Google counters Like with +1

Google has launched the +1 button which provides a similar function to Facebook’s Like button. Could it be that Google’s social networking layer is taking form?

The button war has been launched, and while Google is defending their policy, it is impossible to not have noticed the new +1 button to counter Facebook’s Like button. While Facebook’s Like button is already ever present on the web, it is going to take a while to see Google’s +1 button present.

The launch of +1 will initially be done on Google.com before being made available to other Google products and third party sites in the coming weeks. For the moment, +1 is used to recommend a search result or an AdWords advertisement which a user found to be very helpful.

When installed, the +1 button is located to the right of an entry. An internet user can see how many users liked the displayed result, and if they are connected to a Google network (Gmail contacts, Google Reader, Buzz...) the names of their contacts who liked this will also be displayed. A connection with sites like Twitter has also been announced as something that will be made available at a later time.

While Google refuses to compare their service with Facebook’s Like, it is because unlike Facebook, a made recommendation is not automatically displayed on the users Google social network. It will only appear when a precise search is made which corresponds to +1. It should also be noted that at this time, the +1 button has no influence on the ranking of Google’s search results.

This +1 button could nevertheless encounter a problem due to its quick adoption by users. To see it appear, it has to be connected to a Google account which has a Google Profile. Recently updated, these profiles are not necessarily well known.

To test the +1 button, you can join the experiment being conducted on this page. On a Google Profile, a +1 tab will appear, with this making it possible to cancel a recommendation. In the Google account settings, you can activate or disable the +1 custom options.