Google has shown once again a refinement of their search engines. How did they do this? By rolling out their advanced version of the Facebook like button. Introducing Google Plus 1 – the Facebook like button on steroids!
So how can this new and exciting Google feature help your business? Doesn’t it do the very same thing as the Facebook like button? Well, here is the answer to both questions. Many businesses have opted to integrate their websites with the “Like” button provided by Facebook. This allows the businesses’ visitors to share what they have found about the business with their Facebook contacts which potentially leads to more website traffic for businesses. The biggest advantage of the Google Plus One button is the unique way in which it can generate more traffic to a business’s presence on the World Wide Web based on recommendations made by every day people who have encountered some aspect of the business online. Rather than only having the information shared with an online user’s contacts for one particular social media network, such as in the case of the Facebook like button, Google Plus 1 shares the recommendation with anyone that types Google in their web browser in an attempt to conduct an online search. Simply put, it is the ultimate form of business referral that can reach a multitude of people – more people than within the reach of Facebook.
The Google Plus 1 button can benefit your business in three distinct ways: through a Google search, presence on your actual business website, and if your business has opted to enroll in Google Ads.
Google Plus 1 via Google Search
For example, let’s refer to your company as ABC and you sell a specialized product or service called XYZ. An online user decides to conduct a Google search because he or she is interested in purchasing XYZ. Hundreds of businesses that provide XYZ appear in the search results list including your business, ABC. This presents the online user with a lot of options to look at, and it is fair to say that the online user would probably find it easier to make a decision if there was some way to receive a little advice. In a sense, that is what Google Plus 1 is all about. During a Google search, if the user clicks the Google Plus 1 button next to your search result, it creates a recommendation that other users will see when they conduct similar searches. This serves as advice because in actuality the Google Plus 1 button is saying to the rest of the world that “this is something you should check out.” Most users will navigate more towards the search results that have recommendations rather than the search results that do not have recommendations; therefore, there is a greater chance that the online user interested in purchasing XYZ would visit your website if other users have recommended your website via the Plus 1 button.
Google Plus 1 via Your Business Website
The Google Plus 1 button can also be found in more places than just Google search results. The button can actually be found on sites across the web as a result making it easier for online users to recommend websites after they have visited them. A Google Plus 1 button strategically placed on your business website can have the potential to generate additional and better-qualified site traffic to your business website since your business’s visitors might see personalized recommendations on your business’s search results and ads more often. In order to incorporate the Google Plus 1 onto your business’s website, you should visit Google Webmaster Central .
Plus 1 with Google Ads
If your business is not currently registered as an advertiser with Google Ads, it would be a wise choice to register as Google Plus 1 can present another opportunity in ad format. With Google AdWords, a business is able to reach online users precisely when the users are looking for products and services related to that particular business. These ads are shown to the right of the Google search results and often times are viewed before the actual search results. This is not a free service; however, your business will only have to pay when online users click on your ad, which is what you want to happen in the first place right? When your business’s ads show on Google in the Google Ads section to the right of the numerous search results, the Google Plus 1 button will automatically appear thus indicating the number of recommendations for your business (or your business’s product or service). Once again, this can generate additional site traffic to your business website. Although your business will have to pay when an online user clicks your ad, a Google Plus 1 click for your add will not count as a click on your ad. In addition, your business will be able to analyze the stats about where and which ads are receiving the most Plus 1s, and your business can utilize this information to help with marketing. To register your business for Google AdWords, you should visit Google Ads.
What Google is doing is adding the social element to online searching by enabling online users to recommend products and services. Because Google is the giant among Internet search engines, the Google Plus 1 feature can help businesses that take advantage of the feature. When users click on the Google Plus 1 button for your business, it is like receiving a seal of approval from the virtual world. Plain and simple, the more people that like a particular website, the more traffic that particular website will receive. Traffic can be turned into potential customers; therefore, traffic is a crucial part of what business websites are all about and Google Plus 1 can help with this.