Did You Know Barack Obama is the #2 Google Result for Searches of Facebook?

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Ben Parr| 9 Comments

Update: The results do not replicate anymore, but I still had the tab with the results open. So here is a full screenshot of the Google Results I had. Compare it to what we have now if you’d like.





I don’t think I really have to say much more than that. Facebook’s platform, its Login page, signing up for Facebook…somehow none of these beat Obama’s Facebook Profile. Clearly Obama’s Internet popularity translates across all facets of the social media sphere. You’ll find his Twitter and his MySpace fairly quickly in searches of the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Is this simply a reflection of Obama’s Internet popularity? Did Facebook do anything intentional to bump up his search engine ranking?

I wonder.

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  • http://www.ozanonay.com/blog/ Ozan Onay

    Firstly, I can't reproduce your result. I get the 'about' and 'login' pages, and only see Obama's profile as 4th in 'more results from facebook.com'.

    Having said that, the high ranking is still feasible due to the large number of quality external links to Obama's profile (presumably more than any other Facebook user). You can see these in google with link:facebook.com/barackobama.

    Facebook wouldn't intentionally optimize one profile over another. They have however done a little bit of work to optimize public profiles.

  • http://benparr.com Ben Parr

    I find that really interesting. I tried it multiple times to be sure, but now Obama doesn't even appear in the top 50. Google doesn't fluctuate that much, does it? It had to be on the Facebook end.

  • http://www.ozanonay.com/blog/ Ozan Onay

    No, Facebook doesn't have that degree of control over the SERP order of their pages.

    I suspect that you did your original search at a time when many people were writing about Obama's social media campaign – his profile would have been given a boost as the backlinking sites would have been treated by google as new information.

  • http://www.ozanonay.com Ozan Onay

    Firstly, I can’t reproduce your result. I get the ‘about’ and ‘login’ pages, and only see Obama’s profile as 4th in ‘more results from facebook.com’.

    Having said that, the high ranking is still feasible due to the large number of quality external links to Obama’s profile (presumably more than any other Facebook user). You can see these in google with link:facebook.com/barackobama.

    Facebook wouldn’t intentionally optimize one profile over another. They have however done a little bit of work to optimize public profiles.

  • http://benparr.com Ben Parr

    I find that really interesting. I tried it multiple times to be sure, but now Obama doesn’t even appear in the top 50. Google doesn’t fluctuate that much, does it? It had to be on the Facebook end.

  • http://www.ozanonay.com Ozan Onay

    No, Facebook doesn’t have that degree of control over the SERP order of their pages.

    I suspect that you did your original search at a time when many people were writing about Obama’s social media campaign – his profile would have been given a boost as the backlinking sites would have been treated by google as new information.

  • http://www.ozanonay.com/blog/ Ozan Onay

    Firstly, I can't reproduce your result. I get the 'about' and 'login' pages, and only see Obama's profile as 4th in 'more results from facebook.com'.

    Having said that, the high ranking is still feasible due to the large number of quality external links to Obama's profile (presumably more than any other Facebook user). You can see these in google with link:facebook.com/barackobama.

    Facebook wouldn't intentionally optimize one profile over another. They have however done a little bit of work to optimize public profiles.

  • http://benparr.com Ben Parr

    I find that really interesting. I tried it multiple times to be sure, but now Obama doesn't even appear in the top 50. Google doesn't fluctuate that much, does it? It had to be on the Facebook end.

  • http://www.ozanonay.com/blog/ Ozan Onay

    No, Facebook doesn't have that degree of control over the SERP order of their pages.

    I suspect that you did your original search at a time when many people were writing about Obama's social media campaign – his profile would have been given a boost as the backlinking sites would have been treated by google as new information.