Facebook and SEO

Facebook and SEO | Spending the Day with Facebook

Facebook, the darling of the Internet, is now poised to take over MySpace with regards to daily visitors and total uniques.

Good ol' Facebook has been a staple in the social networking scene since just about the time the phrase was coined. MySpace is popular, but the application has endured a heaping helping of negative publicity, while also attracting a slew of miscreants such as sex offenders, predators, and spammers. MySpace pages are also some of the ugliest, cheesiest web pages in existence today. Compared to the relatively squeaky-clean look of Facebook pages, it's no wonder that Facebook attracts a more refined Internet user.

Facebooking - A new web verb?

So, I dusted off the old Facebook page I created back when the service was very new, and got to work. Although I am not a big fan of social networking, I decided to take an in depth look at the service to see if it could be of any real use to us as search engine marketers. I mean, there's so much fluff and hype - and I do get constant 'friend requests' from other Facebook users...

so if ya can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em.

Facebook for the SEO and Internet Marketer

For the SEO, I find little value in Facebook beyond industry networking. I love SEO, and studying, practicing, and implementing the methodologies to build traffic, but I can't stand the hype of the industry - so for me, this aspect is of little value.

BUT, for the grass roots marketer, I see tremendous value in Facebook. Here are some of the key grass roots marketing features that I find useful in Facebook:

• Facebook groups: Facebook provides easy and convenient ways to join and participate in groups of interest. If you happen to sell, for example, fitness equipment, there are many groups chock full of exercise enthusiasts you can join.
• Facebook events: Events allow Facebook users to share event dates with their friends, as well as, view upcoming events posted by any one of their Facebook friends and groups.
• Facebook marketplace: Exactly as it sounds, a classified-type commerce engine that allows you to post items for sale, for rent, jobs, etc. In addition to posting an item in the marketplace, Facebook users can also elect to post the 'ad' on their Facebook page for all their Facebook friends and groups to see.
• Facebook applications: This is where things get creative. With a public API based on standard web technologies, users can build, as well as choose from thousands of existing, useful Facebook applications that serve double duty as promotional vehicles for a product or service.
  
  One example of a useful Facebook application widget is the Wordpress Plugin. This widget allows Wordpress bloggers to include portions of their Wordpress-based blogs directly in their Facebook profile page. A fantastic way to increase your blog traffic overnight.

So there ya go, that's my take. As popular as Facebook is, it's also regarded as silly and a waste of time, so keep that in mind before you focus too much time or strategy in the service.

Should you have a Facebook page? Absolutely, 100%.

Just keep the whole social networking thing in perspective and as always keep experimenting, keep learning, and keep growing ...online and off.

Useful Facebook Resources

• Christian Griffith's Facebook page - requires Facebook account
• Wordpress blogging software - functional, free, and easy