So the great Microsoft empire has partnered up with “Zuck” to set all of the SEO specialists atwitter with speculations of what this means for Google and the future of SEO. But if you are a retailer, you probably are just wondering how this will affect you.

So the great Microsoft empire has partnered up with “Zuck” to set all of the SEO specialists atwitter with speculations of what this means for Google and the future of SEO. But if you are a retailer, you probably are just wondering how this will affect you.

Basically, what this means for retailers is that the Facebook “Like” button just got a lot more important. Originally the “Like” button was just a way for loyal fans to express interest in a product or company. Now the button is going to be crawled by Bing, so any retailer using Paid Search has a vested interest in the “Like.”

So how can you use the “Like” button?

  • On your Facebook Page at the top: see our page — and “Like” us while you are there! www.channeladvisor.com/facebook
  • When fans click “Like” you’ll show up in their newsfeed and gives you the ability to connect with that user and publish updates in their “likes and interests” page
  • You can also embed the code for the “Like” button on your website or blog.
  • There is a very easy-to-use configurator that spits out the code for you here: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like
  • But why not get detailed? The “Like” button can be included at the product level to create a more in-depth user testimonial. Users can also write comments with the “Like” to announce that they have purchased something or express their thoughts on the product.
  • http://www.karmaloop.com/products.aspx?ProductID=125922&VendorCode=ANL
  • The “Like Box” can be embedded on your website to attract visitor and encourage them to “Like.” It has a “like” button, rolling Facebook updates and thumbnail images of who already “likes” your site — it is a bit large so not sure if it is a good fit for all websites, but another option anyways.
  • http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box (Copy and paste your Facebook URL in the “URL” section for a preview of what your Like Box would look like)
  • A new tool is the “Box Count” feature that, like a tweet-counter, shows how many people have clicked “like”
  • The Karmaloop picture above also illustrates this feature.

What is the future of the “Like” Button?

Facebook is constantly evolving its use of the “Like” button, and they have made it clear that Bing will not always be the only search engine allowed to crawl user’s “likes.” However, we think in the future the “Like” button may evolve to more of a product review /product recommendation vehicle that is integrated with search. We will also be keeping an eye out to see if this is available on Yahoo! When it rolls out, and how the likes will fit within your social graph.