What Every Marketer Needs to Know About Google +1 for AdWords

Google recently launched the +1 button - a new way for content publishers to let their readers vote for content they think is high quality. Just yesterday I received an email from Google announcing that they are rolling out the Google +1 button across Google AdWords as well.

Here's what every marketer needs to know about Google +1 for AdWords...

How Google +1 for AdWords Works

Here’s an explanation taken directly from the email I received from Google:

Let’s say you own a hotel in Madrid. Brian had a lovely stay at your hotel last summer. When Brian starts researching accommodations for his next trip to Spain, he searches on Google while signed into his Google account, and sees your ad. He clicks the +1 button on the ad to recommend it to his contacts.

When Brian’s friend Ann plans her trip to Spain, she signs in to her Google account, searches, and also sees your ad – plus the personalized annotation that Brian +1’d it. Knowing that Brian recommends your hotel helps Ann decide where to stay during her travels.

Every +1 Is Like Getting a Personal Recommendation of Your Ad

The +1 button seamlessly ingrates an element of social approval in to your search campaigns. Every time someone +1’s your PPC ads on Google it’s like receiving a personal recommendation. Even better, the personal recommendation is only seen by the users Google contacts and friends, which give the recommendation even more credibility.

This is not just good, it’s GREAT! As your customers and fans of your brand conduct searches on Google, they can vote for your ad which increases your credibility when someone is making a decision on what ad to click on. The more credibility you have the greater the chances are that someone will click on your ad.

+1’s can impact how your ad is served and how much it costs you

According to the AdWords Help Center , the addition of the +1 button to PPC ads does not change the way advertisers are charged or how ads are served. However, it’s important to note that +1’s can indirectly impact the quality score of your ads. The higher your quality score, the more efficient your ads become and the less Google charges you to display your ad. Thus, +1’s can impact price.

Since your ads gain more credibility the more they are +1’ed, it increases the likely hood of other users enaging with your ads. This extra level of engagement can increase your ad’s CTR (click through rate). Although +1’s are not part of the quality score of your ads, the historical CTR of your ads is. So, +1’s can most certainly impact the quality score of your ads.

Be Careful…It Is Possible to Lose Your +1 History

When someone clicks the +1 button next to your PPC ad on Google, that +1 does not give credit to your ad, but rather to the destination URL of that ad. If you change the destination URL of your ad, you will lose all the +1 history of that ad. So, think twice before changing the destination URL in your ads. Never delete ads. Pause them. If you want to optimize your ads, only change the ad copy and never change the destination URL. Always create a new ad if you are introducing a new destination URL to the mix and you will not lose your history.

The addition of the +1 button to AdWords is only the beginning of rewarding advertisers who are providing quality content with better placement and advertising rates. In the future it will be harder and harder for advertiser to pay their way to the top, which makes it easier for competitors and smaller business to have skin in the game.

What do you think of the Google +1 button for adwords?