Facebook Plans for a Social Search Engine

On Tuesday,  in an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt, Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook handles a billion search queries on a daily basis. When asked if he’d consider transforming the social network into a  social search engine, Zuckerberg revealed that this is not only being considered by the company, but that there is already an ongoing effort for a more comprehensive search tool in the works.

Right now, Facebook search is primarily used to find people — family, friends, colleagues, and classmates; however, a good portion of that one billion daily searches is seeking brands. Zuckerberg went on to describe Facebook as “uniquely positioned” for a big opportunity to break into the search space, particularly from a brand perspective.

Despite having nothing concrete to announce in the realm of search, and plenty of other projects in the works (like the overhaul of its mobile app), Zuckerberg’s interview allowed the audience at TechCrunch Disrupt to walk away with the same underlying message: Facebook will soon introduce the first social search engine.

While Facebook does have the opportunity to do something unique and groundbreaking with their current position, users are wondering if they’ll actually see something new, or if Facebook’s take on search will mimic that of Google+. At the same time, Facebook has the clear advantage with the social data necessary to take on Google, the ultimate search giant, in this new venture.