Google Social Networking

Google Social Networking Kicks Facebook Connect butt! Here’s why…

One of my Google Social Networking friends posted this comment on a Google Social Networking thread and now that Googling Social is live I just had to add my Google Social two cents. Best two cents you will ever get too!

“The truth is the space I have on my blog is limited. Even I join GFC right from the start, I see no reason for the moment to put it into my blog. I prefer to keep that space for promoting my product instead.”

Hi Valeriu,

Since we are old timers here and friends across most of my sites, groups etc. I would not think I would have to explain this to you. Those of you that know me and have had any phone conversations know that I am the biggest Google Friend Connect proponent there is. I am also the most skilled and informed authority on Google Social Networking.

Google Friend Connect is a PIECE, a very little piece of a MUCH larger enterprise level, multi social application social network that Google has been building for YEARS, going back to Gmail. Do you ever wonder why Google is taking their time and rolling this out slowly and very cautiously? Professionally and without coding errors? Like they don’t care (they don’t) that Facebook Connect seems to be dominating the landscape and kickin Google’s butt?

I have been so deep in Google’s social network that I barely surface for air. When Google added the Wiki to Google results, for three days that weekend Google ran the full on Google Social network and I saw it all. I took over 40 hours of video screen capture and this time no one can say I am guessing. I am probably the only person alive out side of Google that has seen this.

I know what Google is going to do and NO ONE else does. Not Jack Humphrey, not Howie Schwartz, not Michelle MacPhearson. ME. That’s it. I got lucky is all, I don’t know why but it happened, but it did. I even went to friends computers and logged into Google and it was not there that same three day weekend. Google’s social network, only on my machine for three days. Really.

How about when Facebook rolled out their Facebook Connect and were labeled a phishing site. If you want to see all the links to this search “chris lang saves facebook”… TechCrunch even linked to my site and I broke that story.

Facebook was down for hours and blocked in 3 major browsers. Does that inspire confidence in Facebook Connect?

You can’t even add Facebook Connect to your blog like Friend Connect because you have to code the application from the Facebook Connect API yourself. Yeah, that will be time well spent.

Google Friend Connect is just one piece of the Google Social networking application that is so powerful Google does not care if we use it. Friend Connect is just a widget, a tool, a toy even. However there is one thing that Google Friend Connect does do that is truly amazing…

I doubled my RSS subscribers in one week with Google Social Networking

When you join a blog thru the widget, the RSS feed is added to your Google Reader feeds by default and Google tracks this. Then Google uses the numbers for additional ranking indicators in Blogsearch and Websearch. We are talking Google takes RSS mainstream.

So, to answer your question Valeriu, let me ask you this: What would you rather have? A few sales or 1000s of RSS subscribers that you can sell to over and over? Don’t judge Google by Friend Connect. You are seeing about 1% of the Google Social Networking application.

If you want to know what is really coming read my Google Friend Connect Google+ Tutorial. I explain fully the 5 major pieces of Google’s Social Network and how you benefit from using them.

This entry was written by Chris Lang, posted on January 5, 2009 at 12:01 am, and filed under Google Friend Connect, Google Social Networking and tagged .

4 comments on “Google Social Networking”

  1. Pingback: » Does Google Friend Connect Improve Your Search Rankings? Search Engine Optimization Journal - SEO and Search Engine Marketing Blog

  2. Guillaume on said:

    It is true that setting up Facebook Connect is really hard and if Google comes up with something easier to set up, it will quickly spread around.

  3. Chris Lang on said:

    @Guillaume, Facebook Connect is tough because they do not have copy and paste code like Google Friend Connect. The last time I looked into it you had to code it your self.

    Also, Facebook Connect is an after thought, they originally were going to use GFC. But with their 100 million users they decided to develop their own to grab the advertising dollars for themselves.

    Also Microsoft is behind the whole thing. They have no chance of beating Google. They do have the chance to keep Google from owning EVERYTHING. Not to mention making some cash.

    Bottom line Guillaume, think of Facebook Connect email / messaging platform within Facebook.

    Then compare it to Gmail, and that is only one example. There are 30 more pieces to Google Social Networking and it is freakin awesome.

    If you are not signed up to the five part free Google Friend Connect course, get it here:

    http://googlingsocial.com/friend-connect-tutorial.php

  4. Binh Down Under on said:

    That is quite interesting Chris. If it automatically adds the blogs’ feeds to Google Reader, I can see how this is an extremely powerful tool. Great work mate. Keep up the good work in your research(es).

    Binh