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Introducing Google Plus 1
In a classic ‘anything you can do I can do better’ move, Google has unveiled its latest toy, the +1 button. The button is similar to the Facebook ‘like’ function however the Google claims that it is not trying to create a rival social network, instead they are creating social layers to exist on top of the web. By using the +1 function Google users can give a piece of information a virtual thumbs up, this then shows up alongside the information to help users determine which is the most popular answer to their query. This latest move by Google is definitely not unexpected, over the last year there have been plenty of hints to suggest that the search engine is gearing up to move into the social networking world. Although many did expect for them to launch their own Facebook or Twitter style network, the unveiling of +1 has left many pleased that they have opted for something slightly different.
The button enables users to control the visibility of the items that they have +1’d, for instance you can opt to only allow friends and contacts to view them or you can open your profile to the world. Every item that you have +1’d will be stored in your Google Profile, a tool that can be used to connect with people that you know and even those that you don’t, it’s completely up to you. The actual +1 feature will appear next to each search result and just like the Facebook ‘like’ button; users can always undo their action if they wish to.
Google have described the feature as providing ‘the right recommendations right when you want them’ and highlighted the fact that relevance is just as much about relationships as it is to do with ‘words on a webpage’. Google will use your social signals to show you the +1’s that are relevant to you, so far this will simply be based on information in your Google Profile however it is expected to include other social network sites such as Twitter.
Whether +1 actually does help provide better Google results or it is just another gimmick to keep up with the growing social media trend, it is definitely worth checking out. To learn more about the +1 feature head to http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/1s-right-recommendations-right-when-you.html.