Adding a bit of Google to your Website or Blog

My last article on elaborated Google Wave which was launched in the Google I/O this year. What got washed out by the ‘Wave’ was another launch by Google at the I/O seminar called Google Web Elements.

Google Web Elements provide an easy way for you to add Google products to your website or blog. You can add content, such as news, Google Maps, and YouTube videos, along with features like social conversations from Google Friend Connect. Google Web Elements are incredibly easy to use: just choose the features you want, and copy a few lines of code to your website.

Anyone with a blog or other website can use Google Web Elements. For example, if you own a restaurant, you can add the Maps Element to your site to show customers how to find you. If you run a blog about your favorite sports team you can add the News Element to display customized headlines about how great your team is. If you own a business, you can use the Custom Search Engine Element so customers can easily search your site, and you can even show Ads by Google on your site and share in the revenue from them.

These are the currently available Google Web Elements:

1. Calendar – Remind visitors of important dates by adding Google Calendar to your site.
2. Conversation – Let visitors post comments directly to your website by using the Conversation element.
3. Custom Search – Harness the power of Google to let visitors search your website and other sites you choose.
4. Maps – Add Google Maps to your site to help visitors find a location.
5. News – Show the latest Google News articles on your website, based on topics you choose.
6. Presentations – Embed Google Docs presentations into your webpage so visitors can watch them directly on the page.
7. Spreadsheets – Make sure your site’s visitors see up-to-date information. Publish Google Docs spreadsheets directly to your site.
8. YouTube News – Keep visitors engaged by showing videos from YouTube directly on your website.

Needless to say, adding elements to your site is incredibly easy. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the Google Web Elements website (www.google.com/webelements) and choose the element you want to add to your page.
2. Choose the settings you want for your element. You’ll see a preview of the element exactly as it will appear on your site.
3. Copy the few lines of code from the page and paste them into your webpage. That’s it!

(Source: Google Web Elements | Official Google Blog)