"Sometimes it's easier to find exactly what you're looking for when someone you know already found it. Get recommendations for the things that interest you, right when you want them, in your search results."
That's the exact quote from Google's +1 page located at google.com/+1/button/.
The "Plus One" feature was in beta testing for a while, and we've been peeking under the hood of that beta for several months to get an idea on how it will work.
On June 1, 2011 as many of you were probably packing for the JCK show, Google officially moved the +1 service from beta to general use and once again changed the way we have to deal with search engine optimization.
From now on, you should see a [+1] button on the Google SERP next to the title of each result. Specifically, you should see the Titles in blue, then the [+1] button, then the Preview magnifying glass. When you find a page interesting, Google wants you click the [+1] button as a way to publicly indicate to the world that you find that SERP result interesting.
All +1'd pages are then saved into your Google Profile. Google then takes your +1'd pages and shares them as recommendations to your friends when needed.
Your list of "friends" is tied together from your social accounts of Twitter, Facebook, Google Profiles and anything else they can wriggle their way into eventually. Tying these accounts together is how Google is creating a new sphere of influence for your Google account.
Now that we've given you some background information, let's tell you specifically what to do with it to improve your website's SEO.
Follow these steps:
1. You need a single email account to associate with Twitter, Facebook and your Google account. The Google account is the most important, so create a new Gmail if needed and then change the emails your business Twitter and Facebook accounts if needed.
2. Log into your Google account with this special email.
3. Search Google for all keyword phrases that should trigger your website in the SERP. Perhaps "jewelry stores springfield" or "engagement rings springfield"
4. Click the +1 button for all your website pages as you find them.
5. For each page found you should also post them to your Twitter. That's the same business Twitter account that is using the same email.
6. For each page found you should also share them to your BUSINESS Facebook Page. This part is important. You need to log into Facebook as yourself (a person) and share the URL to your jewelry store's business page.
By following these steps you are creating 3 ways for Google to tie your profiles together with your customers. We're guessing that you have customers following your business Twitter account. On Facebook, you and your customers share a mutual common interest of your business page even if they are not direct friends.
According to early testing, the connections through Twitter and Facebook will bring together all the shared URLs and +1'd pages. The result is that your socially acquainted audience will be exposed to your recommendations.
By now, we all understand that recommendations from friends are more important than randomly choosing something for yourself.
As an SEO strategy, this is pretty tricky. But then again all new SEO strategies are pretty complex and hugely labor intensive to protect against gaming the system.
This is yet another new small piece of the overall vast search engine optimization techniques available for jewelry websites.
