Google advances one step ahead in social search with +1

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Google advances one step ahead in social search with +1

To challenge the growing clout of networking sites, which are also now venturing into search business, Google has come up with a new social element called +1. By clicking on +1, the users' friends and acquaintances can promote what they like.

CJ: Daljit Singh Bhatia

Thu, Mar 31, 2011 17:42:53 IST

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TAKING ON social networking sites such as Facebook, Google has finally unveiled its much hyped social element +1. The new feature named +1 is Google's direct reply to Facebook's 'like' button. The new application will appear alongside Google search results and adverts. Upon clicking the +1 button, the users' friends and acquaintances will get to see what they liked and add to anonymised public data.

The application, which is yet to be rolled out, will also enable other sites to use it. Sites, which use Google to provide adverts will also feature the +1 button. The company, however, says that the data will not influence search results although it did not rule out the probability of using the data in future. Data from social search and +1 will provide Google with a significant amount of information on the quality of websites and search results. Ever since Google launched its social networking feature Buzz, it has been treading cautiously with its new applications.

The new application could now thwart Facebook's plans of expansion besides being a response to Bing’s social search partnership. With the new +1 button being visible with every search result on Google, the user will be recommending that result, which will subsequently be visible in the friends' search results.

In order to get a better understanding of the application, Google explains the new +1 feature as something like social search. It said that Google used many signals to identify the most useful recommendations, including things, the users are already connected to through Google (for example, chat buddies and contacts).

Upon hitting the +1 button, it will also make Google's advertising programs more powerful. For example, if a user clicks on any particular ad, the chances are high that the same may be seen or viewed once again by the users' friends.

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