Google Plus – what impact will Google Plus 1 have on SEO ?

It’s been quite some time since Google launched Google Plus – a new and interactive way for users to get together and share interesting things with one another.

On the first view, you would see Google Plus as just another socializing site, similar to FaceBook, Tumblr, Twitter. BUT, there is more to it than it may seem at a first glance.

Obviously, only for the fact that it belongs to Google itself, it should ring some bells. So far there are only assumptions, but many voices are inclined to say that even if at the current moment, Google Plus 1 doesn’t really affect the ranking of a site, in the future it will definitely matter and A LOT.

Let’s have a look at Google’s official statement about this new site. Their purpose with Google Plus 1 is to make searches more and more personalized, so us, the users would not waste so much time looking for things that we like, and also to get ads more specific to our interests

How does it work? Things are pretty basic. You will have to make a G Plus account, join your friends there and start sharing different links. At some point you may find something that you like, and instead of hitting the “like” button like FB has, you will hit the g+ button. This will result in a plus one vote to that specific link.

Here is where things get interesting. Because you plus 1-ed that link, in the eyes of Google this means that you liked the information presented there. AND this will result in changing the SERP, as long as you stay logged in on your Google Plus Account.

In other words, Google Plus will alter the search results based on your preferences. So the sites you gave a plus one vote will appear much higher in the search results than usual. AND that is not all.

Google plus will affect the result page based on your friends preferences too. So, if you’re friends with Mary, and she plus 1-ed a site about how to be a successful blogger, then you also will see that site appear higher in the Search Results.

In a way, Google Plus will inflate artificially the SERPs so that you will have access quicker at the sites you and apparently your friends liked.

Technically this happens only when you’re logged in with your G Plus account. When you sign off, the SERPs go back to normal. For now.

So it would be safe to assume that giving up SEO altogether and relying only on social sites would be a big mistake.

The +1 button will bring with itself the possibility for personal annotations which will increase your site’s visibility in the search results.

Also, you can keep track of the traffic you get from your  +1 account using Google Webmasters Tools.

We must admit that the social media aspect has become more and more important, so make sure you keep yourself active out there.

Personally, I think Google Plus will become bigger and bigger whether we like it or not. And not only that, but it may just happen that Google will know your habits better than yourself!