If you have G+ buttons on your site, does google still suggest you add them?

[loopyal]

We've had G+ buttons on the site for many months now (Can't remember exactly when they were added.)

Yet in Google Webmaster Tools, they still give me this message:

"Get more recommendations in Google Search and grow your audience on Google+. Add the Google+ badge to your site."

Is this happening to everyone, or is it just me? Do they think the buttons aren't there?

Also, they say this:

"Your site doesn't have enough +1's yet to show characteristics."

According to the stats, 551 unique people have +1'd our pages.

How many does it take, to get stats?

Anyone willing to give stats?

[loopyal]

Thank you for replying John.

We have a G+ button on every story - it is in the template - about a million of them.

Many (but not all) of our writers have a G profile and their stories have rel=author

Most of those authors have linked back to their own profile page on our site, and their profile pictures often show up in the G search results listings, so I think we've done everything they asked for.

I didn't ask this question over in the google forums because either you get ignored over there, or you get a ridiculous answer (there are a few good guys over there, but I don't think I've even once had any response from someone who actually works for google)

[DesignbysoapLtd]

Hi Alan,

I think the first message:

"Get more recommendations in Google Search and grow your audience on Google+. Add the Google+ badge to your site."

Is just a generic message that appears in all GWT accounts to try and encourage engagement with that platform, I'm not sure it goes away even after you join up.

Not sure about the +1's - have you properly linked your site to G+ (allowing you to use the rel=author attribute)?