I logged onto the Internet today and saw that Google has completely changed the game once again. For those of you that didn’t read the updates today, Google has a new feature out called +1. It basically allows Google searchers that have logged into their Google account to give websites a +1 rating if they liked it. Simply put if you were searching “liposuction in Guelph” you now have the option of give a thumbs up to which search result you like the most.
From an SEO’s perspective this is ground breaking news. How will this factor into their algorithms? How much weight will Google put behind users ratings? We all know Google has been factoring in social signals into their algorithms for a while, but nothing has been more blatant than this.
Only time will tell as we have all witnessed what happened in previous years with Google Buzz and sidewiki. I for one will be doing extensive analysis over the coming weeks to try and get a read on the development.
I have obtained information that webmasters will be able to embed the +1 feature into their website, I can only imagine what the impact of having hundreds and thousands of Google thumbs up will have on rankings! Who else is excited?
Will it appeal to the masses? For one you have to have a Google account with a public profile – how many regular searchers are going to bother with this?