Before describing the Google +1 innovation, let’s talk about the actual search engine concept which led to it’s construction.

Google has traditionally ranked content according to relevance and authority.  These ranks are distributed among websites by different means, which involve having some SEO knowledge, but the basic rules (according to statistics) that lead to a higher rank are: quality backlinks, valuable content, and last but not least – regular updates.

But still… The missing ingredient in traditional search results is the lack of social circles. 

From a marketer’s point of view:  A costumer is always likely to consult a friend on his decision. We trust our friends, thus consider their online suggestions. Where are your friends? Facebook, Twitter…?

The problem with facebook like button was that it didn’t influence the search results for google, it only shared content within facebook. Thus google invented their own Like Button – The Google +1.

Suppose you “+1″ a page. Who will see it? This question is both easy and hard to answer. Google shared their interest on incorporating Flickr and Quora, but for now, the only friends that will see your +1′s are those from Google Contacts (Gmail, Buzz and Reader).

Any Twitter integration? Google already uses Twitter data in the search results, but the plus 1 button is still on an early stage for twitter. Remember that retweets are a form of earning inbound treats.

By considering taking this simple action you help Google fulfill their goal of delivering the most relevant results based on your personal choices.