Hit a Homerun with Google’s New +1

Google has recently responded to the Facebook “like” button by releasing its own social recommending tool called Google +1. Clicking on a +1 button signifies a user’s personal endorsement of a website or piece of content. The +1 will also apply to Google PPC, or sponsored ads.

In order to hit the ground “+1ing” you need to do three things:

1. Be logged into your Google account

2. Have a Google profile that is “somewhat” public (at least your name) because all others will be automatically removed by Google on July 31, 2011.

3. Find a site and click +1, for your convenience there is one above. Once you have +1d for the first time, the +1 option will begin showing up in your search results.

The +1 button allows users to get recommendations from those in their Google networks (Gmail contacts, Gchat buddies, those followed in reader, etc..) while actively counting the number of +1s a website receives. The +1 button will be displayed in Google search results pages and will be personalized if you’re logged into your Google account, showing what friends have +1d a page. Here is what personal recommendations look like in the search results when logged in:

 
 
 
 
 

If you’re not logged in, an aggregate annotation will show the total number of +1s the site has received. (Currently I can only see this for Google products, but this will probably be implemented in all search results soon.)

 
 
 

It is now possible to get the +1 button on your website, google has made it available in different sizes and it can include a running total of +1s.  This is what the +1 button looks like before and after it’s clicked:

 

 
 
 

Websites you +1 will also show up on your Google profile, acting as a bookmarking tool:

  

So the question on everyone’s mind is, “how will the +1 button affect your rankings in search engine results?” According to Google, “+1’s from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user’s query.” The keyword here is relevance. Google’s primary goal is to bring the user relevant information and it does so by tweaking the factors that determine relevance, suggesting that social will very soon (if it doesn’t already) play a roll in rankings. How large a role? That has yet to be determined. One thing is clear, Google plans to use +1 as a means to improve search results and allow users to share content. At this point it seems Google is figuring out how +1 will affect their algorithm and carefully moving forward. As +1 is more widely implemented and used, we will have a better understanding of its significance.

The idea behind the +1 button is logical. In an era where decisions are largely based on reviews who better to turn to for information than your network? Google has simply expedited the recommendation process by displaying them directly in your search results. The impact of social on search engine results has been debatable in the SEO world. The +1 button however, is an indicator that Google is moving toward the inclusion of social factors in their algorithm. Time will tell how successfully Google can filter social inclusion into organic search but for now I would highly recommend adding +1 to your site. Increasing the running total of +1s validates your website to users and ultimately Google. Staying ahead of your competition inevitably leads to success or as Ricky Bobby would say, “If you’re not first, you’re last.”

By Emily Thompson, Online Marketing Consultant

Email Marketing: Five Ways to Get Around Image Blocking



Stacy Carlson
Email Marketing Consultant
Visual Data Systems

Two emails recently landed in my inbox that not only gave me a good laugh but made me pause to think about why so many email marketers seem to depend on images to tell their story when plain text is so much more reliable.  Click here to see the emails I'm referring to.

According to MarketingSherpa (2010), only 33% of those surveyed had images turned on by default in their email client. Plain text might not be as sexy as a big, bold image, but when you only have a matter of seconds to grab someone’s attention, it’s critical that your message comes through loud and clear.

Here are a few tips to be sure you’re getting your point across when images are blocked:


1. Craft an effective subject line. An engaging, branded subject line will get your recipient’s attention and inspire them to open your message.


2. Include “view as a webpage” link and “add us to your address book”. The “view as a web page” link enables readers to view your entire message even if they can’t see the images in your email. When a recipient adds you to their address book, many email clients will identify you as a safe sender and may not block the images in your future messages.


3. Use alt tags for images that persuade viewers to download them. The alt tags should describe the image or the best offer, encouraging your recipient to download them. Keep in mind that some email clients do not display alt tags, and that this is a secondary method of peaking your reader’s interest.


4. Be sure to preview your email with images blocked to make sure the message is clear without them.


5. Last, but most certainly not least, provide relevant content in plain text that is above the fold. I cannot stress this enough. Without images, this is what your recipient will notice first. Clear, strong calls to action should direct the reader to take the desired action without having to think about it too much. Craft messages that are relevant to your subscribers based on the preferences they’ve expressed through your contact form or past behaviors.