As the premiere global social media network, Facebook provides both individuals and brands with access to more than a billion users worldwide. While other social media networks are growing fast and have large user bases, Facebook remains a staple for those seeking to connect with large audiences and reach people from all walks of life.

Many businesses and brands use Facebook for marketing via their brand pages, but the platform provides access to so much more. One such example is its use as a search engine: many users search for more than their friends through Facebook.

Today, we’ll discuss why local brands absolutely should be taking advantage of Facebook’s search functions to help bolster visibility.

The Audience Size Cannot Be Ignored

Arguably the biggest reason why brands absolutely should be considering the impact of search on Facebook is the sheer size of its audience. With more than a billion users, Facebook rivals even Google in terms of size, making it an absolute powerhouse in terms of filtering information and providing users with what they need.

While you can’t exactly start pinging servers on Facebook in the same way as with Bing and Google, brands that establish their pages on the platform can take advantage of this. By filling out as much profile information as possible, targeting the right keywords and ensuring their brand’s contact information is listed on the Facebook brand page, even cursory searches for locally-relevant terms can result in brands being found by Facebook users.

Businesses Can Be Found

Facebook’s search algorithms have changed considerably over the years. In the past, you could search for specific people based on demographics, geography and interests. While this feature has since been removed due to privacy concerns, businesses actually have more options in terms of being discovered.

Just like with any other search engine, users can take advantage of the search function on Facebook to find local businesses and brands. By searching for specific types of businesses in combination with a geographic area, users will be shown a variety of relevant Facebook brand pages. Local brands don’t want their competitors to be dominating a given niche on the world’s biggest social media platform, so creating and optimizing a brand’s Facebook page is an absolute must.

Visibility Is Affected by Rankings

You may be surprised to find out that Facebook search functions rank businesses in many of the same ways that search engines do. For example, a generic search for a local type of business may yield multiple results, with each brand ranked based on how effectively it is pinging servers on the social network.

As such, optimization matters: there are even instances where a user could be searching specifically for your local brand, but see a competitor ranked in the top slot of search results. As mentioned earlier, this is why it is crucial that Facebook brand pages be optimized and filled out completely when and where possible. The more information provided via your Facebook page, the more likely your page is to appear in relevant results.

Local brands and businesses need all the leads they can get. With so many people using social media for both commerce and search in general, ignoring the impact that Facebook’s search functions can have on your visibility is a bad idea. With this information, you can now begin optimizing your page and ensure that its visibility is maximized on Facebook.