When you link a Google Ads account with a Google Plus page using a social extension, how are plus one endorsements (+1s) calculated for your ads and page?

Introduction / Context:
Social extensions in older versions of Google Ads allowed advertisers to link their ads with a Google Plus page. When this link was active, Google could display social annotations showing the number of plus one endorsements related to the brand. The question asks how these plus ones were calculated when the social extension was used.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A Google Ads account has been linked to a verified Google Plus page through a social extension.
• Users may click the plus one button on search ads, on the Google Plus page, or on the advertiser website when it uses the same button.
• We want to know how these actions are counted and displayed with the ads.
• The focus is on how the plus one count is aggregated.

Concept / Approach:
The purpose of social annotations was to show combined social proof associated with a brand. Instead of displaying separate counts for each surface, Google aggregated plus ones from the linked Google Plus page, from the ads, and from the site to show a single higher value. This produced a more impressive and meaningful social count to potential customers.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recognize that the social extension links the Google Ads account, the Google Plus page, and the site identity. 2. Understand that Google wanted to show users the total number of recommendations associated with the brand, not three separate numbers. 3. Therefore, plus ones from different surfaces had to be combined in some way. 4. Review each answer option and look for the one that explicitly describes an aggregate or combined count from all three sources. 5. Option a states that the plus one count is an aggregate of plus ones from ads, the Google Plus page, and the website, which fits the documented behavior.

Verification / Alternative check:
Documentation for the old social extension feature explains that once your Google Plus page was linked and verified, all plus ones across the linked properties were tallied together in a single social annotation count. This made the displayed number larger and more compelling than any one source alone, which encouraged advertisers to link their pages correctly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b is wrong because it limits the count to the Google Plus page only, which would not reflect the value of plus ones on ads or the site. Option c is incorrect because it treats ad plus ones as separate from the page, which contradicts the design of the social extension. Option d is wrong because the system did not choose the largest single count; it summed the contributions from each connected property.

Common Pitfalls:
One pitfall is to think that plus ones on ads are unrelated to the brand social presence, when the extension was explicitly intended to unify them. Another is to overlook the need to verify and properly link the page, because only then were aggregated counts shown in the ad annotations.

Final Answer:
With the social extension, the plus one count shown with your ads is an aggregate of plus ones from your ads, your Google Plus page, and your website, combined into one total.