The new Google Plus +1 is available to add your website here, and you’ll likely see on loads of websites from this point on. Rumours are – Google *may* use these signals when ranking search results (though we’ve heard that before) – and I thought this Tweet from Google was useful advice for web designers on making the +1 Google button validate to W3C standards.
For +1 button code that validates use <div class=”g-plusone”> instead of <g:plusone> as per the docs: http://goo.gl/nLk3S
— Google Web Studio (@GoogleWebStudio) June 1, 2011
What Is Google Plus +1 & How To Use It?
The Google Plus +1 button is Google’s answer to the Facebook and Twitter share buttons.
I’m not sure that many people care about W3C validation any more, which is a pity, but as we’re redeveloping the Hobo site at the moment, I wanted to see what options there are for old-timers that want to use W3C compliant social media share buttons.
Google Analytics Tracking
This is also useful – allowing you to track how many people click on the actual Google +1 button on your page – in Google Analytics.
WordPress Plugin
I jut added the code manually as we are redeveloping the site – but there is also a Google+1 wordpress plugin available.
Cheers for the heads up on the fact you can add it to blog posts – though my actual reason for posting was to say that I, for one, always look to make my sites W3C compliant – feels dirty if I don’t. I was always hoping it’d be made a ranking factor even if with the smallest effect, but I doubt it.
I don’t think W3C has a + or – ranking benefit on it’s own – but there are benefits to using structured markup as laid down by the W3C. Blockquotes, Lists, Definitions etc etc
Will the popup you get appear on every click you do? Or does it only ask once. And then where are the settings to alter the preferences you set? Is it more complicated that the like button for facebook? I think it is! How many gmail users are there in the UK? Is this going to be a bit of flop like buzz is?
Time will tell Emily – buzz was a flop – but Google +1 looks more promising.
Google +1 does look promising but we will have to wait and see. It is getting hit hard right now because of the lack of analytics, tracking and the way it deals with canonicalization of votes, which currently is significantly inferior to both Facebook and Twitter. Will just have to wait and see how it fears of in the coming months.
[...] Blogger, Joomla (both a how to and an extension), Magento, Open Cart… For those who want to add the button according to web standards (so that it validates), there is also a small tweak or a bigger workaround for [...]