Google Poised to Replace Facebook

It’s no secret that social media is integrating itself into the search results of what your customers look for. What customers choose to “Like”, +1, or Follow is increasingly affecting what is relevant to their search, opening up opportunities for brands to have a dialog with their customers. The race is on between Google and Facebook to see who can fetch the most relevant content for their user. That Google and Facebook are fierce rivals is obvious, as there is plenty of coverage on the battle between the two titans.

After all, the stakes are high.

Whoever wins fundamentally changes the way we discover information, and I think Google has strategically positioned itself to outdo Facebook at being relevant to users. First, Google is expanding its main source of profits, Google AdWords, into the fertile realm of social advertising; an area Facebook Ads has historically dominated. Second, Google’s recent release of Search Plus Your World creates a search engine that searches information based off of social signals. As search becomes more social, Google has the advantage of synthesizing the data beyond social networks, whilst Facebook can only work within its own database (e.g. Facebook people search).

Google’s Search Plus Your World Paves the Way for Social Advertising

Google’s Search Plus Your World is a commendable step towards combating Facebook’s growing influence. By personalizing your Google+ preference all of the data from your Google accounts into your search results, Google is attempting to change its search engine into a social search engine. As a result of this change, Google’s advertisements are also entering the realm of social advertising. You can expect your search results for ‘winter sales’ to be filled with brand endorsements of +1’s from your friends.

Google knows social will be big, and they’ve been pushing Google+ since it came into being in June. Since its inception, 90 million users have registered on Google+, and all that data will be used to improve Google AdWords. According to Comscore’s 2011 Social Report released in December, 1 out of every 4 minutes online is spent on social networking sites. Google’s AdWords is improving, but what about Facebook’s Ads? Facebook may get social networks, but do they have a clue when it comes to answering their user’s needs?

Could Facebook Build A Google Search Killer?

Imagine for a moment that in addition to searching for friends, companies, or brands on Facebook, you could also search for cell phone reviews. All your friends’ comments about their iPhones, Androids, and whatnot would start showing up on your news stream. Search would no longer be about the ratings of what strangers around the world think, but rather the opinions of friends closest to you.

It’s been nearly a year since Facebook put a patent on “curated search,” which describes the ranking of search results according to link popularity and a user’s social graph. Sorry Facebook, but it seems like Google has the first-mover advantage. If you could’ve beaten Google, you would’ve beaten Google. Even with your belated cash infusion from your upcoming IPO, you won’t stop the Google invasion.

Google to Invade Facebook’s Market

The secret is out. Google is not only creeping into the social advertising space, but is also expected to lead the way in the social search sphere. Facebook, on the other hand, is struggling to evolve its services. Of course, that’s just my opinion – what do you think?

Victor Pan
Marketing Associate of WordStream Inc.

Tags: Advertising, Digital, Search, Social Media