Facebook 'working on social search engine'

Facebook is working on a search engine - and they’ve hired an ex-Google man to do it.

Lars Rasmussen, a former Google engineer, is in charge of a team tasked with revamping the social network’s search facility. They was users to have the option to search status updates, articles, videos and business pages to better enhance the community and up the number of ‘likes’.

According to Comscore, Facebook’s search facility lags behind AOL, Amazon and Ask for effectiveness. Facebook recently overhauled their Ads layout in a bid to encourage more commercial interaction. But ad revenues are on the wane and many companies are favouring more traditional digital marketing, such as email newsletters, over social media spend.

Lars Rasmussen built the original Google Maps with his brother, Jens, before taking charge of Google Wave, which was not a success.

Drew Olanoff, West Coast editor of technology site The Next Web, told the Daily Telegraph that Facebook has an advantage over Google in terms of search, as it has access to highly personalised information. He explained, “By cropdusting the web with 'Like' buttons, Facebook has a huge set of data and information curated by all of us."