By Walter Elly
Senior Director of Internet Marketing

It is happening: Facebook is about to take the crown from Google as being the most visited site on the Internet. Have you been taking part in this shift? Think about the past few months, what site have you found yourself using more and more? I bet its Facebook. But getting the most visitors isn’t enough for Facebook; they also want to take over search as well. Facebook as a search engine is the next move in Facebook’s playbook – all part of their master plan, which Wired speculated about in June. This month, with the launch of their new site wide search engine, Facebook hiked the ball.

What does this mean for brands?

With Facebook’s new search engine, users now have the ability to search their network’s status updates as well as all status updates marked as public. For the first time Facebook users can search for what people are saying about any topic within the site – what people are saying about you. We expect Facebook to roll out a few more supporting features for this and then quickly start promoting their new site search not only as a great way to find friends but also as an even better way to find information. This could change everything.

Why is social search important?

The idea of social search works like this: Search engines like Google return results based on what the entirety of the Internet has to say about those results, not just based on what the contents of the results are. It’s the basis for what differentiated Google out of the gate and how all other web search engines work now. However search engines like Facebook could return results based on what your FRIENDS are saying about the results. In other words- Facebook’s results will be made more relevant based on the indicators your personal network has about the results.

For example:

Today someone might use Google to search for a solution your company provides and see your website content well positioned within the results. They’ll click on the link and land on a landing page to learn more about how your company addresses their particular problem. But next year they might just search Facebook instead, and they’ll see that a friend of a friend had a similar need for that solution and went with Company X. This will be more valuable because they can connect directly with this friend via their friend’s connection and discover more about their personal experience with the company. They might also see a post on Company X’s Facebook page within the results discussing this particular solution, further solidifying Company X as a solutions provider candidate.

When you compare the two experiences which would you rather have? Even if Facebook doesn’t dethrone Google by providing this kind of search, they are still going to take a large chunk of the search market with them, simply because they are such a highly visited destination. Just ask Yahoo and MSN what site traffic from their portals does for their search engine traffic. So the question is, will Company X be YOUR company or will it be your competitor’s company? Search Engine Optimization isn’t going to help you be Company X on its own – to be Company X you’re going to need Social Search Optimization.

So, how do you get started in Social Search Optimization?

Participation. Participation. Participation. Get on Facebook now, get in as early as you can – there’s already a land rush going on! Start by creating a Facebook fan page for your company, then share and create relevant content, add value to conversations within the space and build your fan base. The earlier you join the more social content you’ll create, the more indexable conversations you’ll have and the more your business will become integrated within the overall conversation stream. In other words, you’ll be well positioned to rank highly within social search!

How can you get started on Facebook? One way to get started is to use the FINT: For business new to social networking website. From there you can find instructions on creating a Facebook fan page and other related resources as well as discussions on other social networks (Facebook is just the beginning). Of course you can always connect with us and we’ll superpower your social media marketing efforts and help maximize your Social Search Optimization.

Now’s the time to get moving – watch the video below if you’re still not convinced. If your company or brand is not yet on Facebook I strongly urge you to get going. Facebook’s move to take over the search space has already begun in earnest. You’ve got some catching up to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8