Search is Back
If you miss Facebook’s bygone advanced search options, then you’ll be glad to learn graph search is back via a new, unofficial Facebook advanced search tool. The third-party tool acts through a separate “Search is Back” website. It allows for easy, but very specific searches to be performed on Facebook.
Easier to use
Creator Michael Morgenstern, a San Francisco filmmaker, says he created Search is Back because he wanted an easier way to search for things on Facebook.
The website has proved easier to use than Facebook’s current Graph Search, which requires convoluted specific search terms. With Search is Back, users just fill out the form fields with information they want to search. Facebook has not commented on the third party website, but its policies do not prohibit it from continuing to operate.
The website allows searches with even more detail than before. You can search for anyone based off of various criteria, including interests, job titles, location, etc… The search possibilities are almost endless with Search is Back.
Use for good and not evil
It can be used by those looking to reconnect with old coworkers or for those in search for a new hobby, since all public information is searched with this tool.
You can search for someone who used to work with you by using the “former” company search option, or you can find your entire floor of coworkers by searching your “current” company. Similarly, you can locate photos, posts, events, and even articles that were shared. You can even view profiles from Tinder searches.
Find key influencers and leads
Search is Back is also useful for marketers looking for specific groups of people. Because Facebookers tend to put their best foot/face forward, a search in interests and jobs could lead to valuable demographics and target audiences. The tool can also help marketers find key influencers and evangelists. Additionally, marketers can use it to search their competitors or even their own brand. Before investing in a paid campaign, research the advertising styles of your competitors.
Check out what’s getting shared and commented on, and what’s leading fans to create content of their own. Search is Back gives you insight and access to what your customer base is looking for.
Search is Back only works in the U.S. for users who already have the latest version of Facebook with Graph Search.
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Nichole earned a Master's in Sociology from Texas State University and has publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has spent her career in tech and advertising. Her writing interests include the intersection of tech and society. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Communication and Media Studies at Murdoch University.
