Google +1 Usage Guide august / 2011
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1. Introduction Starting now, Google is offering users the possibility to positively rate search results and websites. Should a user find a website to his/her liking, +1 allows him/her - following the principle of the Facebook “like� to communicate and share this with all users, especially close contacts. Google currently provides this function in 40 languages. Until now, the number of +1 recommendations has been low, as is the number of website operators who have integrated the +1 button into their websites. However their numbers are increasing sharply. Currently, about 4.5 percent of the 10,000 top websites worldwide have integrated the recommendationfunction. This corresponds to an increase of 33% within the last few weeks (source: BrightEdge). Below you will find information about the function of the +1 button, what website owner should consider, and what effects are to be expected. At the end, related links containing further information have been made available.
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2. How does the +1 button work? Users who are logged into a Google account have the option of recommending a website appearing in Google search results, including the paid results, through the +1 button. For this purpose, a button is shown to the right of the headline. For a website with no or few recommendations, the button (including the number of its +1 recommendations) is shown in gray as opposed to blue. If a recommendation is given by a well-known person, a contact from your own Google Mail or Talk list, or someone with whom you share items through Google Reader or Google Buzz, the recommender‘s profile picture will be visible underneath the title. If the abovementioned conditions for a personalized +1 indicator are not met, the total number of recommendations for the website will be indicated. However this is only the case when a high number of recommendations - around 1,000 - have been submitted. However users have the opportunity to make a +1 recommendation not only on the search page, but for all items displayed within the Google network. Advertisers can also integrate the +1 button directly into their websites so that users can recommend their site. The number of recommendations collected from users on the website are then added by Google to the +1 recommendations generated from the listing in the search results and the total sum is displayed in the search listing. Google Chrome users can use an extra feature, namely a free extension which enables them to bookmark a site with +1, whether or not a button has already been integrated. The button then appears in the browser list. For mobile web surfing, the +1 button is displayed differently. The button is only displayed on websites which have it integrated. It does not appear in the search results.
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+1 viewed in a Google search
+1 viewed in a Google search
+1 through Chrome
+1 through Chrome
3. How does the +1 function affect advertisers? Recommendations from other users, from friends and acquaintances, support people‘s decision-making. +1 indicators build trust and can help users to find websites tailored to their interests. Website operators can also benefit from the new recommendation button because it alerts users to the relevance of their website through a simple signal. In this manner, +1 recommendations indicated beneath or next to listings can positively influence clickthrough rates for natural as well as paid-for listings. An elevated conversion probability is also likely to result from the trust built through recommendations. However, this influence should be considered in light of the recommendations given for competing websites. Should the ratios be comparatively offset, this too will be reflected in the click and conversion rates. 4
Along with the key performance indicator effects of the +1 button, Google includes recommendations in the calculation of relevance-factors. The number and type of recommendations will thus influence the rankings of websites. The button has no influence on the quality of the sponsored search results, according to Google. However, an indirect consideration of an elevated click-through rate is also possible. To what degree +1 recommendations influence the relevance-factor will eventually be determined. Currently, they have little bearing on rankings. Right now, in the beginning phase, Google must still determine the extent to which consideration of +1 indicators would be valuable. With increasing use, however, the social components will rapidly gain importance in the Google rankings as well. That is, even when this most likely does not concern fundamental alterations in the quality factors, but rather a fine readjustment of the algorithm.
4. How can the button be integrated into websites? What needs to be considered? To integrate the +1 button into your own website, the relevant code must be developed in accordance with the desired button-size, then copied and integrated into the desired page. This should be limited to published pages which Google can and should crawl. To create the code, Google has made a configuration tool available to website operators. The usage of this code is subject to publisher guidelines for the +1 button. A link containing further information on this topic is available at the end of this document. If identical content is located at several URLs, the attribute rel=�canonical� determines which websites are to be included in the search results. This is necessary when, for example, products appear on one website in alphabetical order and are sorted on another according to price. Google can then transfer the +1 recommendations from the undesired website to the intended one. 5
Moreover, Google offers the possibility of placing several +1 buttons on a website for different URLs. This is worthwhile, for example, when teasers featuring other websites appear on the start site. To make a connection, the href-attribute of the button‘s code must link to the desire website. Google configuration tool
Google configuration tool
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5. How can +1 recommenda tions be measured and evaluated? Google has made extra reportings available to advertisers through the Google Webmaster Tool and Google Analytics in order to evaluate the +1 function. The Webmaster Tool is supplemented by three new types of reporting:
• Activity Report – Displays the number of +1 recommendations • •
through the website, search page, and browser-extensions Audience Report - geographic and demographic information about users who have submitted +1 recommendations over the website Search Impact Report – reflects the effects on the click-through rate
In contrast, Google Analytics only provides information about +1 activities through one‘s own website. For this, Analytics data are actualized more frequently. According to Google, slight discrepancies between the two systems may become evident, not least because the tracking of the systems varies technically. This must be taken into consideration when evaluating the data. Whoever integrates the actual analytics code and the +1 button into their own website automatically measures +1 activities as well. With older versions, further alterations to the tracking are necessary. A link on this subject is provided at the end of this text. The new function is available on the left side of the Webmaster Tool.
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6. What do we recommend for website operators? As already mentioned, the new recommendation function affects several areas. It influences campaign performance indicators and is considered in the relevance factors as well. +1 information, especially from friends and acquaintances, is going to play an ever more important role for users. Thus we recommend that website operators integrate the +1 buttons into the relevant web pages so that users have the immediate possibility of clicking the +1 button to express approval. It will probably take a bit longer for users to become properly attuned to the new function. Currently, not too much should be expected of the new feature. However it is worthwhile to integrate the buttons now to be involved from the start. Positive effects from the extra +1 information can already be expected in the beginning phase. Especially if the competitors‘ numbers of +1 recommendations are comparatively low. Into which sites the button is to be integrated should be determined in advance. The +1 button is worthwhile for all product and category pages of web shops, but also for websites providing useful information on a specific topic. Website operators should be careful to pick only published pages which Google can crawl for the +1 button. It seems less necessary to integrate the recommendation button into the imprint page or in the terms of privacy.
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7. Where is there further helpful information?* Configuration tool to develop the code for the +1 button:
http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/webmasters/+1/button/ Information on fitting the +1 button into one‘s own website:
http://code.google.com/intl/en/apis/+1button/ Publisher guidelines for the +1 button:
http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/webmasters/+1/button/ policy.html Information on extensions of the +1 button in Chrome:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kmonhedbcpagbphilnoajiencllnpoii Social Interaction Tracking with Google Analytics – Information on integration:
http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/gaTrackingSocial.html Social Interaction for older Goolge Analytics versions and trouble-shooting instructions:
http://www.google.com/support/analyticshelp/bin/answer. py?answer=1366765&topic=1316551
* Please click on the light red links to get to the desired website.
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