If you’re a big fan of the Facebook “Like” button, then you know how powerful this one little thing can be. It has been added by Facebook almost as an experimental afterthought five years ago, and since then the Like button has become one of the fastest and easiest ways to show your approval of anything and everything under the sun.
With Facebook’s wildly successful use of the Like button, search engine giant Google has decided to come up with a similar feature in its search results pages. With one click, Google gets fast and reliable feedback on its page rankings as well as on the overall usefulness and relevance of the websites they recommend. Who said that Facebook is the only place where you can give a thumbs-up for stuff?
The Second Shot
The +1 button is not Google’s first attempt at trying to integrate a simple yet interactive feedback system into their search pages. The now-defunct Google Toolbar featured a similar voting system, but it was deemed both inconvenient (you had to enable the function manually) and unreliable (the votes fluctuated too much to be useful to anyone). So, Google had to take it out and wait a while before a better and more dependable system can be developed.
Which brings us now to the +1 button. Some people fault Google for coming out with it too late in the game, when people are already too schooled in using the Facebook version. However, we have to take into account that Google isn’t like Facebook at all—it is not a social networking site but a content aggregator with page ranking capability that guides users in searching for the information they need in the Internet. And in terms of size, Facebook is a mere speck compared to the rolling ball of data and algorithm that is Google.
With these differences in mind, it’s easier to think of ways by which the +1 button can be useful for webmasters everywhere. This fancy little tool can go a long way towards page ranks, page views and site traffic, so it’s important to stay on the good side of Google and web users alike.
How to Improve Your SEO with One Click
Unlike its forerunner, the Google +1 button is designed to be a powerful tool to promote search marketing and help all the stakeholders with their browsing experience—webmasters, Google and users alike are meant to benefit from this new voting system. In fact, Google has even taken the trouble of integrating the +1 button to their adwords, so everything on your results page can be easily and efficiently ranked.
If you are a webmaster and are looking for ways to put the +1 button to good use, here are some ideas you can play with to increase your SEO productivity and test the tool firsthand:
- Put your design to good use. Users vote for websites not just based on the content but also on their overall user experience. Make your site as lovely to look at and as interactive as possible, and wait for those +1s to come your way.
- Make every page work. Are there duplicate content, broken links and empty pages on your website? Now is the time to fix these glitches and make everything work together seamlessly.
- Make friends with the algorithm. The more +1s you receive, the easier it is for the algorithm to recommend your site over thousands of others in the same niche.
- Use the right keywords wisely. Users type in a keyword or search phrase because they want reliable, accurate and updated information on it. Make sure that your posts are keyword-optimized without being too spammy.
- Write effective and informative content. Both the algorithm and the +1 button are geared towards ensuring that Google directs users only to the best and most useful websites. Give both users and Google a reason to recommend you by featuring only unique and useful content.
- Promote Google profiles. Because the system is still very new, not everyone can put in votes for you. Even if you have thousands of loyal fans and readers, they won’t be able to +1 your site if they don’t have a Google profile, so you have to encourage them to do so.
- Collaborate with Google. Provide technical feedback to Google whenever you can so that their tech geeks can fix the issues straightaway. Your comments will definitely help Google improve on the system continuously, and in the end you will also benefit from a smoother voting system.
- Spice up your spun content. Don’t forget to check your spun articles before rolling them out. There may be synonyms that don’t quite make sense within the context of your post or entire sentences that sound so much alike that it’s obvious they were produced by a machine.
When not out building relationships with other bloggers, Krisca Te can be found reading blogs that feature topics about productivity. She is also a personal finance freak who is currently working with Australian Credit Cards, a personal finance blog that provides personal finance tips. You can follow ACC on Twitter if you like to stay updated on their latest contents.