Goolge’s +1 button, which just received a major update, is becoming one of the most popular sharing buttons available. Many sites that once relied on Twitter and Facebook sharing buttons are increasingly adding +1 to the mix. Not surprisingly, Google is looking to use +1 sharing data to re-rank search results.
In a recent email to the editors of Wired.com, a Google spokesman wrote:
Google will study the clicks on +1 buttons as a signal that influences the ranking and appearance of websites in search results. The purpose of any ranking signal is to improve overall search quality. For +1’s and other social ranking signals, as with any new ranking signal, we’ll be starting carefully and learning how those signals are related to quality.
Currently, Google uses more than 200 variables to determine the rank of a website. With wider integration of the +1 button, Google could rely more on social-sharing data to rearrangement search results based on what people are actively liking and sharing.
Unfortunately, there are concerns with this strategy. If +1 sharing evolves into an important ranking signal, it puts pressure on businesses and website owners to embed the +1 button. It would also appear that Google is unfairly using its search engine to boost its Facebook/Twitter alternative.
Google ultimately wants to use social sharing data to help filter spam out of its search results. With that aim, creating an unfair advantage isn’t automatically in the end-user’s best interests. After all, it would open the floodgates for spammers to create fake Google+ profiles and cast fake votes.
Nevertheless, as Google continues to refine its new social networking platform, the company still wants to build a better search engine as well. To do this, they’ll likely need to put more of a human touch on results instead of relying solely on an algorithm.
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David Lux – who has written 4 posts on TK Productions. David is the Content Manager at TK Carsites and spends copious hours devouring content concerning autos, SEO, and social media. You can follow him on Twitter: @autocontent
