Facebook's Graph Search: The True Arrival of Social Search?

In what is undoubtedly a shot across Google’s bow, Facebook announced its new “Graph Search” today, allowing consumers to search Facebook in some fairly sophisticated ways. Since I haven’t had a chance to play with it yet, I’m going to reserve comment for the moment. But here’s what some other folks are saying about the tool:

• Search Engine Land covers the announcement in full, noting that Graph Search will challenge Google, Yelp, Foursquare & others.
• Mashable suggests Facebook Graph Search could be the company’s greatest innovation.
• TechCrunch believes Graph Search ads could be a goldmine for Facebook.
• Danny Sullivan does a deep dive and explains what it’s like to spend time up close with Facebook Graph Search.
• Business Insider looks at the benefit of Facebook Graph Search for advertisers and what it means to the company’s bottom line.
• And, finally, Matt McGee of Search Engine Land looks at SEO For Facebook Graph Search along with Facebook’s tips. Good stuff.

Again, I don’t have a clear perspective on Graph Search yet—though I do think it’s a stupid name (while I know where it comes from, I doubt many of its users will).

But, What Yelp and Facebook do very well already—and what Google’s trying to do with Google+—is connect people with the most relevant information. Your location/local area represent one clear source of relevance (I’m looking at you, Yelp), your friends, family, fans, and followers another. There’s no question that with Google’s recent FTC settlement, the growth of Yelp in local search (more on this in the coming days), and now Graph Search, the search market is more interesting than it’s been in some time. This is going to be fun to watch.

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