Facebook Is Testing An In-App Search Engine

In another move intended to keep users from leaving its platform, Facebook is now testing an in-app keyword search engine that allows users to find websites and articles to add to their status updates.

TechCrunch has reported that some iOS users are now seeing a new “Add A Link” option beside the standard buttons to add photos or locations. With this option, a user can enter a query, and Facebook will display a list of matching links. The user can preview what’s on those websites and can tap one to add it to their status, along with a caption or share statement. It appears that the search results are sorted by what is most likely to be shared by users, highlighting sites that have been posted by a large number of people.

By removing the need for users to use another search engine or to go to another website to copy and paste a link into Facebook, the company aims to keep users inside its app for as long as possible. Additionally, when using a smartphone, finding and posting links tends to be cumbersome, and this feature makes it much easier for users. Facebook explained to TechCrunch that it has indexed more than 1 trillion posts to determine which posts were being shared and who had shared them.

According to data from Shareaholic, Facebook delivered almost 25 percent of all social clicks in late 2014, in comparison to just 0.88 percent for Twitter. For marketers in dealerships, these statistics illustrate the importance of using the social media platform for publishing content and for buying ads to increase their reach. The company’s new “Add A Link” button could help Facebook expand its social media dominance even further, and entice marketers to spend even more of their social ad dollars on the platform.

Does this growth pose a threat to Google?

According to some analysts, Facebook’s indexing of 1 trillion posts that have been shared by users, along with its increasing advertising opportunities, could certainly be a cause of concern for Google.

“If you look at Facebook’s progress over the last few years, the real growth has been in its mobile advertising revenue,” said Jack Kent, senior mobile analyst at IHS, to CNBC. “That means that Facebook’s mobile advertising growth will put pressure on Google. And anything which keeps people inside Facebook with an experience that means that you don’t need Google would put pressure on Google.”

With the growth of native advertising, Google has been facing more challenges in its advertising business, especially on mobile. According to eMarketer, the company lost mobile ad market share in 2014, falling to 38.2 percent in 2014 from 46 percent in 2013. During the same period, Facebook’s ad share increased to 17.4 percent in 2014 from 16.4 percent in 2013. However, Google has experienced a boost in the first three months of 2015, as the company lowered its rates for mobile advertising, which was outweighed by the increased number of ads that were sold.

The new “Add A Link” feature on Facebook is yet another method that the social media company is utilizing to keep users on its platform, with the continued goal of reducing the reasons that users have to leave its app or website. At this point, it’s unclear when this functionality will be available to more users, or if it will ever be rolled out widely, but we’ll be watching for updates to this interesting feature.