Google +1: What Now For Facebook ‘Likes’?

No doubt whenever Google introduces a new concept there is bound to be talk and opinion, especially when this is touted as a concept to rival Facebook’s ‘likes’. The introduction of Google’s +1 button certainly has initiated much dialogue in the blog-sphere. Whether it is viewed favorably or otherwise may well depend on from what angle you critique it.

So what exactly is Google’s +1 button? Put simply, it is your way of public ally saying, ‘take a look at this, you’ll like it’. It allows contacts and others on the web a means to find previously recommended things when they search. This can be particularly useful when searching for something you’ve never seen, tried, experienced or heard of before. Just as when you’re interested in maybe trying out a restaurant you’ve never been to, you often really on a previous recommendation from a friend, family member or review.

Facebook may be viewed as the initiator of this concept with its ‘likes’ function. As the term suggests it works by clicking ‘like’ under something posted by you or a friend on Facebook, indicating positive feedback. That you or someone else liked a post is then displayed under that post. ‘Like’ also allows you to make a connection, be it on Facebook content, within an advertisement, or on a page. This then becomes displayed on your profile or your Wall.

So what then has been the fallout or consensus in the blog-sphere? Has Google provided a successful rival, with its +1 button, to Facebook’s ‘likes’, or was this even the intention? Again, it depends on who you ask. It seems most talk is centered around Google’s efforts in providing a social media element and what affect this button will have on search rankings. The supporters of the +1 button definitely see it as a contender and even go so far as to say it pips Facebook’s ‘likes’ at the post because it takes the concept a step further. According to Pratyushkp of Blogoholic, search result recommendations are served to the user in a more elegant and relevant fashion than Facebook’s ‘likes’. Again, although not a new concept others, such as Derez of Hubze Blog, see the +1 button as setting a new level in search engine optimization.

So what of the naysayers? Probably one of the strongest of this bunch is Louis Camassa of Practical E commerce, who believes that the +1 button will see the big companies monopolize the top rankings in the search engine result pages, simply through their popularity and exposure. Smaller businesses may therefore become insignificant even when they can offer much in terms of service, products and prices.

What then can we make of all this? No doubt there are plenty of arguments for and against the +1 button. What is clear is that there is considerable debate out there in the blog-sphere. Perhaps it is still too early to say whether it’s a thumbs up or thumbs down for the +1 button. All this aside, I believe the shear power of the God which is Google will see the +1 as a permanent fixture.

Even so, Facebook’s dominance is sure to continue in the social networking community. +1 only represents a fraction of the functionality and connectivity offered by the full catalog of Facebook features such as its enormous reach into our private lives via dating apps,  online games and the ability to upload videos, photo’s and comments.

About the author: Matt Fuller provides a variety of social media information and social networking articles including online dating sites reviews, dating tips including dating sites Australia recommendations.

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