Google came out with its new '+1" button. This is Google's newest foray into the social scene, although they claim this is yet the social network to rival Facebook. The +1 button is a small icon that will become featured in searches done on Google. The idea is that when you see a search result you like, you will +1 it, thus telling others in your Google social group that you like the result.

A Google social group consists of all the people that are connected to you via your Google profile, meaning those in your Gmail address book and the people you chat with using the Google chat feature. You have the choice of whether or not you want your +1 to be public or not, by checking or un-checking the appropriate box in your preferences area. If you go public, then anyone who is in your Google social group will be able to see that you +1'd a search result. A small bit of text will show up beneath the search result saying something like, 'Tina +1'd this'. If you chose not to go public, then your +1 will still be counted and added to a text saying something like '1,000 others +1'd this' but would not show your name to your contacts.

Google has said that the +1 feature will definitely affect search engine rankings. This is obviously a concern for website owners and search engine optimization companies alike. The +1 button is not available to be added to a website at this time, and Google says that feature is months away. So, in the meantime, how is this little button going to affect a site's ranking?

In addition to showing the +1 on search results, the button will also be available for Google AdWords. When you see an ad you like, you can +1 it. This does not count as a click for the advertiser. Google feels that this will be a big plus for AdWord advertisers because people will be more likely to click on an ad that their friends have already +1'd.

Google already had a social search feature. A user could connect their Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and other accounts with their Google account. At this time, only your Google-based connections will be used for the +1 feature.

People throughout the Internet are questioning what +1 really means. Is Google going to try and create a social network to rival Facebook? No one really knows at this point. One thing is for sure; +1 is going to radically affect search engine rankings. It is also unclear how +1 is going to affect the Google toolbar.

It seems like Google may need a new way of evaluating a site's popularity in this world of linking problems. But it is also going to create a ton of confusion for the average site owner who just wants a good ranking for their site. Without the current option of putting a +1 button on their sites like they can with the Facebook Like button, it will take an expert on all of these new developments to keep a good search engine ranking for sites.

One such company is Jcyber.com, a SEO company that is currently staying on top of all these new developments in Google. They offer all the tools and all the assistance that the average site owner may need to understand all the intricacies of the +1.