Open Graph — Blog — Ryan Spoon

The below screenshots show a new module in Facebook newsfeed: "Trending Articles". It is a clustering of popular posts based on Open Graph actions of similar types (in this case "read" articles). The clustering by type is itself interesting (as it has implications for Open Graph and applications) - but the presentation is especially unique as we have not seen modules like this appear within the newsfeed. The clustering and the in-line scrolling are entirely new formats. If popular, it represents possibilities for other formats like photos, check-ins, etc.

It is also interesting that you cannot comment from within the module. Users can share - but not comment. This is bizarre because it differs from what appears in the Ticker. It also is potentially harmful for an article's overall visibility in the Facebook feed / ecosystem.

Strangely lost in last week’s iPhone 4 hype was Facebook's announcement of their “Open Graph Search Engine”. It is very young and therefore inelegant – but it is significant move that Google likely is worried about (at a time when Google is aiming to compete directly with Facebook) Facebook is beginning to index off-Facebook content within their search functionality… assuming it is Facebook “connected”. So just an entire industry emerged around Google SEO – publishers should undoubtedly be thinking about optimization within Facebook search.

And to Facebook, this is clearly is an effort to incent publishers to integrate Facebook on their core sites… and consequently: index the web, connect it to the Facebook social graph, and semantically AND socially unite the on / off Facebook experiences.

Powerful. Of course Facebook search is still a relatively small piece of Facebook’s experience – that will change over time. And this could be the acceleration point.

And for aggressive, forward thinking publishers – this marks a major opportunity… just like those early companies and individuals who dedicated resources to search optimization.