By now, most of you have seen the little Google +1 button (shown in the screenshots below with obnoxious red arrows) in your Internet travels on blogs and websites. Just what is the significance of this little blue button? It’s kinda like the Facebook “like button” but packs more punch. It’s blue and it’s different.
Kinda like Nuprin, but it’s a different color.
But I digress. Five words with regard the Google +1 Button: Get One OnYour Website.
It’s an important part of your long term SEO and Internet Marketing strategy.
Some months ago, an article appeared online (and disappeared rather quickly) with a headline that was something like “Use Google +1 Or Kiss Your Ranking Goodbye.” While that’s harsh, there’s a lot of merit to it and I’ll show you why. While you read this, keep in mind that over 260 million people have Google accounts.
The Google +1 button sits there next to the Facebook “like” button, StumbleUpon button, Reddit button, Digg button, and the other social media sharing buttons on a web page or blog post. All of those buttons are very valuable in getting your website viewed by a much wider audience and building your following online. The Google +1 button might just be the most valuable of all, as it can affect where you appear in the search engine results of people who click on it.
The way it works is when a visitor has a Google account and clicks on the +1, it will give them a little message that says “You publicly +1′d this as (their name here).” From that point forward, whenever they do a search for your kind of business you will rank higher in their search because they publicly +1′d your site. Basically, Google takes the fact that they gave your site (or a page on your site) a “thumbs up” in the Google platform and factors that into the algorithm of their personal search.
To illustrate this, look at the search results picture above. Bob is ranked near the top of page 2 for the search “Elizabethtown PA real estate.” Now look at the search results picture below. He’s in the middle of page 3 for the same search.
The difference? I did the first search while logged in to my Google account, hence the +1 and my avatar next to the search result…AND hence the higher placement. Searching while being logged in personalizes your search.
More and more, this kind of “personalized” searching is becoming the norm. It only figures that Google will work their own offerings (i.e. Google Places, Google Plus) into the algorithms and reward those of us who are smart enough to use them. Google is by far the largest search engine with 75% – 80% market share. Don’t take that lightly.
Get the button, and if you don’t know how just give me a call:)
Contact me at 717-538-8940 with any questions about Internet Marketing or SEO, email me at marqeteer@marqeteer.com or visit my website: Top Real Estate Coaches/Top Internet Marketing Consultants
