Being that the +1 button from Google came out a few months ago in organic search, we are now seeing this +1 button with AdWords ads. Similar to how this button works in the organic listings, when a person who has visited and likes your site clicks the +1 button, your AdWords ad will now show a little +1 next to your display ad. This gives the users a chance to give some input on how they feel about the click they had made, and the visit to your website.

 

Will this change how people click on AdWords ads?

We feel that this will definitely change the way people click on ads regarding paid positions. For example, if a site in position 3 or 4 has many +1 clicks and is liked very much, a surfer may click on this ad first over the ad in position 1. We feel this will increase the click through rate on lower positions in AdWords, which is great because these positions are cheaper than the top position. Currently we are recommending all of our clients who use AdWords to at least try the +1 button on their site.

 

What sort of changes will we see inside the AdWords account?

Early predictions are different for two types of AdWords accounts.

1.       Position 1 Preference Accounts – Those AdWords accounts that are set to always be position 1 for keywords, may have a decrease in the click through rate, which may lower their quality score. That would mean that they would have to bid more to keep that #1 position, and in the end, increase their costs.

2.       Conversion Oriented Accounts – Most AdWords accounts main focus is to maximize their return on investment. We tend to find that putting ads in positions 3 or 4 which cost less than position 1 give us a better ROI. Now with the +1 button and AdWords, ads in the lower positions may receive more clicks because their site was ‘Liked’ by previous Googlers. Overall this would mean more clicks at a lower cost per click, and should maintain or improve an account’s current ROI.

 

Should you make any changes to your AdWords account?

The short answer is no, and that no changes are required to the account for the Google +1 button inside your AdWords account. Remembering, each case is usually different every time, we are going over this information with each of our AdWords clients, to show them the possible benefits of the Google +1 button. A few accounts we have added the +1 button, we have seen positive changes after implementing, and then made changes to the AdWords accounts based on these positive results.

Overall I am big fan of the +1 button. This gives Google a chance to step into a more social atmosphere which is the way the internet is going these days. Allowing the users to give their feedback on any site that is using current +1 button technology should make for a better search experience.

More information can be found here on the Google +1 Button.