SocialFacebook “Add a Link” Feature to Rival Google

Facebook "Add a Link" Feature to Rival Google

According to recent reports, Facebook is using its massive index of shared posts to allow users to add links to updates without using search engines like Google.

Facebook is using its index of more than one trillion posts to make it easier to share links on mobile, according to reports.

It’s often difficult for Facebook’s mobile users to search and share links from their devices, and the social platform is hoping to remedy the problem by offering an “Add a Link” button to some iOS users’ screens alongside the options to share photos or location. Facebook confirmed the rumors to TechCrunch on Sunday by saying, “We’re piloting a new way to add a link that’s been shared on Facebook to your posts and comments.”

To use the Add a Link button, users type a search term into a box and then can preview a link from a drop down menu. Results are based on links and websites already popular within the Facebook app. The new search feature could potentially yield a great deal of useful data for Facebook, including users’ news and content preferences along with targeted advertising to match users’ tastes.

Facebook’s latest foray into search could prove to be bad news for Google since users will no longer need to leave the app to search for content. An Add a Link button could also pull advertising revenue away from Google in favor of Facebook’s wealth of data and new plan to publish news content on site rather than linking back to the original site.

Update: In addition to adding a search feature, Facebook has also annouced that it will now feature quick-loading editorial and video content directly from publishers like The New York Times and NBC News.

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