Google adds recommendation feature to search

SAN FRANCISCO—Google on Wednesday began letting people tip off friends to which Internet search results or online ads they think are “pretty cool.”

The world’s most popular online search service started adding “+1” icons that people can click to recommend the resource to others.

The endorsements will start appearing in Google search results, product manager Rob Spiro said in a blog post.

He described “+1” as shorthand for “this is pretty cool.”

“If you’re looking for a new pasta recipe, we’ll show you +1s from your culinary genius college roommate,” Spiro said.

“And, even if none of your friends are baristas or caffeine addicts, we may still show you how many people across the Web have +1’d your local coffee shop.”

Factors that Google planned to build into the recommendation feature included chat buddies and contacts that registered users add through Social Circle and Content sections in their accounts.

To begin using the feature people must create or upgrade Google profiles, and to see +1s they must be logged into their accounts. The recommendation option was being slowly rolled out in English at Google.com.

People could sign up to use the feature online at google.com/experimental/index.html.