Who are the Facebook Graph Search Competitors and do they know it?

Written by: Michael Lawrence

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Facebook Graph Search

In the first Facebook Graph Search post, users and businesses focused on this current feature (Part 1). 
 
This article will analyze the businesses that are Graph Search competitors and answer several popular questions such as:

• Who are the obvious competitors? 
  
• Are they actually direct competitors?
  
• What companies are going to be impacted most?
  
• Are these companies aware of this potential impact? 

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The Graph Search does not compete with Google Search 

Facebook Graph Search Vs Google Search

“The Graph Search is Facebook’s counter punch to Google+” has been a common theme in early online discussions about the new feature.  As much as people want Google and Facebook to throw on the gloves and duke it out, they are just not the natural competitors many assume them to be.   

Google+ is a social aspect to Google’s search engine, used to enhance the ability and quality of their search engine. It wasn’t meant be the next Facebook, and the Graph Search isn’t meant to be the next Google Search.  

Here are two reasons that will put a rest to the fallacy that the Graph Search and Google Search are competitors: 

Both search through entirely separate indexes of data for answers

• Google searches its index of the Web 
  
• The Graph Search fetches information from the profiles of users  
  

They answer different questions

• Google answers questions about data and facts: “Who was the first President?”
  
• Facebook’s Graph Search answers questions about your friends: “What friends like basketball?”

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If the Graph Search isn't going to impact Google, then who is it going to affect? 

The Graph Search has the potential to become one of the most effective ways for recruiting new talent to your company, regardless of industry.  Here are some example searches by employers & employees:  

Company – Redstone Content Solutions 

Position – Software Developer


Graph Search – Software engineers with 2 – 5 years’ experience and are willing to relocate? 

Company – Lawrence Steakhouse opening in Denver
 
Position – Head Chef 


Graph Search – Chef in Denver area with 10 years’ experience in American cuisine?

Employee – Freshman at the University of Iowa 

Former Job – Life guard for in high school at the YMCA 

Graph Search – Life Guarding jobs at YMCAs near Iowa City?  YMCA job openings near Iowa City? Lifeguarding jobs near Iowa City?

With the knowledge of Facebook and the ability of the Graph Search, companies may be able to internalize recruitment efforts and reduce costs by reducing expensive outside services.  Companies may no longer need to pay for recruiters or fees to Monster.com and LinkedIn for access to their database of professionals.     

Instantly, Facebook would possess the largest pool of professionals.  Due to the diversity of the 1 billion Facebook users, the ability to accommodate white-collar & blue-collar companies, multi-national & multi-lingual, and all levels of experience, reaching the correct candidate would be effortless.  The advanced two-way search between employees and employers delivered by the Graph Search has the potential for unparalleled results. Facebook will also be able to leverage their immense number of users to be very price competitive .   

So what are LinkedIn and others doing to prepare? Are they even aware they are in the same boxing ring as the Graph Search? 

LinkedIn vs. Facebook Graph Search 

LinkedIn vs Facebook

LinkedIn operates and promotes itself as a social media company, so when Facebook made their announcement, LinkedIn started to plan.  Recently LinkedIn discontinued their LinkedIn Answers service, therefore, reallocating their efforts, capital and time to more pressing matters.  

LinkedIn has always been a “professional” social media site, and they may always have that edge on Facebook.  

To-do-list for LinkedIn:

• Gain more users and as quickly as possible (Facebook 1 billion > LinkedIn 200 Million). 
  

• Go beyond the white collar job seeker – more blue-collar workers are searching for employment than are white-collar professionals.  Reach out to all companies who hire: restaurants, constructions companies, etc. 
  

• Continue to promote its image as the premier professional social media site.

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Graph Search vs. Monster and Careerbuilder 

Facebook vs Monster & Careerbuilder

Monster.com and Career Builder, unlike LinkedIn, do not operate as social media sites; therefore, they may be overlooking the Graph Search.  It may be tough for them to compete, considering that combined they have less than 100 million job seekers and less information about their users to parse for information.  
 
To-do list for Monster.com and Career Builder:

• Seek out a Partner – since neither of them operates as social media sites, they would be wise to partner with Google+, Facebook or LinkedIn 
  

• Create new services
  

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Wrap Up

Please let us know what your thoughts are on the Graph Search.  Feel free to comment below or contact us here. 

Note: There were many more ideas and concepts that came to mind that we are thinking about publishing as a detailed wrap-up.  We could write this wrap up in a bulleted format that would consist of all the notes and thoughts that couldn’t fit in the original series and have been provided as feedback to the original two-part series. If this interests you, please let us know.