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Is Google Really Developing a Facebook Killer?
By Titus Hoskins (c) 2010

No less than CNN is reporting rumors that Google does indeed
have a social networking site in the works which could give
Facebook some competition. This new social site/program is
supposed to be called GoogleMe or Google Me.

Only Google knows the truth.

However, creating such a site would be a smart move on Google's
part since they do need to compete with Facebook, mainly because
Facebook is turning into a real search engine, one that could
possibly give Google a run for all those lucrative search
dollars. Ridiculous you say - not really, especially when you
consider Facebook's recent move towards "Open Graph Search" and
its use of the "Like" button and box.

Unless the surfing public changes overnight, Bing/Yahoo is not
going to give Google any real search competition, but Facebook
with its massive number of users and rating system could present
a true contender.

We also might see a complete change in how the surfing public
sees online search. Google and the other search engines are
quickly becoming one big "joke" in regards to organic search
with big companies buying and selling their way into the top 10
spots and the search engines are helpless to stop it.

Link buying and selling has made organic search a joke and more
and more web users are catching on to this fact. Once this
becomes common knowledge, search engines will be appropriately
viewed as corporate billboards rather than anything of true
relevance or importance - even the mighty Google could fall.

That's why Facebook and its actual ratings/rankings by actual
consumers/customers are becoming much more important. While even
this kind of search equation is open to abuse, a search engine
based on such "user-based" results will beat Google's SERPs any
day.

Once web users realize the true value of such rankings and
search engine, then Google will have some real competition at
last.

Of course, Google is not standing still. As those of us who
make a full time living from search engine marketing will tell
you, Google is placing more emphasis on "user-generated" content
and ratings. They have placed more emphasis on the "truer"
ranking systems on the web, those coming from social networking
sites like Twitter, Digg, Del.icio.us, YouTube, MySpace and even
Facebook.

How many Tweets does a post get? How many Diggs does your
content gather? How many comments does your YouTube video have?
How many Thumbs Up? How many times is a web page bookmarked in
Del.icio.us and recommended to friends.
 
Granted even these social bookmarking sites can be manipulated,
but it is just a little harder to do than simple link buying or
employing simple SEO tactics/services to get your site to the
top spot. Which brings us back to the question at hand - is
Google developing a social networking site like Facebook? If you
count all the programs/sites which Google currently offers up:
Google Wave, Google Voice, iGoogle, Google Accounts, Google
Buzz, Gmail, Google Profiles... one could argue... does Google
really need another social networking program?

Considering all of these current offerings, is it just me, or
is there a lack of focus to all these Google products? Google
needs one site which connects all of its programs/products at
your fingertips. Maybe iGoogle could fill the spot, but it
doesn't take in everything or have that crucial social networking
element.

Google should have a social network site like Facebook, where
you can easily connect with family, colleagues and friends, but
the site should also have a sidebar which lists all the Google
programs/sites that you use. The site should be a "one-stop-center"
for all things Google.

Google and all its countless programs needs a concrete solid
focus or center. One click and everything that Google has to
offer is displayed on ONE page. More importantly, all Google's
products need to be consolidated and connected - Google Voice,
Wave, Buzz, Maps, Mail, Profiles, Search... all need to be
functional in one simple social networking platform.

Create or develop a user-based ranking/rating system within
this newly formed social networking site and Google will be able
to compete with Facebook when it comes to true democratic search.
Such a site, if it does materialize, could give Google's Search
Engine, and search in general, a much needed dose of honesty.
Then again, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride and Google
would no longer be a one trick pony.
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All opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the
author who has been following Google since it was a mere
BackRub. He is also a full time search engine marketer who
operates numerous niche sites, as well as two sites on Internet
Marketing, where you can get valuable marketing tips for free:
internet marketing
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.
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