Facebook can be an incredibly handy tool for online marketing and search engine optimization purposes. Companies have been able to use both personal accounts and Facebook groups to network, market and generally get in touch with their target market in a personal way. Now, a new feature of Facebook could turn such accounts into media powerhouses, possibly outshining any attempts the same companies could make on Twitter.

The feature is the recently introduced ’subscribe’ button. This button is the missing link between friendships and groups, allowing users to keep tabs on accounts of interest without having to sift through endless status updates.

This step has the potential to turn Facebook accounts into something like Twitter feeds, with users following at will. Although the subscription button must be turned on manually, individual subscriptions don’t need approval.

The introduction of the subscribe button is an exciting thing for anyone using Facebook for SEO or marketing. One of the problems of using Facebook for business has been that it’s all or nothing – either you participate in personal interaction with your target users, or you sit back and wait for them to view your group updates. Having users subscribe to certain types of feeds is a step in between, providing a method of sending off important updates without requiring a huge commitment from the user.

For those whose market doesn’t suit the Twitter vibe, this new button could open up worlds of possibility. Talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about using Facebook for SEO.