Will Facebook Redefine Search? Or...

Will Facebook freak out its users?

If we observe Facebook's formula what do we think it might be? Here is what could be proposed to be their formula. They seem to have accomplished goal number 1 which was to build critical mass. We now need to watch to see what they do with this critical mass. Here is a summary of possible steps that Facebook may take to redefine search.

1. Build Critical Mass

   In Dec 09 Facebook reports 250 million users
   Each month: 5 billion pieces of information, 1 Billion Photos, 10 million videos

   The second "Internet" of Facebook is very personal and includes personal information about the members of Facebook and all of this information is on Facebook servers.

2. Redefine Search

   Will Facebook members turn to their friends on Facebook to find things on the Internet rather than turn to Google?

   Facebook already drives a very significant amount of traffic to non-Facebook sites and they have not yet even set up the Facebook search engine which will allow users to explore one another's feeds and posts.

3. Colonize the Web

   Facebook has two initiatives: Facebook Connect and Open Stream

   With these two applications Facebook users do not have to log into their Facebook accounts to communicate with their friends. Here is a link that explains the Open Stream concept taken from Wikipedia.

   There are already over 15,000 partner sites (From Facebook - January, 2010).

4. Sell Targeted Ads

   With a great amount of personal information available to it Facebook can generate or allow very specific and targeted ads. The Facebook advertising platform is already in place.

   Below is a screen shot of the advertisement set up screen on Facebook.

   

   For Facebook to allow ads is a bold initiative by Facebook. It has tremendous revenue potential but it also has the potential to upset it loyal followers.

   The challenge here will be fro Facebook to not freak out it users.

   Google is also not standing by just watching. The inside scoop is that Google is going to place an even greater emphasis on links coming back into a website to determine the website's position in the search results. Google views links or in-coming links to a website as a form of voting in favor of the website. The more votes a website receives the higher it will be placed in Google search results index. Any website owner now doing good business on the Internet with their website will need to watch how this plays out in 2010.

Open Stream - from Wikipedia

The stream is the flow of information on Facebook, which manifests itself on a user's home page as the News Feed and on the user's profile as the Wall. It represents the content a user shares with friends in a real-time setting. Initially the stream content appeared only on Facebook, and now with the Open Stream API (Application Programming Interface). Developers can connect to their users' streams and let their users read their streams wherever they want. This means that for the first time, you can build new user interfaces for the stream everywhere including Web, mobile, and desktop applications.

Facebook Connect - from Facebook



Next Step:

If you would like Website Link Tactics to help you to get links into your website that are keyword-based and embedded in paragraphs with text related to your business then give us a call.

We will be happy to discuss how linking can help boost up your position in the search engines and help to drive targeted traffic to your website.

Also, you can simply fill out the form on our Inquiry Page and we will get back to you shortly.

Printable Version: Linking Tactics Related to Facebook and Google for 2010 (PDF).