Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) Takes a Small Step in Competitive Search

Facebook Inc(NASDAQ:FB) founder and Chief Executive had said recently at a rare public appearance earlier this month that the company would be using its search capabilities and massive user base to get into the search market.

This was meant to mean that the company would be competing with search giant Google, Yahoo and Microsoft's Bing.

It looks like the social networking site may finally be working in that direction.

Last week it said that it had introduced a feature in its search tool that will enable users to look at or delete their past searches.

Is FB Ready To Move Up Now? Find Out Here

While Facebook has a long way to go in the search market, this is a small step for the company to develop an alternative search engine to others who are dominating the market.

Facebook's biggest advantage is its vast user base and the information available with it from nearly one billion users of its platform. Unlike Google or Yahoo, it can provide very personalised search - throwing up not merely the name of a person but also likes, dislikes, interests, and activities even down to family details.

In fact this is what he was hinting at the TechCrunch conference this month. “Search engines are really evolving … It’s not just like ‘I’ll type in something and show me some relevant stuff.’ It’s, ‘I have a specific question, answer this question for me.’

When you look at it from that perspective, Facebook is pretty uniquely positioned to answer the questions people have: ‘What sushi restaurants have my friends gone to in New York in the past six months and liked?’"