Facebook's Graph Search enables users to search for people, photos, places, and interests based on their social graphs, with implications for enhanced brand discovery. This new feature allows businesses to be more discoverable as users can search for content through their friends' preferences, effectively turning fans into brand advocates. The document outlines the differences between Graph Search and traditional search engines, emphasizing its personalization and the need for brands to optimize their content for better visibility.

1. Facebook
Graph Search
Tom Boland, Erin Carter,
Brian Camen and Matt Kelly
January 2013

2. Table of Contents
Summary 3
What is Graph Search? 4
Implications for Brands 5
FAQs 6
About Social@Ogilvy 7
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3. POV: Facebook
Graph Search
Summary
Facebook announced Graph Search, a new form of search based on users’
individual social graphs. The new functionality, which is only available in
Beta right now, will allow Facebook users to search for people, photos
and places – all through the lens of their friends. Content that used to
slide down a user’s Newsfeed is now potentially ever-relevant as users
can search for people, places, photos, and similar interests. Facebook
search has long been one of the untapped resources within Facebook that
will now become more usable by members and, likely, more usable by
brands going forward. The simple fact that Facebook users can find what
other friends are fans of Ford Fiesta or have liked a brand application
may drive more discovery. This new search functionality may also breathe
new power into the object “like” as users can search for a most liked
post or piece of content, and brands will be able to capitalize on their
fans as true word of mouth evangelists.
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4. What is Graph Search?
Facebook Graph Search allows users to search, based on people, places, photos, and
interests. Results can be segmented by interest and other profile variables (e.g., education,
gender, relationship, etc.). Users’ privacy settings will determine what their connections are
allowed to see.
People
Instead of searching only by name, users
may find friends who share commonalities
within their profile info or interest sections.
Examples include “friends who live in New
Paltz,” “people from my hometown,” and
“friends who like Wonka candy.”
Places
Users can discover physical locations their
friends have been to, not limited to things like
music venues and restaurants (sample results
page to the right). Examples could include
“Wolfgang Puck restaurants my friends have
been to,” “countries my friends have visited
that I’ve also been to,” “tourist attractions in
Rome that my friends have visited.”
Photos Privacy
Without clicking to friends’ pages, users can Your privacy settings will determine what
now find tagged photos on a unique landing others are allowed to see. With Graph Search,
page, based on their search queries. Photo users can find items you’ve shared with them,
results will include those hidden from a including public content. This video from
user’s timeline. Examples include “photos of Facebook explains more.
my friends before 1987,” “photos of the Space
Needle,” and “photos I like.”
Interests
Users can now search based on similar
interests, such as “friends who like to watch
‘Modern Family,’” “languages my friends
speak,” “business books read by marketers,”
and “friends who listen to The Avett Brothers.”
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5. Implications for Brands – where your offices and retail locations are
located – is readily available. After all, if a
More Opportunities for Facebook Users to Facebook user is in hot pursuit for those shoes
Discover Your Brand of yours that debuted during Fashion Week,
you want her to be able to find them – and
Graph Search opens the door for brands to become a fan of your brand in the process.
become discovered more easily, by more
people. Because Graph Search provides Image Content has New Value for Brands
the ability to search for which friends have
traveled to an exotic destination, or who has Who doesn’t love to scroll through their
eaten at the hottest restaurants in the city, friends’ old photos on Facebook? Graph
or who likes the same music, users will be Search now allows users to search users’
able to find more people like themselves. And photos with all manner of filters, such as
brands will be able to find more Facebook “photos of friends near mountains,” “photos
users who are potential fans – and potential of friends taken before 1984,” and “photos
brand advocates. It’s no surprise that of friends taken in Chicago.” Because users
Facebook users rely heavily on their social can search for photos in such myriad ways,
network for reviews and recommendations; brands should consider allowing fans to tag
now, brands can leverage those networks and them in photos. (Of course, this opportunity
recommendations on Facebook by ensuring should be weighed against reputational risk.)
they appear in users’ Graph Search results. Additionally, brands should consider when
it is appropriate to post images and albums
Increased Need to Ensure Content is Likeable of their own, with detail-rich captions and
and Shareable meta-data, so that their images appear in
Graph Search, as well.
We’re moving to an environment where SEO
needs to be augmented with the optimization Community Management Best Practices
of social engagement. Search graph signals, Matter
such as Likes and Shares — whether on a
Facebook page or on a website — will now According to Facebook, brands that are most
increasingly be part of the process that popular among the Graph Search users’
determines whether your brand surfaces in closest friends will be displayed first. This
search results on Facebook. A similar process means that it may not be enough just to get a
on Google already considers Google+ sharing Facebook user to “like” your brand page. More
and +1’s in search result visibility. than ever, brands will need to exercise best
practices in community management in order
More People Finding Brands by Location to build brand advocates on Facebook. Brands
will need to establish relationships with their
One of the filters that can be used is location. fans, and cultivate those relationships through
For example, a Facebook user could search for two-way dialogue, in order to give the fans the
“friends who shopped for shoes near Chicago.” opportunity to become ambassadors – and
Because brands with physical locations will give the brands the chance to appear high in
appear in Graph Search results, it’s important Graph Search results.
to make sure that your contact information
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6. FAQs
1. How is Graph Search different from search engines?
Facebook has indicated that it isnot developing a search engine, but with over a billion users
on Facebook, it seems likely that users will start to turn to Facebook to run certain types
of search queries that may have previously been run on Google or Bing. Graph Search
does seem to compete with Google+. Facebook currently has a partnership with Bing to
deliver Web search results.
2. How is Graph Search different from current search options on Facebook?
Current search options allow users to search for people, places and things by entering a
keyword. Graph Search allows Facebook users to search for which of their friends have specific
likes/interests and allows for deeper segmentation. Some criteria users may search by include
Likes/interests, employer, school, current city, hometown, friendship, relationship status,
gender and language.
3. Why do I see different search results than my friend, when we are searching for the same
thing?
Search results are personalized for you and your network. Even though you are searching
for the same thing, your friend’s network may be comprised of different Facebook users,
who have different likes/interests.
4. When may I start using Graph Search?
Graph Search is currently in beta testing to a small group of Facebook users in the United
States. To join the waiting list to become a beta tester, visit https://www.facebook.com/about/
graphsearch. A global launch date of Graph Search has not been announced publicly.
5. I want to learn more about Graph Search and its impact for my brand. What can I do?
Your Social@Ogilvy team can set up time with you to strategize around Graph Search, and
walk you through steps to ensure that your brand page is maximizing possibilities to appear
as a result in a Graph Search.
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7. About Social@Ogilvy
S
ocial@Ogilvy is the largest social media marketing communications
network in the world. Named 2011 Global Digital/Social
Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, the practice
leverages social media expertise across all Ogilvy Mather disciplines,
offering an extensive list of services within the foundational business
solutions – Listening and Analytics; Social Business Solutions; Social
Media Marketing and Communications; Social Shopping; Social CRM;
Social Care; and Conversation Impact.
For more information, visit social.ogilvy.com and connect with
us at www.facebook.com/socialogilvy, www.twitter.com/
socialogilvy, www.slideshare.com/socialogilvy.
Contact: john.bell@ogilvy.com