I'm glad I didn't jump off the wagon...Google Search Results Could Soon be Determined by +1 Button

[SocialMediaOwls]

If you did jump off, get back on:

Google Search Results Could Soon be Determined by +1 Button

[J Bold]

And yet the conclusion of the writer is that it could get Google in trouble with the government, and could be a horrible idea for those who want to game the system.

Also, what exactly is it I am supposed to jump on?

Interesting to see how it pans out, to say the least.

[SocialMediaOwls]

For the last 3 months most people have been downplaying plus one....

[Jack Duncan]

Hmm...interesting.

I was just thinking yesterday that maybe Google might try to get some steam over Facebook by making the Google +1 and Google+ memberships closely related...and then making the +1 button a major ranking factor.

Then, instead of using Google+ as a social site, it kind of "becomes" the driving force behind the actual search engine itself.

Imagine that. Tying a social network directly to the largest search engine in the world.

Who knows...just a random thought.

But very interesting read there.

[onegoodman]

I think +1 is already affecting the search engine results on google, but I don't think they will be the main factor in determine what result come first. Google knows better than that

[SocialMediaOwls]

I agree with you 100% Jack....that is exactly the direction they are going

[DrewG]

+1 might become more involved in how sites are ranked, but I highly doubt G would ever just rely on +1's alone.

[rhondaklewis]

anyone have any invites?

[Bill Farnham]

Google told Wired that it's researching plans to use the +1 button as a crowdsourcing tool to adjust search results and battle web spam.

What's more likely is you're seeing a PR move to try and foster a little juice for getting Google's social networking ambitions off the ground.

In which case it's a ruse and folks who think they can game the system will be early victims of G's hatchet squad.

Putting such a bias in play would be detrimental in the long term for their search results. They probably are looking for an enticement hook for those inclined to participate in social networking using interaction tools such as the Like button.

~Bill

[Jack Duncan]

I agree with you 100% Jack....that is exactly the direction they are going

Well, what made me think of it was this story that was running yesterday about CEO Eric Schmidt talking about the importance of using a real name when you register on Google+...his words were "built primarily as an identity service"

My first thought was, Advertising.

Since 90%+ of all of Google revenue comes from advertising, and ads are only as good as their targeting, then it makes sense they would push hard for a "identity service" where they could target more accurately.

And since many speculated that Google+ was too little, too late, it does seem like one way they can leverage their strengths to make a dent in Facebook would be to tie it directly to their search engine rankings.

And they've had a Google +1 metric within Webmaster Tools for some time...

Now it's just a matter of putting the puzzle pieces together...

[JustFelix]

The great thing about this is that you can't fake plus one. For those who are thinking of purchasing plus ones it's not going to work unless they're from real people.

Everyone that has plus one on their website has to be logged on their google account in order to give their website juice and once they're log off you will lose it until they hop back on. Well, at least that's what Matt said.

[Heidi White]

Originally Posted by JustFelix

The great thing about this is that you can't fake plus one. For those who are thinking of purchasing plus ones it's not going to work unless they're from real people.

Everyone that has plus one on their website has to be logged on their google account in order to give their website juice and once they're log off you will lose it until they hop back on. Well, at least that's what Matt said.

It's like you can't OPT-OUT of the Google world. But Google can decide whether or not you belong in their world.

They've got you coming and going. Strange times.

P.S. - I'm starting to get lots of SPAM now through my Google+ account. I wonder when the next mass banning of accounts will occur?

[Jack Duncan]

The great thing about this is that you can't fake plus one.

It's definitely harder to do than some things (Digg, Like, etc.)

But...

For those who are thinking of purchasing plus ones it's not going to work unless they're from real people.

I imagine it won't take long for services to pop up that simply have "real people" earning points for +1ing other sites...and then those points can be used by "other real people" to +1 their site.

There's always a way.

With a bit of creativity.

[dumitrumidon]

YES...+1's must come only from real people...

[billyjones]

Yeah I do not see this happening Becasue people will just be making fake gmail accounts and screwing the system I thnk that they said it ti throw people off.

[SocialMediaOwls]

Originally Posted by billyjones

Yeah I do not see this happening Becasue people will just be making fake gmail accounts and screwing the system I thnk that they said it ti throw people off.

google has a *fairly* tight lid on mass gmail account creation.

[worldonpalm]

Google +1 is already affecting the search results on Google. Google is playing a big game...

[JamieSEO]

Originally Posted by SocialMediaOwls

google has a *fairly* tight lid on mass gmail account creation.

Umm - I hate to burst your bubble, but I totally disagree.

You can still create tonnes of gmail accounts, just spread them over time.

Even their verification can be easily overcome.

[SocialMediaOwls]

Well Jamie...I guess I keep running into the wrong sellers then...I have gone through dozens of them and I can't seem to keep gmail/youtube accounts

[John Romaine]

I dont know about you guys, but on my sites Im getting dozens of facebook likes and virtually NO +1's.

Google should stick to being a search engine, not a social media platform.

[Hardik Jogi]

I see +1 benefits. Suppose if anyone searches for "credit cards". He/she founds my website, finds value in it and +1 it.

Now next time if he/she searches for any "credit card" or its related keyword, he/she will found my website above the normal serp rankings of my website and with a noticification that "you +1ed this".

[Gary Ning Lo]

Agree with Ramone..

Google should stick to being a search engine.

+1 increasing ranking would be a mess...

Cheers,

~Gary

[kindsvater]

There was a bandwagon?

I predict within 2 years +1 will be gone.

Requiring people to sign up for Google just so they can hit a +1 button?

That is not something your avg soccer mom is going to do.

Keeping track of what sites you have liked, and having that shared to others?

That's creepy. This isn't a system like Facebook whose purpose for existing is social interaction.

Again, not something an avg searcher is going to do.

People use Google search to find information.

Right now, Google's search results IMHO continue to deteriorate. Not just spam - but a growing percentage of my searches return grossly irrelevant sites.

G should focus on it's bread and butter - not trying to morph into a social site.

It's all backwards anyway. You search but are hit with a +1 button on the search results BEFORE you've even visited the site. Who is going to go back to Google search just to 'vote' for the site?

This 'voting craze' is just that.

.

[bumba1988]

I completely disagree. We should understand the difference between Google - a search engine and Google Plus - a probable facebook wannabe.

Google Plus is not that innovative a feature for me at the first place, We already have Digg, what's new? I believe Google has no plans of determining rankings based on the plus count of a website, because if they do so, their credibility as a search engine will be affected most.

Take this scenario, I make a crap website and probably get hundreds of thousands Google plus to it, simply by outsourcing it (Yes, I would do that in case I had that big budget and probably this Google Plus determining Rankings criteria was in place, so I am sure many big-time internet marketers would have outsourced this) and that would make my site number 1? Is this proper? I am probably depriving some really good authority site(s) in the process. Will Google let this happen?

I think with its so-much publicized PANDA update, Google has made its clear that they don't want any crap sites anymore dominating search engine rankings. They won't let Google Plus take over and decide the rankings and let their well-built algorithm go away.

I'm sorry if I somehow missed any point, please point that out.

[Anotherdesignteam]

I agree they will use it as a ranking factor. What does Google want? They want their users to find what they are looking for. If people will +1 a site, that'll increase the credibility right!?

[eubertmo]

I don't think +1 would ring a bell on the average internet user, much more on social media addicts.

[bumba1988]

Originally Posted by peterjamesmorris

But it would be extremely easy for them to detect this kind of manipulation, since you need a Google account to plus 1 anything. They seem focussed on keeping the Plus user community very pure, and have been purging user accounts already:

Google Plus Deleting Accounts En Masse: No Clear Answers | ZDNet

And don't forget that Google already have that problem with backlinks. They know very well that people manipulate the system; they aren't going to go into it with their eyes closed.

I think you're right that it won't be the ultimate deciding factor in serps, but I'd be very surprised if didn't have any impact at all. That's dependant on it actually taking off of course, instead of just fading away like Google Wave.

It's definitely something that those of us who depend on traffic from Google need to keep an eye on, instead of dismissing out of hand completely. It's better to engage with it than getting caught out and destroyed in the serps if they do decide to go ahead with it as a ranking factor. Ultimately, we just don't know until it happens.

On a 2nd thought, probably yes. May be we are not aware of the impact yet and that may be revealed at a later time. But, I still doubt it having any effect on SERP. That won't be fair and a manipulator may win in that case. I don't see Google doing it (Just my prediction and hope as well).

[Gdetonator]

I'm not too sure Google won't dare it, that writer could be so wrong and here is why...

Google using +1 to determine search engine rankings would be a way of indirectly forcing publishers, webmasters and virtually almost everybody on the internet to join Google plus and they can sued BIG time for that.

I'm sure they are a lot of people waiting for Google to slip so that they get their pound of flesh from Google...

[Bruce NewMedia]

Originally Posted by kindsvater

There was a bandwagon?

I predict within 2 years +1 will be gone.

Requiring people to sign up for Google just so they can hit a +1 button?

That is not something your avg soccer mom is going to do.

Brian, imo, you are correct. I've never felt this +1 approach was going to be the Facebook 'killer' Google may hope, or the dominant factor in search, and why would the average user go to the trouble to sign up? ...so we should all be working to help Google's system?
_____
Bruce

[Andrew Maule]

The sky is falling! Again.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by Andrew Maule

The sky is falling! Again.

Nope it isn't, it's just the water getting polluted for a short time with all this +1 buzz, but it will clear up quiet soon

[Ken_Caudill]

Google wouldn't know quality if it crawled up its leg and bit it on the ass. Neither would the public.

Combining those two as arbiters of visibility is inviting a virtual train wreck.

Justin Bieber and mindless games will be the new standards.

I will be glad when Google finally self-destructs.

[Colin Palfrey]

I found +1 incredibly intrusive. It's bad enough that Google constantly spy on us, without them happily admitting it and pretending it's a club.

Not to mention in my brief attempt to see the value in +1 I got told what my +1 friends where searching for. Let's just say, some people should have signed out before making those searches or not clicked the button or whatever lol. They have changed it about a few times so I don't know if it's quite so bad now but it's still totally pointless.

You get the chance to +1 a search result only before you have seen the page. Nobody goes back to +1 something unless they are under the mistaken impression it works like their favorites. Seriously, who goes back to click +1 unless they are a spammer?

[Matt Maiden]

The problem with Google "sticking with just being a search engine" is that new stats are coming out to show that Facebook is starting to surpass Google when it comes to searching for products.

No, people on Facebook don't actually search in the traditional sense that Google was built on. Instead, they "ask" their family and friends about products and services.

Same with Foursquare and other programs tied into Social Media platforms.

Google is not trying to bolster their search engine with silly +1s, they are trying to move into Social Media where the new money is.

People now use their iPhones to navigate through consumer choices.

Young people out on the town that want to go to dinner get on their phones and use Twitter and Foursquare to find a place to eat. They don't fire up Google.

When they think about seeing a movie, they go to Facebook and ask their friends.

They look for sales, events, bus schedules...all through Social Media.

Wading through a bunch of crappy er, "relevant" sites is dying because nothing is more relevant than a recommendation from a friend.

SEO experts won't have to worry about keeping up with the latest algorithm change because algorithms will become irrelevant (kind of ironic huh?).

The social tribe leaders will be the voice of what is relevant. Not a bunch of backlinks.

[sanssecret]

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Google wouldn't know quality if it crawled up its leg and bit it on the ass. Neither would the public.

Combining those two as arbiters of visibility is inviting a virtual train wreck.

Justin Bieber and mindless games will be the new standards.

So are you saying you, as part of 'the public', you wouldn't know quality either?

The public is divided into many parts Ken. And I'm pretty sure most folks can tell what is crap and what is not.

As for Justin? Well, my 10yr old grandaughter happens to think he's brilliant.

[Bill Farnham]

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Google wouldn't know quality if it crawled up its leg and bit it on the ass. Neither would the public.

Combining those two as arbiters of visibility is inviting a virtual train wreck.

Justin Bieber and mindless games will be the new standards.

This is important to recognize in as much as any system Google puts in place to game its' own search results via public interaction will be flawed. Public interaction defined as a voting system versus like-content linkage.

People are not homogenious in the sense that we don't all share the same values. People use search for different reasons and generally want relevance over popularity.

Just because someone like Justin Bieber hurts his back is no reason for every search on 'back pain' to show 3 pages of JB results.

~Bill

[JamesGw]

Well it affects rankings now, but only for people with whom you're connected. I doubt they'd make it a universal ranking factor.

[MaverickUK]

I doubt that it will effect rankings however it is and probably will continue to effect CTR's to some degree. Ah well, if it does become a ranking factor I'll be sure to have some money aside to attempt to game their system