Facebook has placed its cards on the table with its new Facebook Graph Search option. The new search engine like option that Mark Zuckerberg has shown has significant potential and offers results based on the searches of your friends and acquaintance’s interaction with companies on the social media site.

Facebook Graph Search is very like Google’s Google+ Local option, though because of its far larger uptake of 1billion or more people offers significantly more potential. In fact, the size of the offering is so large; Facebook has enlisted Bing to help collate all the Likes and interactions ever on Facebook and hopes to roll it out fully in a month or so.

How it Works

Unlike the traditional search engine, which uses numerous algorithm factors to determine the SERP placing, Facebook Graph Search uses your friends’ preferences, which have been shown through Likes, shares and other interactions such as check ins. Searches are returned in order of the query and ordered by our friends interaction with the businesses at hand.

So, for business this means that there are now huge opportunities offered from Likes and recommendations. If you can garner enough recommendations in the form of Likes, shares, check-ins, etc.; you stand a great chance of appearing on the top of Facebook Graph Search SERPs. This means working to create a strong presence is a must.

Facebook Graph Search Video

Local SEO

The number of businesses involved in local SEO increased significantly in recent months and the whole SoLoMo philosophy has taken a real turn for the mainstream. Facebook Graph Search ups the ante again and you need to optimise your social media page to ensure you gain leverage over competitors. Here’s how we’re doing so at PinpointDesigns:

• Name, Facebook URL, and all the other information on your site needs to be updated and correct. Make sure to look through this as it can have a significant impact on your success, especially as people perform more mobile searches.
• You need to encourage more engagement, so more Likes, Shares etc. This is especially important among local and target audiences.
• Look at your Bing SEO. As Microsoft is helping out in this area, there could be some significant impact and some ranking hints in Bing.
• Encourage all sharing on-site and not off Facebook
• After all the issues with Likes and fake Likes, as well as Like worth; there is not a doubt that they matter significantly.
• Encourage sharing and interaction to build a strong community.

Facebook Graph Search can change a lot of things in the future, so plant the ground work now to succeed in time.

Author:

Cormac Reynolds writes for PinPointDesigns a UK company that provides a range of digital media services.