Google announced the introduction of a new +1 feature that has functionality similar to Facebook’s popular Like button and is now available to the public albeit on an opt-in basis. The button had been rumored since December and its formal introduction was expected sometime this year.
If you would like to start using the +1 service, here’s how you can activate it right now:
1) Sign in to your Google account (you’ll need to create a Google profile if you don’t already have one)
2) Head to google.com/experimental
3) The +1 experiment is at the top of the list, hit “Join this experiment”
4) Wait 5 minutes then do a Google search (stay signed in) … you will now notice a +1 box after the title of search results
5) Simply click the box and you’ll be taken to a confirmation page where you can choose whether or not to broadcast your +1 to the world
6) Your +1s will now be viewable on your Google profile and in your search results
Google is currently allowing users to +1 their ads and search results and has not released a +1 code that can be configured onto web sites. Eventually the feature will allow users to recommend content on a variety of mediums and +1 data may eventually be displayed in search whether or not you are signed into a Google account.