edmonton Advertising.