When searching for something on Facebook, the order of the results you see is determined by Facebook’s ranking algorithm. This algorithm takes into account a variety of factors to decide which results are most relevant to your search query and should be shown higher up in the results.
Relevance
The main factor that Facebook’s search algorithm considers is relevance. It tries to match your search terms to profile names, Page names, post contents, comments, and other pieces of data on Facebook. Results that contain your search terms prominently will be ranked higher than those that don’t. For example, if you search for “John Smith,” profiles and Pages with that exact name will appear before those where John Smith is mentioned in the content but not in the name.
Connections
Another key factor is your connections on Facebook. Profiles and Pages of your friends will be boosted in the search results compared to those of strangers. For friends you interact with more frequently, their content is even more likely to rank highly for your searches. So if two people have matching content for your search, the one you’re closer with on Facebook will get preference.
Engagement
Facebook also looks at engagement on Posts and Pages when ranking search results. Content that has received more likes, shares, and comments will outrank stuff that has sparser engagement. The idea is that engagement helps indicate what content is popular and high-quality. So news articles, videos, and statuses that are getting a lot of interaction from other Facebook users are more likely to appear at the top of your search results.
Recentness
The timing of when content was posted is another search ranking factor for Facebook. Newer content is often deemed more relevant than older stuff. So if you search for a topic, posts discussing it from the last day or week will generally surface higher in results than months-old content about the same topic.
Page Popularity
For searches about a business, brand, organization, or public figure, Facebook’s algorithm gives a boost to official Pages. The more popular and established a Page is, the better it will rank in search results. This pushes Pages that are verifiably authentic and popular to the top, rather than less reputable mimic Pages.
Paid Promotion
Pages and profiles can pay to get their content promoted higher in Facebook search results. This is done through Facebook Ads specifically optimized around search placement. When you search for something related to the ad, the ad content will get priority ranking. Ads are marked as “Sponsored” so they are identifiable in search results.
Location
For searches about places and businesses, your physical location also influences the results you see. Facebook aims to show you results that are closest and thus most convenient to access from where you are. So searching “coffee shop” will put coffee shops in your neighborhood at the top rather than those across town.
Past Searches
Facebook may customize your search results based on your search history and activity on the platform. If you frequently interact with certain types of content, search results that match those interests might be ranked higher. The goal is to serve results that align with your personal preferences.
Account Settings
In your Facebook account settings, you can choose to limit search results to just friends or friends of friends. This filters out public Pages and content from strangers in your searches. You can also opt out of having your profile surface in other people’s searches, for more privacy.
Algorithm Changes
Facebook is constantly tweaking its search algorithm. New signals get added, old ones get removed, and the weighting given to different factors changes over time. So the exact search ranking formula is evolving. The overall goals remain showing you the most relevant content from people and Pages you have connections with though.
What you search for affects the results
The keywords and phrases you search for will greatly affect the types of results displayed. Searching for someone’s name will produce different results than searching for a product or company. Some key factors include:
- Name searches prioritize profiles, friends, and public figures matching the name
- Event searches surface related Facebook Events first
- Location searches favor nearby places and local recommendations
- Product searches show you official brand Pages and ads first
- Topic searches will display a mix of public posts, news articles, and videos
Conclusions
In summary, Facebook search aims to show you the most relevant results personalized to your connections and interests. Signals like your friends, engagement, timeliness, and paid promotion influence search rankings. The exact formula changes over time as Facebook continues refining its search experience. But the core goal remains providing each user with customized search results tailored to their preferences and past behavior on the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Facebook search results ordered?
Facebook search results are ordered based on relevance, your connections, engagement, recentness, page popularity, paid promotion, location, past searches, and account settings. The algorithm balances these signals to customize results to each user.
What types of content show up in Facebook search results?
Facebook search results can include profiles, pages, groups, events, posts, shared links, articles, videos, photos, and ads. The content displayed depends on what you search for and your connections on Facebook.
How can I improve my Facebook search ranking?
To rank higher in Facebook search results, focus on creating engaging content that will get likes, comments, and shares from friends. Use relevant keywords related to your business or interests. You can also promote posts as ads specifically targeted around search placement.
Why can’t I find someone on Facebook search?
If you can’t find someone in Facebook search, it may be because they have privacy settings enabled to limit their visibility. Their profile may be set to not show up in public search results or search results from non-friends.
How often does the Facebook search algorithm change?
Facebook is constantly adjusting its search algorithm, so there is no set timeframe. Major updates typically happen a few times per year, while minor tweaks are likely being tested every day. The goal is to continuously refine search relevance.
Data on Facebook Usage
Here is some data on how people use Facebook search:
| Search queries per month | 2+ billion |
|---|---|
| % of users who use search daily | 20% |
| Most common search categories | People, Pages, Groups, Events, Locations |
| Increase in local business searches | 35% year-over-year |
This table illustrates the vast scale of Facebook search and how integral it has become to daily use of the platform. Hundreds of millions of people rely on search to find relevant content, connect with friends, and discover useful information across Facebook.
Tips for Searching Facebook Effectively
Here are some tips to improve your Facebook searching:
- Use names, profile info, groups, and event names in your search terms to find people and content.
- Add location names like city or state to find local people, businesses, and recommendations.
- Search for interests, hobbies, brands, topics, and keywords to surface relevant public posts.
- Check the “Posts by Friends” option to focus results on just content from your network.
- Use filters to narrow results down by post type, date range, or specific friends.
- Browse “Recent” search results to uncover the most timely content.
- Manage your account privacy settings to customize what appears in your search results.
- Explore search suggestions as you type to discover trending searches.
Following these tips will allow you to pinpoint exactly the types of content, people, places, and updates you want to see when searching Facebook.
Pros and Cons of Facebook Search
Facebook search has advantages but also raises some concerns, including:
Pros:
- Helps connect you with friends and discover content easily
- Allows targeting searches by location or language
- Surface personalized results based on your connections and interests
- Powerful for researching people, businesses, groups, and topics
Cons:
- Too much irrelevant, low-quality content in results
- Sponsored posts and ads mixed in without always being clear
- Privacy issues around data collection of search behavior
- Ability to limit visibility in search complicates finding some users
The Future of Facebook Search
Facebook is likely to keep honing its search capabilities, leveraging AI and machine learning more to understand queries and continue improving relevance in results. Some potential changes include:
- Enhanced contextual understanding of search intents
- Adding AR and VR content into search results
- Tighter integration between Facebook search and searches on Instagram, WhatsApp, and other owned platforms
- Expansion of search options for filtering results (dates, post types, etc)
- Stronger personalization and customization of search for each user
Facebook’s massive amount of user data presents opportunity to keep refining search to be more predictive and serve users’ needs. But balancing privacy concerns and preventing filter bubbles will be an ongoing challenge as search capabilities advance.