Will you be Google’s +1? Google hopes so. They recently introduced Google +1 for AdWords, which is similar to the Facebook Like button, but if someone “+1′s” your site or ad it ends up in the Google search results page (if they’re logged into their Google account).

Here’s how Google +1 for AdWords works:

An example from Google’s e-mail to AdWords users

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.

Are you engaged?

Google thinks that you’ll definitely use this “word of click” advertising. In their introductory video (below), Google says it saves you time since you can +1 something that you wouldn’t necessarily send an e-mail to a friend or write a post about and the results will show up right when it’s most useful — on Google search (as long as their logged in). According to the Google AdWords Innovations Page, “As results become more personal and relevant, we believe that users are not only more likely to click, but they’re more likely to act as well. +1 annotations bring you pre-qualified users, who just received recommendations from their friends and are actively looking for your content. This powerful combination may result in more conversion and deeper engagement with your site overall.”

What else do I need to know?

The +1 button shows up for signed-in users of Google.com using a modern browser. Since it’s tied to your Google account, you can’t click the button numerous times to “ballot-stuff” an ad because it will only allow you to click it once (we tried it, and it changed the number briefly then adjusted it).

According to the HubSpot Blog, it can impact the score of your ads and increase your click-through rate, “Since your ads gain more credibility the more they are +1’ed, it increases the likely hood of other users enaging with your ads. This extra level of engagement can increase your ad’s CTR (click through rate). Although +1’s are not part of the quality score of your ads, the historical CTR of your ads is. So, +1’s can most certainly impact the quality score of your ads.”

The ROI Revolution Blog suggests using canonicalization in your HTML header since it can help you retain your +1 data across pages. Learn more about this at the Google Webmaster Central Help Center.

Whether you will you click the +1 button is up to you, but the impact on your site is more favorable than not, so get some more info and add your button!

More info:

• AdWords Help Center
• How to add the +1 Button
• Free phone support for AdWords