Google Conspiracy?

Does anyone here think that it's programmed into the google algorithm to favour sites who adopt the +1 button, regardless if someone actually clicks it or not.

I've recently put the +1 button on my site and a link to a newly created google profiles page. While it's hard to pinpoint this as the cause, i have seen my traffic triple in the last month.

I did buy some .gov and .edu backlinks last month too, maybe this was the cause, i don't know.

What i personally think though is that it would have been tempting for google to secretly bump up sites who adopted their +1 button, simply to get the button to go viral on the internet and out punch facebook likes.

It would have been tempting to do such a thing wouldn't it? ....or am i imagining things.

You are probably right, if your traffic was coming from Google and your rankings improved.

Unless the .gov and .edu backlinks were on high PR pages from big authorities sites with contextual text around them (not comments, not profile links, not cheap links).

Another reason behind the "consipiracy" could be: if a site implements the +1 buttons it means it's taken care of by somebody that's up to date with the Internet evolution and probably provides better updated content than an abandoned site, MFA updated for the last time 2 years ago with no changes.

There could be a lot of other motivations, but who cares about the why, just know that it may be working and do it.

(+REP given)

businessbira said:

Unless the .gov and .edu backlinks were on high PR pages from big authorities sites with contextual text around them (not comments, not profile links, not cheap links).

Click to expand...

No they were crappy links from fiverr. Though i did get the guy to not just send the links to my homepage but instead got him to send 1 link to each page on my site. Though this cost a bit more than a fiverr to do as it involved more work on his part.

They've mentioned that +1 shouldn't really effect search results unless you have that friend in your circle.

Interesting theory but I'd put more weight on the idea that receiving +1's would actually benefit your rankings at some point.

What people fail to understand is that while now Google may not be placing benefit towards +1's and rankings once they learn how to utilize you can bet they will. They utilized Twitter into their algorithms until they got cut off firehouse access.

Once Google + gets established, you will see it benefit SERPs.

elevenbangbang: I don't believe in whatever google guys says! better to test by yourself

there is no question about the plus 1 button

in GWT, it tells me that my clickthrough rate went from 4% to 50%
since I added the +1 and got 12 natural +1 to the site.

It's a ranking factor.

+1 metrics are in the GWT now...

conspiracies all over the place