Facebook Introduces ‘Graph Search’, but this Search Secret already helps Marketers

 

Facebook has introduced graph search and although it will not be launched publically today, you can join the beta testing group to be one of the first to try it. The search feature in Facebook has been a hidden gem for some time. While most news and media outlets talk about it as something that was only used to find people or a page, digital marketers have been using it to find public info on just about anything for a few years now.
For example, if you’re a travel agent, you can enter the keywords “travel”, “vacation” or even say “Hawaii”. Then make your way down the left column and click “public”. This will reveal anyone talking about any of those keywords. While that’s far from a hot list, it has always been a great lead generator for downtime. After all a public post, “I need a vacation” or “I am planning a trip to Hawaii”, could be a great lead for a travel agent. The same could be true for real estate, wedding planning and so on.
The graph search is really an extension of what the Facebook search can already do and provide; it’s just been refined so that it’s nice and pretty. Graph Search’s functions will be limited to start with, only focusing on four main areas: people, photos, places, and interests. The search will also not be in the mobile version or pull from Instagram.
The emphasis for business is going to be on “Likes” and “Check In” as the social endorsement age will be in full swing with Facebook Graph Searches. After all, if you wanted good Italian food in Michigan, you might search for “Italian restaurants in Michigan liked by my friends from New York”. The results will pull in practical information, as well, such as reviews and prices.
With privacy being a major concern, Zuckerberg explained that, “It was a really hard technical problem to index all of these 1 trillion connections” while maintaining individual privacy for users. But Facebook made sure that “every piece of content” searchable with the new service has its own audience and can only be searched if it has been shared with a user.
The Major difference?
“Graph Search is designed to show you the answer and not links to answers,” said Zuckerberg.

 Sources:

• Facebook Graph Search
• CNN: Facebook Introduces Graph Search
• Facebook Introduces Graph Search With Limited Rollout
• Facebook Introduces ‘Graph Search,’ New Search Engine From Social Giant