Google makes its +1 button more like the Like button

In a move that makes its social offerings more like Facebook, Google Inc. today linked its +1 button to its social network Google+.

The +1 button, which, according to Google appears on more than 1 million sites, had only enabled a consumer to influence the search results her friends will see on Google, including promoting products she likes.

Now when a consumer clicks the button she can click to share that content on Google+. She can also add a comment, as well as select which circle she chooses to share the content with.

“Clicking the +1 button is a great way to highlight content for others when they search on Google,” writes Vic Gundotra, senior vice president of engineering, in a blog post. “But sometimes you want to start a conversation right away—at least with certain groups of friends.”

Google is also enabling retailers and other publishers to tailor the content that appears when a consumer clicks the +1 button. That content, which Google calls +Snippet, is usually a link, image and description.

“+Snippets let you put your best face forward by customizing exactly what appears when your content is shared,” writes Daniel Dulitz, Google’s group product manager in a blog post. “For example, if you’re running a movie review site, you might want visitors to share posts containing the title, movie poster and a brief synopsis.”