Google

Google wins according to the New Media Drivers License students from the Fall 2011 class. When I asked which was a more important and powerful company - Google or Facebook, the answer was resounding approval for Google. In fact it was 139 students raising their hands for Google and only one brave soul said Facebook was more powerful. Where do you fall on this issue?

Google announced on Tuesday that the +1 button will begin appearing inside banner ads. If a user wishes to share the ad, unlikely as that seems, then he will be able to +1 the ad and share it with friends. This is exciting for digital marketing agencies because now there is an easy way for friends to digitally recommend ads. The benefit is not only the recommendations but also the ability to share and to accumulate those recommendations so that someone outside the social network of the amused viewer can find it.

SEO and SEM are in play when you think of Google+ and how it could impact search results for users. When people +1 an item on Google now, it can show up in your Google+ stream. It can also show up to your friends as a site that you like. What does it all mean?

Will the +1 metric really impact search rankings, or will it simply impact your network? How will Facebook Likes impact search ranking, and will Google even know if you Like a Facebook page since they don't have a close relationship with them?