Google’s +1 button gets social with Google+ sharing

Google on Wednesday updated its +1 button with new functionality that lets users both “+1” content and automatically share it on their Google+ accounts.

Google’s +1 button, launched in early June, helps users recommend web pages in Google searches; in July, the +1 button hit the 2 billion daily view threshold. It makes good sense that the button now works with Google+, the company’s new social network that’s amassed more than 25 million unique visitors since its launch in late June.

The +1 button already appears on many websites, but now, when you are logged into your Google account, your +1’s will include the option to “Share on Google+”. Clicking on that choice opens up options like being able choose which Circles to share it with. When you share the content, the post goes directly in your Google+ stream.

When users share content on Google+, the +1 button also will generate what Google calls a “+snippet”. The +snippet includes a link, an image, and a description inside of the sharebox that others can see. Google points out that this could be a handy tool for publishers looking for new ways to share content.

You can find an example of the new +1 button in action at Rotten Tomatoes. Google’s example (above) shows Google executive Vic Gundotra +1-ing Dead Poets Society and sharing it with his Google+ circle labeled “Family.”

A short video explaining the new +1 functions follows: