Google is making significant effort in 2011 to blend social elements into its standard search results. In February, Google launched an update to further integrate Twitter, Flickr and Quora information within its standard search results. Only one month later, nearly a year after Facebook’s launch of the “Like” button, Google announced its rival, the “+1” button.
Google +1 
Google now enables you to share recommendations within search results. To recommend something, simply select the +1 on a webpage or ad that you find useful.
The +1 button appears next to each search result. After selecting, your +1 recommendation will appear publicly in search results around the world and within your social circle (there are options to only recommend within your network). You will see the total number of +1s as well as how many and who of your social circle has +1′d. Your social circle is currently defined as people you are connected with via your Google profile (Gmail, Google Talk chat list, “My Contacts” group in Google Contacts, users you follow in Google Reader or Google Buzz). It is expected that in the future, Google will allow +1s outside of your Google profile, expected to link to Twitter, Flickr and Quora profiles. This is currently rolled out to a small percentage of US users. Not seeing +1s in search results yet? Join Google Experimental to turn the feature ON in your profile.
How will this affect Paid Ads?
- Increased Click-Through Rates are expected.
- All ads will be get +1 buttons.
- There is an opt-out form for advertisers. Sitewire expects positive results from the new feature and does not recommend opting out at this time.
- Clicks on the +1 button next to ads do not count as a paid ad click.
- Advertisers will be able to see stats about which ads are getting the most +1s.
- The way Google measures Quality Score will not change.
- Organic +1s will also show up in ads.
How will this affect Organic Search?
- Soon after launch we should see +1 stats in Webmaster Tools.
- Soon you will be able to add +1 buttons within your site alongside other social buttons (such as “Like” or “Tweet”). Put in a request to be notified when +1 feature is available.
- +1s speculated to be the new PageRank, or at least another signal in Google’s search algorithm.
The Future
There have been rumors that Google is creating its own social network and that the new Social Search features will be major components of the network. Google claims that it is not building a rival social network and that each of its new features are meant to be social layers to its search offering.
