"Like" Facebook? You'll "+1" Google

For ages, it’s been rumored that Google was planning a social network to rival Facebook, since Facebook has radically changed the way so many of us use the web. Google has finally unveiled its next big thing, but it’s not a social network at all. It’s more of a “social search” function built into its popular search engine results.

“Google +1” is a direct competitor to Facebook’s ever-present “Like” button, and you can try it out right now. It hasn’t been implemented for all users yet, but if you opt in to Google +1, you can mark the websites you like best. When one of your Google friends or contacts (via Google Profiles) runs a similar search, they’ll see your +1 likes as a sort of personal advice/recommendation. (You have to have a public Profile to activate the +1 feature.) It adds a more social aspect to web search, and it makes a whole lot of sense once you see it in practice.

It remains to be seen if Google +1 will be able to successfully compete with Facebook’s Like button, since Facebook has such a huge head start. But like Facebook, Google is expected to have its +1 button showing up on other webpages (like the one you’re reading now), paid ads, and lots more.