It looks like Facebook is determined to keep its users away from Google as much as possible as the social networking giant confirmed that it's working on its own in-app search engine.
In a bid to keep internet users within its own ecosystem, social networking giant Facebook is testing its own in-app search engine that let users post links in a status update, without venturing anywhere near Google.
The new feature will stop users from ending their mobile browsing session as a result of the awkward experience of finding, copying and pasting a link from Google, Business Insider noted.
A few US Facebook app users will notice an "add a link" option next to buttons to add a location or photos to a status post. As soon as a user types in a search term, a drop down list of links will appear, allowing user to preview what is on that website and then share the link on the social networking site.
Generally a user would have to take help of the search engine giant, Google or other search engines or directly go to a website and copy and paste the link into Facebook. The social networking giant is working on eliminating that process and keeping people inside the Facebook app for as long as possible, according to reports on CNBC.
A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch on Sunday, May 10, that the company is piloting a new way to add a link that has been shared on Facebook to user's posts and comments.
If this works, it will hurt Google. Around 28% of all Internet time is spent by users on Facebook, and if the social networking site's search can end the need for users to look on the web for articles via Google, Facebook may steal even more of that attention.
This, along with advertising opportunities could worry the search engine giant, according to analyst, considering the cutthroat competition for mobile ad dollars.
Jack Kent, senior mobile analyst at IHS, told CNBC by phone that Facebook's real growth has been in its mobile advertising revenue over the last few years. That implies that Facebook's mobile advertising growth will put pressure on Google.
More than 70% of Facebook's total advertising revenue comes from mobile and the company has been working hard to keep users in the app for as long as possible.
But that's not all Google needs to worry about as the New York Times this year suggested Facebook was in talk with news publishers to host content on social networking site rather than linking back to the publisher's website. This is simply another attempt to keep Facebook users away from Google.
