What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Google Plus One Button?
By Cardisa
The +1 Button
About plus one (+1)
During the course of 2011 Google launched it's plus one (+1) button which you will see at the top right of your article immediately beside the Facebook like button and below your title (for HubPages). Some blogs and websites may have this placed below the article. Many people do not know for what purpose this feature was created and many are thinking twice about recommending an article by clicking the button.
Why Did Google create a Plus One Button?
Before Google updated it's search engine criterion, called the Panda Update. Blogs and websites were keyword stuffing, using too many or irrelevant tags, creating numerous amounts of back links and referral links, which were what the search engines used to crawl and rank a site. There used to be a lot of copied content, low quality content and parked domains. Google realized that many of these low quality blogs and websites were ranking much higher than sites with higher quality content. These low quality sites were showing up on first and second pages which affected their (Google's) reputation.
Google decided to let you help in determining which articles to recommend for crawling and indexing by their search engines. Other criteria are still required, like proper use of keywords and tags. Using back links also helps Google to determine how important your page/site is.
According to Google, content recommended by friends is more relevant than content recommended by strangers. A person will more easily view a website that a friend told them about than one a stranger sent them via a link in their email. Google sees the content recommended by your family and friends as relevant content and crawls and saves those pages much easier than pages without the button.
Google also states that when you add the button to your page, they will assume you want it to be crawled and displayed for public viewing so they will fetch the page much quicker than if it did not display the button, Which is one of the first Advantages of having the button.
Another big Advantage of having this button on your webpage is that friends can recommend not only to Google but to other friends. Another Advantage, is that the more of your friends network that recommend this page will have Google pushing it up the ranks faster. For example I have 20 friends which have 20 friends each, and all of these people recommend this article, that's 400 persons in this network. Google sees this page as very important and you know the rest.
This is what Google says:-
"Adding the +1 button to pages on your own site lets users recommend your content, knowing that their friends and contacts will see their recommendation when it’s most relevant—in the context of Google search results. In addition, a user's +1's appear on the +1 tab of their Google Profile. While +1’s are always public, users can choose to make the +1 tab visible or invisible on their profile."
As far as the disadvantages go, the only thing that is not recommended is you clicking your own button. I have searched Google faq and info thoroughly and cannot find a reason why you should not have this button or why it is bad for your page.
As far as having the button displayed on your page, if you have a page in your site that you do not want displayed publicly, do not place the button there, because Google will crawl and index it, even if it is disallowed in robot.txt.
The Plus one (+1) button is definitely one of the best things that you could have for your page. Don't be afraid to use it. Recommend your friends hubs, websites or blogs. Google encourages it. Read more about it here.
I promise that if I find any negatives concerning the plus one (+1) button, I will update this article with the information.
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Plus one (+1) update! - October 20, 2011
You can plus one your own Button. Earlier in the hub I suggested not clicking your own +1 button. Google does not specifically state that you can or cannot click it, but based on their statements, you can. According to Google, when you have content that you want to share with friends and people across the web, share by clicking and adding a note telling people about the content. Now, I might be mistaken, but it seems clear to me that if I want to share my content, I should let my friends know about it. How do I let my friends know? Sharing by using the plus one button.
I suggest not randomly clicking the button on all your hubs, maybe one or two.
Update March 26, 2012
Recently Google changed the look and features of the +1 button. Before, the button was only used as a recommend and nothing else. Now, whenever you click the +1button it will be automatically shared in your Google+ feed so people in your circle can see it.
The previous button did not have that feature as you had to manually share links in your site. Now all you have to do to share a site is click the +1 and your friends will see it.
To the right I have placed a photo of the old button and one of the new buttons.
Comments
Hi Cardisa. This is extremely helpful. Thank you. I pressed your +1 button at the top. Do you see a report about this action? Love your hubs!
Thanks Victoria. I did realize that many people did not understand the purpose at all, that's why I wrote this hub. When you click the button it changes to a deeper blue color.
Thanks Maralexa, I did see the single digit, and it did say that one person +1.
I only see one problem with this button. If you have blogger blogs, it goes on the home page, unless you know how to manipulate the HTML code to include it on every page.
LindaSmith, Blogger has updated their stuff and places the button on every post, no matter which page. You don't have to install it yourself, they do that now. They bunch all five buttons (M,B,T,F, +1) together so maybe you haven't noticed it.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
There still aren`t enough people using it for it to rival Facebook in popularity as a social network. That won`t happen for a couple of years. I can count on one hand the people I know where I live who use it regularly.
The Google+ network is not as popular and is different from the +1 button. If you have a Google profile then that counts. I don't see the Google+ network catching up Facebook anytime soon.
Cardisa-thanks for the further info. I wish they would have chosen less simliar titles.
I know, I too got confused at first....lol
They are connected in that if you are members of Google+ when you recommend a friend's article it will be displayed in Google+ so your friends in your circle will see it.
Hugely-good article, Cardisa. Thanks for doing the research-work. Maybe I'll try it now.
Thanks James, I am glad I could be of help.
Thanks for letting more people know how to use the +1 button. I'm glad HP features it on our hubs. Since it's still relatively new, if you have other blogs, try adding a free shareaholic plug-in that includes "recommend this on Google" next to the 1+ icon.
Thanks Green Lotus. I never heard of the shareaholic before.
Hello Cardisa, I'm open to any info. that will help us use the computer more efficiently. Thank's for sharing...
You are quite welcome Ruby, happy to help.
nice post......................
Thank you.
Hi, why can't we click ourselves?! lol I wish! great info though, I did wonder what it was all about and how to use it, but I did think Hubpage staff said we couldn't click each others, not sure, Um! lol great info, cheers nell
Hi Nell, we can click each others', Google recommend it. Just follow the Google link I provided and you will see. It works even better if we are on the same Google network, like Google+. I did not really see anything definite about clicking your own, but HP did mention not to so I suggest we don't.
Nice presentation!
Thank you Ajayshah!
I'm glad you wrote this hub as I didn't understand what the button was for. I appreciate the information.
Thank you Pamela, I hope you got a better understanding of the button now. Don't be afraid to recommend your friends hubs.
Nice hub. Its good but I don't think it offers as much as Facebook
Facebook is more popular now, but +1 is directly connected to Google and Google is who we want to impress. When it comes down to it, in the next 12 months we will see a big improvement in how +1 affects out page ranks and traffic from Google.
In addition to HP supporting the +1 button on our hubs, I also installed the +1 button on various pages in my business site. And I use Google Webmaster tools to see which +1's are being clicked. You're right, it's very helpful.
It can only help Glen. Google has made sure of it.
As you explored in your hub, I was indeed afraid of +1 button but your very valuable and informative hub enlightened the aspects very clear to me. Thanks for the same. Voted it up.
Thanks again AUPADHYAY.
Thank you for clearing that up for me. I was trying to figure out the advantages of the button, knowing that surely it must be advantageous to a hubber, but have not done the research to learn the why and how of it. I'm so glad you did.
Thank you again Cyndi10, I hope you won't be shy to use it.
Sites that offer exchange and sale of +1 clicks should be avoided. All you need to do is join Goggle+ network and build a friend circle and have them plus one your website or articles.
Hi Cardisa,
you've done a great job and you answered the point I googled, a little while ago. That's all spot on. That Google had to follow the bandwagon was only a question of time. However, it is all a bit contradictory to Google priorities. Why? Plus1 like all the other social networks encourages 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine'. That's monkey business. The little Mozart who sits quietly in his corner to think up compositions which enrich mankind has no chance. He wouldn't be able to produce music if he was busy backscratching and chitchatting (Sp?) in superficial manner.
So now I am going to give you that Plus1. At least, you deserve it. Will you give me one in return? Yes, I am too old to fight. I will have to follow all the other yes sayers. I have dentist bills to pay.
Tozcal2011, I absolutely love your comment. The question remains, what if I don't do this Google plus thing, where will my content be, however good or enriching it might be?
The answer, my friend, is that people used to cheat anyway and the great content were not the ones ranking highest but the ones with stuffed keywords or the ones FaceBook fans recommended no matter how crappy.
Plus one is not the only criteria that Google uses, the quality has to be of high standard. Ranking depends on a quite a few factors so we I am anxious to see what will happen in the next 12 months.
Yes, through this button you can recommend your webpage to only to Google but also to your friends and if you have bigger network then it really help your webpage to get ranked in Google.I really agree what you have share with us. Really helpful.
Voted up and Useful.
Thank you ITcoach.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Good post Cardisa. Some of the latest updates by Google have made +1s even more important. Google counts them as a vote of trust and relevancy.
Hello Ronakbhatia, I agree with you there. The more +1 you get is the more Google will promote your page. Thanks for stopping by.
I love Google and the +1. I use it often. Like now!:)
Hey Linda, I too am falling in love with Google+ and using the +1 button. Thanks Linda.
Good information. I really didn't know much about the Google button. Now I do. Thanks for sharing. Voted.
Hi Moonlake, thanks. It is really a great feature and it help traffic and rankings.
Victoria Lynn 7 months ago
I'm glad you wrote about this topic, Cardisa. I know little to nothing about Google +1. I see it on my hubs, but I thought it was already there. Did I put it on there myself? I did try, and it didn't seem to come through, but maybe it did.... At any rate, I look forward to any updates you might have. Very useful hub!