Edgerank! What’s that got to do with Facebook?

Edgerank! What’s that got to do with Facebook?

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Edgerank, Facebook’s Newsfeed Algorithm

I’m sure you’ve heard all about Facebook.

What you possibly have not heard of is Edgerank.

Edgerank is Facebook’s social network algorithm which supplies you with the social newsfeed relating to all your friends and likes.

As search and social algorithm’s go it is a pretty simple one in the way it does its tracking to learn what you like and makes you tick in your online social networking world.

Now, when talking of algorithms Google could be the first thing that pops in to your mind and the recent algorithm update called Panda. I really want to be clear that Facebook and Google’s algorithms have similarities but fundamentally different.

Edgerank, Facebook’s Newsfeed Algorithm

- How it works

Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm works by learning about what makes your tick! What you look at, who you search for, the fan pages you look at/like/visit, what comments you like, comments you make, status updates you post and the contextual reference to the status update and when you change your search/view pattern.

Edgerank could be referred to as your online big brother supplied by Facebook. It has no interest in protecting you from a bully and has no limitations about the content that it’ll server you unless stated otherwise.  Edgerank will only display content like friend suggestions, ads, status posts, etc you have indicated as has an Edge that you’re interested in.

Ad example: Clicking on a Facebook Ad about dating will then show you more ads about dating services, click on music again ads about music providers, etc.

An Edge is the interactive part of Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm and as mentioned this is when you add/update a status, like a comment or page, comment on your own or someone else’s status, upload a photo, etc. The more interaction “Edges” you provide or receive the more prominent your newsfeed will be about related topics discussed and in others newsfeeds too.

Example of how Edgerank works for you status updated:

I updated my status as: “Does your Digital Agency really know social media marketing and search engine optimisation? Ask me a questions and I’ll the answer 5 best relating to your website!”

This is an Edge!

I receive 10 likes and 20 comments these are edges too.

1. The status update is displayed in all my friends’ newsfeeds periodically through the day.
2. The 10 people who clicked to liked my status, that now shows up in their newsfeed and within their friends newsfeed “One’s that are not my friends too” because their friends are linked to them and their Edges are interaction. “If that makes sense”.
3. Now the 20 comments work similar to the likes, but I can see comments of people that are not my friends or connected with me directly. But are only connected to me via a 2^ndlink in the chain. “Kind of like the six degrees of separation, look it up here” I can then interact with them within the same comment edge.Do you remember the old customer service statement? One person tells 10 people, those 10 people tell another 10 people and so on.Well the same principle applies here but in realtime with Facebook’s Edgerank!Let’s say for arguments sake each Friend who liked or commented had 100 Facebook friends; those 100 friends also had 100 friends. Each now showing some part of the Edgerank algorithm in their newsfeeds which all spun from my great day at work status update.

   Now you see the potential to communicate a message with social media?!

4. When you create an Edge (Like or comment) you start to receive notifications about other likes or comments relating your own interaction “Edge” by friends. This is the same for the other people who like or comment on that status post, but only relating to them as a friend.

Edgerank Factors

- In its simplest

1. Visibility is a factor the more people who see it the better.
2. Interactions “Edges” likes, comments, etc. This creates the power of the Edge (i.e. Weight).
3. Time… Nothing lasts forever unless it is been interacted with! Time is a factor in Facebook’s Edgerank which calculates a decay rank from the moment the Edge saw published.

These 3 Edgerank factors “The ones Facebook has shared with us that is” generally make up the calculation of how you will be displayed in the newsfeeds around you.

Edgerank Calculation Example:

Status update x 100 friends x 100 views / time x 30 Edges “Interactions” = %weight + 10 new Edges (In 1 hours) / Change Time = New %weight + 30 new Edges (over 24hrs) = New %weight = Still in newsfeed timeline

Sub calculation: 1 status update + views + 70 Edges + %total Weight = Profile or Page Ranking

If that Edgerank algorithm calculation looks gobbledygook to you, it simple takes the weight of each Edge and calculates a total to attribute to you and that status, overtime the more interaction “Edges” the more weight attributed to you status posts in all newsfeeds.

Facebook Marketing

– Made Simple

Fundamentally the more interactive you are on Facebook the more prominent you’ll be in people’s newsfeed. The Edgerank examples work for local business, company, organisation, brand or product pages too.

Generate a good following on Facebook through Friends and Pages and scommerce will surely become one of your best friends and a powerful one to generate revenues.

Google and Facebook’s similarities

I mentioned above that these to services have similarities and I’ll just touch on Google’s Algorithm and explain why Google’s PageRank Algorithm (named after Larry Page and now does more than just a page rank calculation) theirs is much more sophisticated than Edgerank.

I believe Google’s algorithm looks at items in more detail and the ranking is also much more complex to do with the power to rank for natural terms in search results.

It looks at on-page copy, keyword density of that copy, in-bound links to that page and to the root domain, the domains overall authority, anchor text links, contextuality of links and on-page copy, brand references, social reviews like those from review sites and much more.

Plus now Google is moving to social indicators of its own just like Facebook’s Edgerank, using the voting system of the Google +1 button and taking in to account websites Facebook likes and Twitter mentions.

Google’s Matt Cutts has stated there is over 200 ranking factors and I believe the social element of Google Plus and the +1 button will become an integral part of natural ranking and search engine optimisation using social recommendation.

Let me know if you want to discuss how the Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger team can help you achieve social glory using Facebook and Twitter.

Kind Regards,
Joseph Gourvenec
SEO and Search Specialist
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger
T: 0113 2372827
M: 07888850444
E: Joseph.Gourvenec@Ptarmiganbp.co.uk
W: Ptarmigan Public Relations
W: Bell Pottinger Public Relations
T: @josephgourvenec