Will Facebook Rival Google?

Facebook and Google are two interesting companies to keep watch on over the next few years. These two companies are into entirely different businesses, one is world's most popular social network and the second is world's most popular search engine. Are these two companies two big rivals in the Internet? I think yes; and Facebook has an edge!

Following graph released by Hitwise surprised a lot of people -

#-Link-Snipped-#Facebook became the most visited site in US, surpassing Google. Facebook is also way beyond Google's own social networking service, Orkut.

Facebook does one most important thing that Google does not do, directly - collect user information. Facebook today knows what you like, who your frinds are, your current location, your hobbies, your past, what are you looking to buy, what are you doing right now (through your status updates) etc. Facebook can leverage this information to target advertisements better than Google. Eventually, as popularity of Facebook will grow beyond search engines, it will start gaining a major share of search engine as well. Of course, FB will have to figure out ways to bring non-facebook data into its search if it wants to beat Google in its game.

I also see Facebook being the default place for all of users activities: Email, Chatting, Information Search, Shopping etc. Its going to be very difficult for Google to keep its offerings as popular as they are today.

Kaustubh Katdare | Founder, CrazyEngineers