Introducing these expanded search functions is natural enough for Facebook. After all, they have trillions of posts worth of content to display, and people are already performing 1.5 billion searches each day on Facebook alone. Making it easier for people to find what they’re looking for is just good business. Some of the search features, like an autocomplete function, will be familiar to those businesses who’ve dealt with SEO. Considering that, it makes sense to keep the keywords most relevant to your business in mind when creating new posts.

The search feature that may be most important to many businesses is one that Facebook is only just beginning to roll out: local search. At the moment, Facebook Professional Services is a desktop-only feature (though this will surely change in the future), and Facebook has been keeping the project under the radar.

However, the number of categories included and the number of entries that appear under those categories demonstrate that Facebook is very serious about competing with Yelp and Google in this area. The search results page includes contact information as well as a star rating and excerpts of reviews. The main services page defaults to the user’s current location, though this can be adjusted.

In order to really benefit from Facebook Professional Services, you’ll need to make sure all of your information and settings are in order. This means you’ll need to make sure your page is under the right category (so it’s listed as a Local Business). You’ll also want to make sure you’ve included all of the correct information, like your address, website, phone number, and hours of operation. Also make sure you enable a map to display on your page, and let reviews of your business display as well. Your business’s reviews and ratings will undoubtedly make an impact on how visible you are in local searches.

Facebook’s increased interest in search is just the latest example of how the major online sites are constantly introducing new features. Not every feature is a hit with their users, but if you don’t remain aware of these developments, you’ll risk being left behind when one does make a big impact. Fortunately, the social media experts at BSG can help. We will work to identify the social platforms and strategies that fit with what your business does best. We can assign a personal Social Media Manager to your business, who will update your accounts and help you build valuable relationships with your friends and followers. Take a look at all of the services we offer here, and contact us today to learn more.