At the Google I/O conference today, it was announced that the Google +1 Button will soon be rolled out for websites. Within Weeks! The code to insert the button onto your website will soon be available within your Google Webmaster Tools account – so if you don’t have one set up, now is the time. Similar to the Facebook Like buttons that you can insert into your site, the Google +1 box is Google’s attempt to make static content more social. However, the +1 box in general has some skeptics, as your “+1” clicks will be shared with your Google network – which probably isn’t where the majority of your online friends live.
Success or not, Google is rolling out some stats with the +1 box that lives on your website that seem promising.
- Activity Stats reported once enough data is collected (to protect user privacy): This includes the number of +1 clicks that have happened both on and off your site (through search), by URL and change in popularity
- Change in click through rate based on +1 activity. It seems to me the assumption here is that seeing that someone in your network has +1’d a link, you will be more likely to click on that link also, improving the sites organic click through rate
- Demographic information. Here is really where the data volume threshold kicks in. Obviously if you’re site has had two +1 clicks and gives you demographic data, you could potentially identify a single person from your website and thats no good. But again, you will be provided with aggregate data like age and gender of your +1 fans. This will potentially be a great snapshot of your brand enthusiasts demographic makeup, and could help influence additional marketing strategies.
So that’s our take on the latest from Google and their +1 Box. Search Engine Land has done a great job covering everything +1, so if you need to get caught up, check out the +1 archives.