For a long time I have been touting that we all live in a Google world.  We cannot seem to leave our house without first checking directions on Google, or order Chinese food without getting the local menu and number from Google, etc.  Many companies have come to us and asked, "How do we get on page one of Google’s search results?"  That has been the mainstay of my presentations about why companies need to get into blogging and other forms of social media.  I have yet to figure into the mix, Facebook.

Reading the article today that Wired put out about the "Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network’s Plan to Dominate the Internet — and Keep Google Out", I began to think of living in a Facebook world.  I never really considered these to be rivals in the big scheme of things as Facebook is a social network and Google a search engine, but I see now that there are many players all jockeying for position in world of the Internet. 

I also think there is another small player that might be making things interesting and that of course is the social media darling of the bunch, Twitter.  They can help perform the function of both search and of the social network.  All of it actually has to do with data.  As we begin to see the emergence of what I call 2009 The Year of Listening, more and more companies are concentrating on brand monitoring and reputation monitoring and how they can get into community and infiltrate them with their brand, their message and their mission.  Yes, it is all about the business after all and that is the company that will win.  Which one will provide the best of all worlds?  Right now we are still living in the Google world, but there are some other players in the Internet solar system. 

Tags: Facebook, Google, Twitter, Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Networks