If you ever thought there was any chance of Facebook ever going away – think again. In an article from WebProNews.com, Rich Ord reveals that Microsoft is upping the ante when it comes to the search engine game. Since they have yet to compete on a traditional level, Microsoft is betting on the social power of Facebook for its own search engine, Bing. Having an ownership stake in Facebook, they have created a new product called Bing Social.

Until now, Google has muscled its way to the top with sheer domination of everything searchable. This is due to the use of a method called PageRank. In the most basic of terms, the method is what made search results more relevant to the user. Since Google found a better way to give people what they want, that is what people chose to use. Microsoft has chosen to combat this by adding into the mix the personal touch that Google does not provide. Bing Social will officially integrate information from reviews, photos and likes that your own personal Facebook network has posted. This is regarded as “instant personalization” that will create a search for each individual. According to the article, your Bing search results will actually be different depending on what your network of friends link to, like or dislike or review This will eventually include seeing who “liked” or “disliked” a particular link, being able to add and confirm data on Facebook and create a better non-celebrity search.

Clearly, this will have a huge impact on SEO as search engine marketers will have to rethink their strategy. But with change comes opportunity, so who knows where this will take us in 2011. Consumers will always choose what works best for them, so time will tell who will come out on top. As for Fasturtle®, we plan on monitoring this trend and seeing where it will take SEO as it pertains to our industry. Either way, we plan on staying as our client’s go-to for Search Engine Optimization no matter who is leading the race.

Question of the day: Do you want your friends determining your search results?