Google adds button to endorse search results, ads

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is giving people the option of recommending Internet search results and online ads.

The “+1” button rolls out Wednesday. It represents Google Inc.’s latest imitation of Facebook in an attempt to make it easier for its users to share their insights with their online contacts.

Google hopes to benefit from its version of Facebook’s “Like” button by making its search results more relevant and its ads more tempting to click.

The +1 button initially will begin appearing next to search results and ads for a relatively small number of Google users. Anyone who wants to the +1 feature sooner can sign up at http://www.google.com/experimental .

Google plans to allow other websites to place the +1 button next to their content, too.