The +1 button which has been added to organic search results is now coming to your Adwords campaign. I love how Google continues to “socialize” SERP pages and it also changes the game in regards to being on Google Page One.
18 months ago being on Page One was the goal of most Automotive SEO strategists. Today, you need to make sure your online reviews, social media “likes”, and now “+1?s” also show next to your listing. At the risk of sounding like a broken record:
Being on Google Page One with poor reviews is actually hurting your brand. Now, being on Page One with nobody recommending your page is going to be negative as well!
Email From Google About Adwords +1
Here is the email from Google I received today: (in italic)
In the coming weeks, your search results and ads on Google will include a +1 button, which users can click to recommend your ads. You don’t need to make any changes to your account in order to take advantage of them. The final landing page URL of your ads can also appear on the Google profile of any user who +1’s your ad.
Here’s how the +1 button works:
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.
Think of the +1 button as a way for fans of your business to recommend what you offer, for all their friends and contacts to see. By helping searchers see more personal, relevant ads, we believe you’ll see more qualified traffic. You can also add the +1 button to your site to give your customers the opportunity to +1 your site after visiting it.
What +1 Means To Your Business
Do you have a process to leverage the Google +1 feature for your business?
The +1 is the next “gold rush” for Page One relevance and conversion. Imagine what happens when your organic listing for your dealership home page have 100 +1 votes. In this example, what happens when your ads get recommended.
I hope you can see the clear opportunity and now you just need a strategy. Automotive Advertising and Google search marketing is continually evolving to provide the most RELEVANT and DESIRED result for consumers.
That said there are creative ways to empower your customer base to make sure you get the attention you need on Page One. You need an online marketing strategy and these continued changes should be proof enough that dealers need to be paying attention and reacting.
Note: Did you see the Google +1 voting tool at the top of this page? Time to get this on your blogs as well.
Digital Marketing Strategy – Do You Have One?
I’ll be reviewing the opportunities for the Google +1 tool at all of the upcoming PCG Pit Stop Conferences. I will also be addressing the impact of social media links and likes, which continue to influence SERP’s.
Dates and locations can be found at http://www.pcgpitstop.com.