Google: The search party is over

[syncvb]

“In this new phase of the web, one of the largest threats to Google and its core search business is the expanding Facebook footprint around the world. Not only because social networks offer a substitute for search for consumers, but also because they offer a substitute for advertisers as well. In display advertising, for example, Facebook has a 16% share of the roughly $9 billion market, according to comScore (Google sites have 2.4% of the market), and advertisers say they’re looking for more ways to plug into Facebook.”

Yes, the company is still growing at rates that would be the envy of the rest of the Fortune 500. But its core business is slowing, its stock is down, its Android mobile platform generates scant revenue, and competition (hello, Facebook) is fierce. Can Google find its footing in this brave new world?

More at-
Google: The search party is over - Fortune Tech


Is there any way that domainers can use FaceBook for profits??

 

[enlytend]

That excerpt fails to point out that FB ads typically convert like s***.

 

[Sparhawke]

It is a good article, thanks for finding it

Google I think are amongst the few seminal companies of the internet along with Amazon & Ebay, I doubt they will ever be dead in the water but go on to leave a long legacy spanning decades.

And is that such a bad thing?

Who wants to be tied to older companies constantly and progress to be stunted?

 

[TheWatcher]

Nice article to read.

Thanks.

 

[labrocca]

That excerpt fails to point out that FB ads typically convert like s***.

That I can believe.

 

[tichnak]

Search on Facebook ?

Yes I am reading this all the time, but honestly, I dont remember a single occasion where I was searching anything other then people on facebook, no book, no laywer, no hotel or insurance... I dont see how Facebook will seriously affect search. Maybe someone can explain to me.

 

[MillionaireNames]

down with google

 

[RevolutionaryDomains]

Interesting read. Thanks for the post.

I may have to break down and join FB some day after all. Though I am willing to bet Google is safe from FB for quite some time.

 

[Jawed]

I don't think FB is a direct threat to Google. It may take some of Google's business but a social networking site has its limitations.

 

[nightshad]

The notion that Facebook is a threat to Google is ridiculous. Google will always be the alpha male, and Facebook will be the submissive kitten when it comes to ads. That's just how it is.

 

[jagdotme]

Yes I am reading this all the time, but honestly, I dont remember a single occasion where I was searching anything other then people on facebook, no book, no laywer, no hotel or insurance... I dont see how Facebook will seriously affect search. Maybe someone can explain to me.

Yep same here, I personally don't think it will happen .... but google are trying to get in the social market this could be a good reason why.... Nice Article

 

[FanCube]

Yes I am reading this all the time, but honestly, I dont remember a single occasion where I was searching anything other then people on facebook, no book, no laywer, no hotel or insurance... I dont see how Facebook will seriously affect search. Maybe someone can explain to me.

From my point of view it is not like FB and other online social networks for that matter will take over the search market. Rather IMHO we will see that the new generation of search results will be a mix of algorithm based results and results based on our social ties etc. Especially opinion based results such as reviews will very likely be based on our social ties. We are already seeing that these kind of results are being mixed into search results.

You mention that you never go to FB and search for books, lawyers, hotels or insurances but this is exactly the kind of topics that our social ties can help with. Wouldn't you rather choose a lawyer recommended by your friend compared to a random lawyer running an Adwords campaign?

This is not about Google or Facebook, it is about getting more useful search results by combining more sources and search factors.

 

[enlytend]

We are already seeing that these kind of results are being mixed into search results.

Yes, and it sucks. Especially that useless twitter-spam.

You mention that you never go to FB and search for books, lawyers, hotels or insurances but this is exactly the kind of topics that our social ties can help with. Wouldn't you rather choose a lawyer recommended by your friend compared to a random lawyer running an Adwords campaign?

Yes, but there's real friends and facebook friends and if my real friends had a recommendation I wouldn't need to search anywhere. There's overlap, but each platform has different primary strengths.

Facebook ads aren't very effective because even though your audience's INTERESTS are pretty well targeted, their INTENT is not. If I'm there to catch up on what everyone did last weekend, I'm not in "buy" mode or "info gathering" mode and could care less about the ads. There have also been quite a few spam/scam ads - that doesn't help.

OTOH, google's audience is there to search, research and buy.

Bing is more of a direct threat to Google than Facebook. By the way: how many of you knew that Bing powers some searches on Facebook?

 

[tmijs789]

More at-
Google: The search party is over - Fortune Tech


Is there any way that domainers can use FaceBook for profits??

Google Secretly Invested $100+ Million In Zynga, Preparing To Launch Google Games

Google will replace FB before FB becomes serious competition.

Pretty straight forward tactic for them. If they just buy FB they inherit all the fuss. If they take over, they can build a better social platform.

 

[Archangel]

I don't see this ever happening. Google is a huge thing but it's not necessarily a huge brand. Google wanted to make a browser and did. But is it running with the big dogs? Not even close. It's true that the Google brand is a big one but it'll take more than merely having an affiliation of any sort with Google to make a social media site 'replace' THE social media giant, FB. I doubt Google will ever replace it but they could be a true competitor.

Google will replace FB before FB becomes serious competition.

 

[.X.]

I would venture to bet that google will flex it's muscle and end up owning FaceBook, That is the Google way, And it doesn't matter who gets the shaft.

 

[Archangel]

Now that sounds more believable.

I would venture to bet that google will flex it's muscle and end up owning FaceBook, That is the Google way, And it doesn't
matter who gets the shaft.

 

[FanCube]

That excerpt fails to point out that FB ads typically convert like s***.

True, Facebook ads have quite a bad conversion reputation, but many advertisers fail to understand how to use the advertising opportunities in social networks. IMHO too many advertisers use FB ads exactly as they would use Adwords which is not a good idea. It is two different approaches to the consumer and obviously they should be used differently.

With that being said FB is not exactly known to have the most advanced and effective advertising platform.

 

[JB Lions]

Facebook isn't a search engine. They don't crawl and index the internet. So search engines will always have their place, since their will always be people wanting to search the internet. There are other ways to search for information now and depending on what you're looking for, one can be better than the other. Just more options nowadays.

 

[ledbeauty]

I don't think facebook will threat google here in China. Because the Chinese government has blocked facebook. We still can not open the website of facebook now. Google is still my favorite search engine.