Google began their experiment to include Google+ buttons in with Adwords ads back on October 10th. How is that expected to change the way people view advertisements online? More importantly, what does that all mean for you?

How does this affect you?

Incorporating +1 buttons and annotations within your ads is expected to leverage personal recommendations into your ads, potentially changing how people see your ads when they search. How? People will be able to see if their friends and contacts have endorsed (+1′d) your ad. That can have a profound affect on the effectiveness of your ads going forward.

How will the +1 button affect your organic search results?

According to Google, they state that when a user +1′s your ad it creates a signal that affects your organic search rankings. Translation: +1′s on your ads increase the quality of your site’s search engine rankings. Period. It’s really like a popularity contest, when you think about it. The same is true with backlinks. These are metrics that tell search engines “Hey, this website is compelling for this type of content/product/service, we’ll give more weight to it because other many other people like it.

What does the ad look like?

This is your ad and this is your ad with +1. Any questions?

Well, it doesn’t look a whole lot different from what it used to. I’ve provided an example of what the ads now look like with the +1 inclusion. In short, it jus gives people the opportunity to ‘endorse’ it and shows you which of your contacts have done the same. That can be a compelling call to action in that it inspires consumer confidence in a product or service when they know their friends/contacts have endorsed it.

Conclusion?

Search without social is a thing of the past and has been for some time now. Once search engines began including Social Network content, links and shares into their algorithms it was a clear message: Businesses can no longer afford to ignore the Social Media. Social Media matters. You CAN’T afford to ignore it any longer.