Call Toll Free: Google + 1 : What Impact Will it have on SEO?
September 7th, by Mathew Dudzik
A few months ago Google released their +1 feature to compete directly with Facebook’s “Like” button. The purpose of this button is to suggest web content to friends in your social network by letting them know when you’ve +1’d a particular website. The theory suggests if you or one of your friends approves of a website, then chances are you will like it too. It’s estimated that Google +1 has over 30 million users and rising. The big question all of the SEO community wants to know is “what impact does this have on search results?
After Google + 1 was released,I noticed many websites installing a +1 button in addition to their Tweet and Facebook Like options. It didn’t take long for us to notice that people were beginning to endorse content using all three of these buttons. There is no question that Google is going to start factoring in these votes into their search engine rankings. The big question is were all asking around the office is “will this replace all other forms of SEO”?
Begin Developing a Google + 1 Strategy Before Your Competition Does.
It’s important to begin a Google + 1 strategy before your competition does in order to utilize this new SEO tool first. Before you install a plus 1 plugin, make preparations to have your web pages optimized for speed. The Google + 1 plugin will increase a page’s load time after installation. The decrease in page loading time will be offset by the benefits of this plugin, so don’t let this fact deter you from installing it.
Inform Clients About The Potential Benefits of Google Plus 1
A client website content can benefit dramatically from Google plus 1 in the future. It’s a unique way to pass along information through a network of people that extends far beyond the initial visitor that initially plus 1’d your client’s website. This doesn’t have a significant impact on how Google currently ranks it’s search queries, but it only take a few minutes to install on a clients website. We have begun discussions with our client’s about the potential benefits Google + 1 will have in the future. I strongly suggest that your business capitalizes on this before your competition does.
In the meantime stick with the proven methods of establishing quality SEO, but don’t forget about Google Plus 1. It appears that this social network phenomena has exited the pages of Facebook and will have a more profound impact on how people search in the years to come.