Facebook announced an update to Graph Search that will enable users to search for conversation topics within status updates, comments and posts. Some users with Graph Search can now browse Facebook for topics of interest — for example, “posts about Breaking Bad” or simply “Breaking Bad.”
The update also allows users to search for posts or comments from a certain time period or location (for example, “posts by my friends from last month”) or posts that they already composed or commented on.
The update makes Facebook much more conducive to real-time conversations, an area where it has been making major strides to compete with the likes of Twitter. The two social networks have been competing for eyeballs during primetime television events like the Emmys, the NFL’s Monday Night Football, and Sunday’s Breaking Bad finale. When users’ eyes aren’t glued to the TV screen, Facebook and Twitter want them to be having conversations or voicing their opinions on their respective networks.
Opening up Graph Search to enable post and comment searches will help Facebook to do so. When a user logs into his profile during a primetime event, he can quickly scan all conversations about the game or his favorite show — even if he isn’t near the top of the News Feed. If a user want to talk about an event hours (or even days) later, he can search for all relevant conversations on Facebook, something users can’t easily do using Twitter.
Facebook has been working to add partnerships around live media in an attempt to fuel this social conversation. Earlier this month, the social network announced a content deal with FOX Sports to promote Facebook data and conversations alongside live NFL and college football broadcasts. Facebook has also added features like searchable hashtags and verified accounts in an attempt to make finding topics of interest easier on the platform.
Credit: Mashable
