Facebook vs. Google – Who Will Win?

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Hear the clicking of keyboards and the droning of hard drive fans? That's the sound of Google and Facebook in a head-to-head grudge match. Each giant thinks that it has the edge on its competitors, but are they really comparing apples and oranges?

There is a fabulous article in Wired magazine called "Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network's Plan to Dominate the Internet — and Keep Google Out." It's one of the most interesting articles that I've read in a long time on the business of the Web.

While Google dominates search marketing now, Facebook is confident that it has the upper hand in the long run by offering a more social, personalized web — a web where your search results are driven by people you know, your Facebook "friends." Facebook wants to provide a warmer, more intimate web experience. Where Google is about targeting markets, Facebook focuses on people.

Facebook understands that its users want recommendations from people they trust. So by marrying our needs with the interests of those we trust, Facebook believes it can offer higher quality, more valuable search results. Google is all about algorithms — providing a huge number of more or less relevant results and targeted advertising. I like them both.

Before my days on Facebook, I found a variety of great resources, service providers and friends through Google … and many at random. So, while I might go to a Facebook friend to find, say, a doctor, there are times when I just want a blind search of everything available (finding cheap camera prices, for example).

I don't know that either of these giants — Facebook or Google — will conquer the other, and quite frankly I think they are so different that they should be able to co-exist. I do know that it will be very interesting to see what these players have tucked up their sleeves in their battle to out-search the other.

Beth J. Bates consults with Hinge on social media tool selection and strategy and helps its clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.