New Plus One Button experiment coming to a search result listing near you.

Google added another accessory to their endless arsenal of search goodies by opening up the lab for Plus One testing.

The actual iconic button reads +1.

By delving into the thumbs up game that Facebook has made into an industry, Google hopes to spread this mini-approval format to include websites and online content of all stripes.

It’s a big social idea but it is Google dependent.

To activate +1, you need a Google Account and a Google Profile (nice recruitment ploy) where all those thumbs up records are kept.

Then the +1 button system shows up on the results of your Google searches. To give your digital approval, simply click on the button.

Next, Google looks at your social connections to determine who to show your +1′s to and which +1′s might be useful to you. Your social connections include the following contacts:

* People in your Gmail (or Google Talk) chat list.
* People in your My Contacts group in Google Contacts.
* People you’re following in Google Reader and Google Buzz.

Seems like Google desires to start a web-wide social marketing phenomenon. And, they have the skills to do it.

But what about the user experience?

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The growth of Chicago-based Groupon has been nothing short of phenomenal. With at least 20 million subscribers in 29 countries receiving the Web company’s free daily e-mail, Twitter and Groupon app offers, this is the fastest growing online business in recent memory.

And no wonder. With their unique format, local businesses sign up to be featured in one of their daily specials that go out to subscribers — all neatly divided into 350 local areas.

These offers are unique and feature very attractive, discounted price points. But there’s a brilliant caveat, a certain number of subscribers must buy the Groupon or the deal is off. And that rarely happens, because Groupon brings social marketing to a bizarre new state of online collectivism that is often too tempting to pass up.

From Lasik surgery to yoga lessons, Groupon has become an expert in the art of the unusual deal. The kind of deals that send hundreds, if not thousands of new prospects to a local business. Oh yes, Groupon gets 50% of the deal for themselves – no wonder they may be worth $1 billion by next year!

But I want to offer a bit of warning and advice to eager Grouponees.

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Face it, the only thing constant about the Web is change.

Here’s a trend worth noting. According to a recent presentation by Compendium Blogware, the average search phrase is now four words in length. And what does that mean? It means everyday searchers from around the globe are getting more and more sophisticated with their searching methods. And it doesn’t stop there.

Listen to this: Today search inquiries based on eight words are now the fastest growing phrase count!

Eight words?

The long tail of search terms used to be a concept only Amazon and Ebay could appreciate. Now it’s gradually becoming a common practice.

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Announced as a beta version earlier this month, Facebook Places provides a presence for your business’s physical store locations encouraging your customers to share that they’ve visited your business by “checking in” to your Place.

Facebook Places could make for some great organic impressions and may put a whole new twist on in-store promotions and loyalty programs. Imagine the fun you could have with interactive incentives and real-time inventory reductions. Used creatively, this could be a clever venue for businesses to better optimize Facebook.

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