Facebook’s Graph Search: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg today announced what he calls the “third pillar” of his social media giant.

On top of Facebook’s Newsfeed and Timeline, there is now Graph Search.

Zuck explains, as quoted by Reuters’ Anthony De Rosa:

Graph Search is designed to show you THE ANSWER and not links to answers.

Zuckerberg held the major press event at Facebook’s new campus (across the highway from their old one) in Menlo Park, California, and many expected a more sensational announcement. So what is Graph Search?

1. It’s the ‘Third Pillar’ of Facebook

Zuckerberg clearly considers this a momentous announcement in the development of his social media empire. Following Newsfeed (“What’s going on with people around me?”) and Timeline (“Tell me something about this person”), Facebook brings you the “third pillar”: Graph Search (“Is it things my friends like?”)

2. It’s Like Google for Searching Facebook
You can now use as many search terms as you want to search for people and places on Facebook. For instance, “photos of my friends taken at national parks.” “People who like cycling and live in Seattle.”

3. It Turns Facebook into a Local Directory (Watch Out, Yelp)

You’ll be able to search “Mexican restaurants in Palo Alto” and find out what your friends, and other people on Facebook, have liked.

4. It Will Help You Find New Friends
By searching people with similar interests in a given geographic area, Graph Search can connect you to potential new friends.

5. It’s Not a Web Search
While Facebook is revolutionizing its internal search, this is not a push into the mainstream search-engine space of Google and Yahoo. However, Facebook’s user base is so ginormous that the people using Facebook’s Graph Search could reduce the number of Google searches.

6. It’s Not a Cell Phone
There were rampant rumors that today’s press event would roll out a Facebook phone. Well, it’s not a phone, but ultimately it could have a bigger impact for the company.

7. Facebook Says Graph Search Won’t Change Your Privacy Settings

Photo by James Martin / CBS.

8. You Can’t Use it Yet
You can join the waiting list HERE, but the beta feature is not yet live.

9. Facebook Stock Didn’t See a Bump
Investors were unimpressed by the announcement. Facebook stock saw a tiny rise, then fell 1 percent and fluctuated back to its starting point.

10. Yelp’s Stock Took a Dive
Yelp’s stock dropped about 7 percent on the day, as of 3 p.m.